Chris Wetterich at the Business Courier is awesome.  "What if the I-71 MLK interchange was held to the same standards as streetcar?"

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2013/12/what-if-the-i-71mlk-interchange-was.html?page=all

Chris Wetterich at the Business Courier is awesome.  "What if the I-71 MLK interchange was held to the same standards as streetcar?"

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2013/12/what-if-the-i-71mlk-interchange-was.html?page=all

 

That is the FIRST TIME I have ever seen the media take up this question.  :clap:

District’s streetcar line finally has its first car

By Michael Laris,  Published: December 14

 

After all the planning and jackhammering and track-laying, what the District’s new streetcar line needed was a streetcar. And there it was.

 

“It’s coming. It’s coming,” said Dawn Verdugo, 38, who grew up in San Francisco and imagined being on hand to see that city’s first cable car in 1873. “That’s a big deal.”

 

Many doubted the moment would arrive. But Friday night, workers fit together a massive green steel ramp, loosened the winch on a flatbed truck and slowly lowered a 66-foot-long Czech-made streetcar toward H Street NE. As the first wheels touched the steel track at 9:45 p.m., a half-century after the city’s last streetcar stopped running, spectators cheered — and Verdugo, a chemist who works in the serious Washington world of national security, was giddy. “There’s a train! We get to take a train!”

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/districts-streetcar-line-finally-has-its-first-car/2013/12/14/23f84a32-64cd-11e3-a373-0f9f2d1c2b61_story.html?hpid=z5

The anti-streetcar forces are trying to line up speakers for Wednesday's meeting. They want to pack the room with speakers telling council to kill the project. This is our last opportunity to pack the room with streetcar supporters. If you can show up and speak, please do so. If you have never showed up in council chambers to speak, this is your last chance. If you "forgot" to vote, this is your opportunity to redeem yourself. You don't even need to live within the city to speak (several of the anti-streetcar speakers have lived outside the city).

 

I think packing the room with anti-streetcar people will backfire.  When anti-streetcar people try to explain their position they tend to sound like crazy old cranks that are afraid of any change.  Bring them on.

I guess this is in reference to the polling gizmo the Fishwarp uses for public opinion

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2013/12/17/ok-who-hacked-the-streetcar-discussion/

Apparently, streetcar detractors are manipulating the results.

At least make it less obvious. 48,000 oppose to 4,000 that are for the streetcar?

My take in Soapbox.  http://www.soapboxmedia.com/features/121713-soapdish-haile-mary-miracle.aspx

Haile Foundation, executives ready to help on streetcar

Dec. 17, 2013 

Written by Josh Pichler

 

The Haile U.S. Bank Foundation is working with a group of executives to find a path forward for the streetcar project that threatens to cost the city millions of dollars whether it’s built or shut down.

 

Eric Avner, a senior executive with the Haile Foundation, said on Monday the group does not expect it can raise $80 million in commitments by Thursday, when the federal government is expected to pull $45 million that’s necessary to build the streetcar if the city doesn’t commit to the project. Mayor John Cranley reiterated on Monday he will move forward on the streetcar project only if the private sector commits to covering operating costs for 30 years.

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?NoCache=1&Dato=20131216&Kategori=BIZ01&Lopenr=312160095&Ref=AR

 

The big question -- do Flynn and Mann have faith that the Haile Foundation will find all of the needed funding by the time the streetcar opens in September 2016? I sure hope they do.

^This Enquirer article doesn't sound positive to me. I don't think the independent audit is even going to matter, it will come down to Flynn and Mann sensing that there actually turned out to be a lot of community anxiety over walking away from a half-built project. That and Haile has really sweetened the pot. I mean really, who turns away an offer like that. Most cities would kill for a foundation to step up and just fork out operating budget subsidies.

From Late 2010-Yesterday, 700wlw has devoted 435 podcast segments to Cincinnati Streetcar. Chris Smitherman was a guest 111 times(App 25%)

I guess this is in reference to the polling gizmo the Fishwarp uses for public opinion

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2013/12/17/ok-who-hacked-the-streetcar-discussion/

Apparently, streetcar detractors are manipulating the results.

