A resolution on the agenda for tomorrow’s Eureka City Council meeting asks council members to swear allegiance to the riduculous controversial east-west rail proposal, and the resolution is preceded by an almost comically biased “summary” of the issue. (Read the full text in pdf form here.)
The agenda item was prepared by members of the Humboldt Bay Harbor Working Group, an amorphous collection of citizens that has been meeting for the last nine months or so. Exactly which members is unclear: More than 50 are listed on the website for Prosperity!, the regional economic development initiative of which the working group is a part. Eureka council members Marian Brady and Linda Atkins are both listed among the members, though Atkins said she was not involved in drafting this resolution and, in fact, was unaware it existed until last week, when City Manager David Tyson called to ask if she was OK with having it on the Aug. 7 agenda. She’s not. Atkins told the Journal that she plans to ask the mayor to postpone the item so council members can examine it more closely. A call to Brady was not immediately returned.
On first reading, the resolution itself may seem reasonable enough. Divided into six bullet points, it asks the council to “affirm its commitment to create jobs and sustainable economic growth through Humboldt Bay’s harbor” by pursuing such common-sense measures as strategic planning, marketing and collaboration with other government agencies.
But tucked into this laundry list of promises, the resolution asks councilmembers to swear their support for “rail service connecting [Humboldt Bay] to the national rail system” and to promise that they’ll pursue funding for the east-west rail project, specifically.
As the Journal explained back in May, this endeavor has prompted a great deal of skepticism given the vast financial, political, practical and environmental challenges that would attend laying 125 miles of new rail across a mountainous path that bisects two national forests.
The Humboldt Bay Harbor Working Group’s stated purpose is to “unify the community on the future use of the harbor portion of Humboldt Bay to create sustainable jobs and economic growth while maintaining environmental integrity.” If the document on tomorrow’s agenda is any indication, the group seems to be pursuing the George W. Bush approach to unity: “Either you’re with us … or you’re with the enemy.”
“Some promote expanding” port activities on Humboldt Bay while, “on the other hand,” the document sneers, “comments have been made such as … ‘We don’t really want that (harbor) business here’ and ‘Why rail? That is 100-year-old technology.'”
No source is given for these gross mischaracterizations of the main arguments against throwing public money into the east-west rail pursuit. Nor does the document cite the “economic modeling” used to estimate what the rail-doubters are supposedly costing the region (more than $400 million and 3,500 jobs).
[Update: The source appears to be a 15-year-old report based on an entirely different set of hypotheticals.]
Atkins is concerned by the document. “There’s so much in here that are just statements that don’t have any basis in any research that I know of,” she said. She recalled a 2003 study (available here) commissioned by the City of Eureka and the harbor district that recommended a more measured approach to economic development on the bay — one that focuses on aquaculture, marine-dependent industrial projects, tourism and marine science.
Atkins said she did attend a few meetings of the community group, “but then when it developed into this port-and-rail, massive mega-structure cheering team, I decided to quit going to the meetings and let them go their own way.”
Eureka City Manager David Tyson said he didn’t know who actually wrote the resolution, but he said, “I validated [that] it’s in the interest of council to have it on the agenda, and I was asked to place it on the agenda by my bosses.”
This article appears in Humboldt’s Mayberry.
It’s comical that each side of this issue casts the other side as ridiculous.
whomever voices dissent to the super harbor development plans will immediately join the journal on mr. arkley’s shit list
watch out for more glossy political fliers filling your mailbox!
What’s really comical is that the only organized opposition to this effort is common sense.
When the North Coast Journal brings a job to this area let me know. Thank you Mr. Arkley for been a proud member of this community and wanting good things to happen here.
I’m letting you know: The North Coast Journal has 17 employees, Boy Oh.
“an almost comically biased “summary” of the issue”
HAHAHAHAHA so says some unknown writer from a remote weekly rag. Takes a comic to know one I guess. But can’t go too hard on the guy for what is 85% a cut-and-paste of what other people said.
You know what I mean, idiot.
These anonymous commenters have very thin skin. Must be painful.
Nothing better than an idiot calling someone else an idiot
I expect mirror blog post attacking Atkins following Tuesday nights council meeting
If this is such a fantastic no brainier type of project, then why doesn’t Arkley put down his own money rather than demand that the council lobbies for public funding?
