A guest editorial by Mr. Peabody of Take Back Charlotte Mecklenburg:

“Charlotte Taxpayers Taking It up Backside.”

Following questions and facts have been presented to Mayor Pat McCrory, City Council members, Ron Tobor and City Officials. Officials take Mayor Magoo's insight to "Pass the Buck and allow the taxpayers take it up the backside."

September 6, 2006 was reported that cost of South Corridor Light Rail would oversee $426 million dollar budget. Again, costs have gone up. All major construction projects that occur in the states have been hit significantly with higher cost. If the project were managed by proper planning and insight, Charlotte would not have this predicament. FedÂ’s do not help with cost overruns ever been very few exceptions. The extra cost usually falls upon local taxpayer, unless the state will participate. Look at I-485 that shows the answer. In 1999, Parsons Transportation Group was paid $38 million dollars to design Charlotte Â’s Light Rail. This project was supposed have nine subcontractors and did not. The City is seeking reimbursement and will not know amount until end of the project, unless a possible agreement is worked out. CityÂ’s engineering department has been asked step in with Charlotte Area Transit System. When the design consultant is fired halfway through any project usually, cost will become even higher. Why city officials are having, the city engineering departments take over. In time, the Charlotte taxpayer will feel this. Again, if proper planning was done this would not have happen.

Officials claim that the half-cent sales tax will cover extra cost. The half-cent sales tax handles the operations of the transit system well as capital cost. In the event of rail, construction cost overruns will eventually lead to reductions in bus service, fare increases, and running buses a lot longer before replacements were originally planned.

City Attorney Mac McCarley said, “Some of the errors won't show up until we hit them at that phase of the construction. We just can't speculate on a number today.”

Our city council members and transportation officials have shown incompetence towards this project from the start. They rather point fingers at one another than take any responsibility for their votes and actions. Sure, our city officials do not want to admit with any more mistakes or estimate errors. They look foolish enough and more than likely city is in deep doo-doo. We ask, what other incompetence will become known from our city officials.

Background:

It will be a comfort for the citizens of Charlotte to know that our transit projects are using same people, who have been involved with both Boston 's Big Dig and Los Angeles sinkhole disasters.

Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas were having difficulties before the Big Dig became bad. With inquiries and scandals, Parsons Brinckerhoff was able to become serious player through years in transit engineering. In 1995, a sinkhole of 80 feet swallowed part of Hollywood Boulevard and cause serious damages to buildings well as surrounding area. Lawsuits hit company totaling over a billion dollars in damages. Consequences were that the project was not at all done correctly, unlike Boston Â’s Big Dig.

Interesting that Charlotte Â’s Transit chief Ron Tober worked in Boston where the Big Dig occurred. Mr. Ron Tober has been connected with Cleveland, Miami , and Seattle. These cities light rail projects have become questionable. One asks will these same factors occur again with transportation plans for Charlotte .

Ron Tober as the Transit Chief of Charlotte Area Transit System believes city will receive federal funding. However, Mr. Tober has stated that competition has intensified by other cities and federal criteria stricter. City of Charlotte and Charlotte Area Transit System executives are looking at how to obtain private sources for cost. By using companies help, obtain cost

CAT'S' made it clear in“2003” the construction on the light rail line would have little effect to the tracks already laid for the trolley. CATS' called it cosmetics construction to different areas of the track line that would be removed. CAT'S' explained that different locations of light rail line would require the removal to add additional track connections required. CATS' is now tearing up a majority of the track line, which has cost millions to the taxpayers and is a waste. Various city council members seem not to care they just shrugged it off as they usually do.

Charlotte city's rail-transit project is half-billion-dollar project. It has been a major concern for taxpayers from the start. Businesses along the construction of light rail project have reported significant profit lost due too many construction delays. Thus far, several businesses had to cut back and permit some employees to go. One business owner believes the city takes always what they desire and will come back for more, until nothing is left!

The difficulties that have caused these delays are poor planning and cost increases. Because of these factors, it is requiring high capital costs from the taxpayer. This has been a recurring record from these types of projects. Instead of light rail opening in April then was August 2007, now it suppose to open late November 2007.

One questions, about the final out come for Charlotte - Mecklenburg Taxpayers and transit cost. Selling point with light rail is the federal government would help pay for it, still comes from our taxes. Point, people that run these transits projects are not accountable like they should be. They are not elected to their position. They have one goal light rail. UNC Charlotte professor David Hartgen, released a look of Charlotte 's Transit well as N.C. Transit systems. Professor Hartgen feels that smaller percentages of transit cost come from rider ship. A reality check needs to be made from city and transit officials of Charlotte . Taxpayers are supporting around 85 percent for every bus trip. Charlotte Transit feels more like 75 percent every bus trip. Comes down that taxpayer is holding the bag. Remember taxpayer are subsidized each trip. Charlotte is already known as second congested mid-sized city next to Austin , Texas . Once light rail is, operational on South Blvd. it will become a traffic haven of congestion. This will spread causing more problems for motorist but our city officials do not want to believe so. This has been the case in many areas that light rail has been placed. Citizens in Miami felt that rail had too many stops causing travel time take even longer.

Elizabeth Dole has withdrawn her support for Light Rail / TTA. Senator Burr and Senator Dole have sent a letter to TTA indicating that North Carolina Senators are not supporting $810 million dollar commuter rail – transit project for Triangle. Letter against rail-transit project was sent to Senator Elizabeth Dole, from Rep. Skip Stam and signed by about 15 GOP House Members. Interesting that Senator Dole has stated this about Triangle Light Rail and not on Charlotte 's Light Rail. Costs are stilling climbing on Charlotte 's Light Rail. Senator Dole shows no concern for Charlotte 's Taxpayers!

To bad, Charlotte did not have a better fight!

Safety Concerns:

Construction is not only concern for light rail.

Our city has allowed our public safety take a back seat to the bureaucratic correctness of development. The same applies with Homeland Security. Charlotte is a seating duck to a chemical attack. Terrorists could use a train that is carrying chemicals and release it upon Charlotte . Even worse are the many train cars that already sit on the tracks by schools and parts of our city. Through out the world their have been all kinds of train accidents that have occurred with chemicals.

Colonel David Hunt a military consultant to President Bush and various media outlets. Spoke in Charlotte after the terrorist attacks that took place in London , England , which involved their commuter train. In the Q&A section, he was asked about if Charlotte leaders should be concern about light rail and rail. Colonel David Hunt replied most defiantly and was concern about the cities plans for rail. Several city council members were upset with this type of question. If terrorist attacked a train accident, or us happen that involved toxic chemicals people would not have a chance. Just think, if this would happen near a school or downtown, what the out come would be!

Mayor Pat McCrory and city officials have heard these concerns and nothing has changed. This is what occurs when heritage and democracy have gone. Officials seem to look over issue and want to band-aid city problems by different committees. Mayor Pat McCrory an elected official is accountable to the citizens of Charlotte , still has not enacted to any of these matters.

"Ask, who will pay the price? Charlotte-Mecklenburg Taxpayers, thatÂ’s who and hopefully not with their lives."

Peabody / President of Take Back Charlotte Mecklenburg
Mark A. Palmer / Spokes person for Take Back Charlotte Mecklenburg

** Update **
Response from a City Councilman:

We plan to hold the city manager responsible to address the issues raised last week and insure that the project meet both budget requirements and timetable.

John Lassiter

Can't you just wait to see what that means?

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