 

Unbelievable.  I hope that the Enquirer digs a little further into this now that they've become a victim of hacking.  Not in a punitive sense, but with a story outlining how far over the line streetcar opponents have gone, basically detailing their misinformation campaign and how they've been willing to say absolutely anything when the facts don't back up their argument.

One fact-check story will accomplish nothing.  Public sentiment has been built after years and years of misinformation.  It would take years of correct reportage of facts for public opinion to turn. 

^It may not change public opinion, but it might help Mann and Flynn realize that a lot of the negative things they've heard about the project are false.  This week, we need to change 2 minds, not the whole city's.

One fact-check story will accomplish nothing.  Public sentiment has been built after years and years of misinformation.  It would take years of correct reportage of facts for public opinion to turn. 

That was basically the impossible task the Qualls campaign had to face.

^This Enquirer article doesn't sound positive to me. I don't think the independent audit is even going to matter, it will come down to Flynn and Mann sensing that there actually turned out to be a lot of community anxiety over walking away from a half-built project. That and Haile has really sweetened the pot. I mean really, who turns away an offer like that. Most cities would kill for a foundation to step up and just fork out operating budget subsidies.

 

Yes, the Enquirer apparently doesn't realize that Cranley's entire line of reasoning for "pausing" the streetcar -- to do an audit -- has been completely thrown out the window. Cranley completely changed the conversation by bringing up the privatization of operating costs. The cost of doing this audit has been a complete waste of taxpayer money, much like the additional expense of pausing the streetcar to begin with.

The worm has turned.

joshpichler ‏@joshpichler 29s

Eric Avner: We are committed to seeing the Streetcar through to completion and beyond. ...

 

joshpichler ‏@joshpichler 9s

Eric Avner: ... SORTA has stepped up and is more than qualified to serve in this role. #cincystreetcar

 

 

joshpichler ‏@joshpichler 2m

Cincinnati business, philanthropic communities say they will work with SORTA in public-private partnership.

#cincystreetcar

 

 

 

Big breaking news: SORTA has stepped up and agreed to take on responsibility for the streetcar's operating costs. The city should now have no excuse to not resume construction.

 

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2013/12/17/sorta-offers-to-handle-streetcar-operating-costs/

Big breaking news: SORTA has stepped up and agreed to take on responsibility for the streetcar's operating costs. The city should now have no excuse to not resume construction.

 

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2013/12/17/sorta-offers-to-handle-streetcar-operating-costs/

 

Cranley will try to think of something.

 

Regardless, SHOW UP TOMORROW at the public hearing and thursday at the vote.  Cranley, Smitherman and Murray are BEGGING people to show up to speak in oppposition publicly

So it's off the city's books. This is what Cranley said he wanted. I guess he's a streetcar supporter now. Right? Right? Yeah, suuuuure...

So it's off the city's books. This is what Cranley said he wanted. I guess he's a streetcar supporter now. Right? Right? Yeah, suuuuure...

 

I can already think of what his next arguments against the project are going to be. But I don't want to post them there and give fuel to the opponents.

 

Cranley's opinion doesn't really matter at this point anyway. We need Flynn and Mann to understand that this is the best way forward.

Bombshell! I told you metro should step up and they did.

 

http://www.wlwt.com/news/local-news/cincinnati/sorta-says-it-will-pay-streetcar-operating-costs/-/13549970/23527660/-/d62gdl/-/index.html?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=wlwt5&utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=wlwt

Who cares about changing Cranley's mind? Hopefully SORTAs offer is enough to change Flynn and Mann's minds, and in essence take the "operating cost" figure out of the equation entirely. We will all now if those two are reasonable or in Cranley's pocket come tomorrow.

That was basically the impossible task the Qualls campaign had to face.

Yep, completely impossible to make an end-run around a newspaper with drastically shrinking distribution to speak directly to the voters over a two year period as vice-mayor.

David Mann:

 

"This may do it"

 

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2013/12/17/sorta-offers-to-handle-streetcar-operating-costs/

^ Mann says he is now likely to support the project!  Is this news as huge as I think it is?!

^ Mann says he is now likely to support the project!  Is this news as huge as I think it is?!

 

Still need flynn.

 

Cranley will veto with 5

Cranley, Smitherman, Murray, and Flynn have scheduled a 2:30 press conference re: the streetcar.  What now?

What about Winburn? Could he flip?

That sounds ominous.

Presumably the next tack will be that this will negatively affect SORTA's bus service?  Of course, this could be along the lines of "we're okay with it so long as it doesn't impair SORTA's bus service...". 

Cranley, Smitherman, Murray, and Flynn have scheduled a 2:30 press conference re: the streetcar.  What now?

 

dammit

It's quite obvious that Cranley stole this entire plan from Chris Christie...the difference of course is that the tunnel project there was funded by disparate entities and it was unclear who would pay for overruns.  This streetcar project is tiny by comparison, with hardly any threat of overruns.

 

From Wikipedia:

Cancellation[edit]

 

Governor Christie endorsed the project in April 2010, but his support for the project was later called into question.[34] On September 10, 2010, with final design and construction on the first two contracts was already underway, NJ Transit's executive director, James Weinstein, ordered work on the tunnel to be suspended for 30 days for a 30-day risk review of the project's cost and schedule, because of concerns that the project would go $1 billion over budget and the State of New Jersey couldn't afford to pay.[35][36] News reports mentioned the possibility that Governor Christie's administration was considering scrapping the project to use the project's funding to replenish New Jersey's Transportation Trust Fund, however New Jersey's Transportation Commissioner James S. Simpson denied that the Administration ever contemplated such a possibility.[37][38]

 

On October 7, 2010, New Jersey governor Chris Christie announced that the ARC Tunnel project was officially cancelled, citing rising costs and concerns over New Jersey residents fronting the bill for the estimated $15 billion project.[3][39] The next day the governor agreed to a two-week reprieve, so that additional options for funding the tunnel could be developed.[40] Christie did briefly reconsider, reviewing options in discussions with US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, but made a final decision to terminate the project on October 27, 2010.[41][42][43]

 

Funding repayment controversy[edit]

 

The cancellation forfeited federal funding for the project, and put into question the use of Port Authority money.[3] In November 2010 US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood agreed to an arrangement proposed by New Jersey's congressional delegation in which the state would return $271 million already received for the project and the DOT would in turn put $128 million into the state’s Congestion Mitigation Air Quality account to be used on future projects. The Christie administration did not accept the offer.[44]

 

The federal government then demanded total repayment by New Jersey of federal grants, as stipulated under federal law. The Christie administration has refused to repay and is involved in legal proceedings to avoid doing so.[45][46] The Federal Transit Administration requested that the state repay $271,101,291 by December 24, 2010.[47] New Jersey hired the Washington, D.C. law firm Patton Boggs to argue against the repayment.[48] As of April 2011, Patton Boggs had billed the state $803,000 in legal fees.[49] In a letter to New Jersey U.S. senators and congresssional representatives, Secretary LaHood wrote that the state was liable for the money, and that non-payment could result in the withholding of federal funding for other projects.[50][51]

 

On April 29, 2011, a Federal Transit Administration ruling rejected New Jersey's arguments on the repayment of the funds. The debt carries an interest rate of 1% per year,[52] and began to accrue on that date at a rate of approximately $225,000 per month.[53] Christie vowed that he would contest in the decision in court.[54]

 

In September 2011, FTA and NJT reached a deal whereby $95 million would be paid back.[55] The agreement waived $2.7 million in penalties and interest and stipulated that $128 million would be spent on DOT-approved transit-related projects.[56][57] While the $95 million taken as loss in 2011, the re-payment schedule will be $19 million per year for five years.[58]

 

NJT costs, litigation, and settlements[edit]

 

in June 2010, a $162.7 million insurance premium payment was made by NJT when the project started, $144.5 million of which was reimbursed. The remaining $18,208,603 was used to cover the cost of insurance coverage for the project until it was shut down.[58]

 

In October 2012, in an eminent domain case for a property in Weehawken that lie in the path of the tunnel NJT was ordered to pay $8.5 million for the parcel. The agency also agreed to a $5.6 million settlement with a construction company Barnard/Judlau Joint Venture for previously completed work final design plans, drawings and reports.[59]

 

Government Accountability Office report[edit]

 

In March 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a federal agency, published a report entitled Commuter Rail Potential Impacts and Cost Estimates for the Cancelled Hudson River Tunnel Project[60] which concluded that Christie's basis for cancelation was a misrepresentation and that he misstated the estimated costs, cost over-runs, and New Jersey's obligation to pay them.[61]

 

It found that no agreement had been made as to whom was responsible for costs over-runs, which Christie claimed were NJ's responsibility While he had suggested that the project would cost up to $14 billion, NJ state officials stated that in their estimation before the cancellation it would cost around $10 billion. The report concluded that New Jersey would have been responsible for 14.4% of the costs of project, and that Christie's claim of 70% included funds committed by the PANYNJ (a bi-state agency) and $775 million contribution to the rebuilding of the Portal Bridge, which was not in the scope of ARC project. New Jersey's funds earmarked for ARC were eventually diverted to the state transportation trust, normally funded by a gasoline tax, one of the lowest in the United States.[61][62][63][64]

 

Alternatives[edit]

Cranley, Smitherman, Murray, and Flynn have scheduled a 2:30 press conference re: the streetcar.  What now?

 

Will this be online?

What about Winburn? Could he flip?

 

No

I'm guessing they're now going to announce that operating costs are meaningless if the audit figures support their opinion on cancellation.

What about Winburn? Could he flip?

Winburn flipped out a long time ago.

This smells really really fishy. 

 

Something is going on behind the scenes….

Not too familiar with the names or the whole situation, but could it be that they are announcing that the project is moving forward and that "their efforts" took the expense away from city hall. Its a win-win.

Maybe they are going to announce that Cranley and everyone on Counsel is now in favor of the streetcar.

I highly doubt it since Smitherman is involved. He is pure, concentrated evil.

I was joking.  I know that Smitherman couldn't do something that sane.

Maybe they are going to announce that Cranley and everyone on Counsel is now in favor of the streetcar.

 

In favor, no, but they may announce that they reluctantly need to go ahead with it because the costs are too expensive at this point to cancel phase 1. That with the help of the private business community and foundations, it makes the operating costs more palatable to proceed, but if only the prior council had not saddled them with the debt from this project, it would have been easier to do what the voters sent them there to do. They will apologize to the voters for letting them down and not being able to cancel this project and blame the prior council.

 

Just a thought on how it may go

Why would they announce anything with the audit not done? Don't they have anything else to do? I mean there is 99% more things involved in a city besides a streetcar.

Maybe they are going to announce that Cranley and everyone on Counsel is now in favor of the streetcar.

 

In favor, no, but they may announce that they reluctantly need to go ahead with it because the costs are too expensive at this point to cancel phase 1. That with the help of the private business community and foundations, it makes the operating costs more palatable to proceed, but if only the prior council had not saddled them with the debt from this project, it would have been easier to do what the voters sent them there to do. They will apologize to the voters for letting them down and not being able to cancel this project and blame the prior council.

 

Just a thought on how it may go

 

Lets not kid ourselves.  Cranley, Murray, and Smitherman are not going to favor this project at any point.  The streetcar could cure cancer and they would still vote against it.  I don't know why Flynn is still mystified at this point.  The press conference is going to another 'moving the goalpost' one.  More conditions that have to be met most likely 

 

Cranley will veto the vote thursday so we need Flynn

This drama is way, way better than anything on TV right now.

With Smitherman and Murray in attendance, it can't be good news.  I'm sure Cranley had a back-up plan in case supporters were somehow able to secure the operating funds prior to Thursday's vote.  Time to move on to the latest insane extortion attempt...

So where can I watch this?!

^ I'm sure Cincinnati.com will be live-streaming it.  They've covered all the other pressers.

Well, the SORTA offer includes a stipulation that existing METRO service cannot be negatively affected.

 

If the path to this last week was that it has to be off the city's books, what is the excuse going to be this time?  He wanted a path, and SORTA has provided that path (in public private partnership with the business and philantrhopic community).