Another question – whatever happened to the Marina Center? Is it now going to house port facilities? Actually makes much more sense than yet another strip mall.
Talk about propaganda, any reader that believes in the truth, should ask why there has been a media black out on any information that might be in favor of a feasibility study of the East West rail trail.
In addition the NCJ runs constant hit pieces against anyone that supports the study.
People from out of the area are amased at the almost Soviet style reporting that exists here.
Wow, so all I’d have to do to get something on the City Council’s agenda is ask? I can’t imagine that it might have been Dave Hull who wrote the resolution…the former Harbor District CEO who got a consulting gig promoting the RR after he got fired.
The Eureka City Council must not have any real work to do – might as well consider pointless resolutions meant to stir up controversy.
One word. Coal.
Google coal and west coast ports.
Does anyone know if it is feasibly possible to have rail service if we don’t have a balloon track to let the trains turn around?
More NCJ political lunacy is what I see with the constant war to against the future. Who do you guys think you are that you really truly believe you can stop the future from happening. I’d say, all those 17 NCJ employees? Take a refresher course in history and sociology, paying especial attention to the fact that harbors are ports for servicing all the inland areas around them and because they are so vital to human civilization they are always developed. And the same goes for infrastructure transportation of goods to and from ports. I wish you, Ryan, and your boss would grow up and stop your silly absurd ad hominen attacks of people who have Humboldt County citizens needs in mind while you Proggies do not and are politically a danger for every poor person and every young family in Humboldt County as you work so very hard to destroy economic development opportunities.
“…lunacy is what I see with the constant war to against the future. Who do you guys think you are that you really truly believe you can stop the future from happening…”
We are all interested in the future for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives.
http://youtu.be/zXkYTdm8BFA
“Silly absurd ad hominen attacks”?
This from a pathetic pantaloon who calls people “proggies” and claims that they’re trying to “stop the future from happening.”
Funny how you guys think of yourselves as “progressive” when your own business is all but dead.17 whole employees? Wow, that’s what… a couple of gas stations worth? Quite the economic impact there. So NCJ, I bet you guys would shiat your pants if Western W got picked up by some wealthier, higher paying with benefits conglomerate and cut your production out. Who would print your toilet paper then? The T-S? Now THAT shit would be funny! Has your creative department been outsourced to India yet?
Without Arkley to fund the printing press NCJ uses, the NCJ would not look so good.
You made Rob Arkley angry. Here comes the goon squad to bust kneecaps and punch your mom!
The whole concept of “affirming a commitment” to creating jobs, etc. is lame regardless of the contents. Don’t “affirm a commitment” to it. Just do it.
If you want a comically biased summary, read the general plan update. That would be a good story. Lots of assertions not supported by data.
“the document sneers”…… i quit reading. yawn, tired of the sophmoric rhetoric, gawd , foxnews of the northcoast we will call you.
Dear Mr. Arkley & Security National:
Please pay for these studies out of your own pocket.
Sincerely,
Humboldt County Taxpayers
Note to the ill-informed:
Rails and ports don’t employ many people. Construction workers would be imported from someplace else.
The Jobs Argument is a s-t-r-e-t-c-h.
I did Google “coal and west coast ports”.
Let’s keep things in perspective. What I found out is:
1) the coal industry is pushing to export coal through existing West Coast ports.
2) No mention of any East-west rail line being financed to facilitate this.
3) The closest port to us is Coos Bay. This was mentioned by the coal industry as one of the west coast ports they would like to use. It has an existing rail line that would have to have major improvements to accommodate the proposed new traffic.
4) Local opponents to this proposal seem to cite three issues as the chief objections to the proposal. They are:
A. Coal dust from rail shipments is environmentally hazardous (they did not provide any evidence sources to support this);
B. Coal burning, anywhere globally is environmentally unsustainable; and
C. the new rail/port facilities will overwhelm and transform those local communities.
My reaction to the objections are, in order: What is the evidence of coal dust, in transport, that causes environmental harm? Yes, coal burning is indeed an unsustainable form of energy source and there is no reason to think that, given proper planning, the infrastructure required to facilitate coal rail traffic, would, ipso facto, be detrimental to the community.
It seems that the Arkley types are trying to jump on the bandwagon to attempt to increase the value of their local investments. What amount of their own $ are they proposing to invest in this project?
If we are to build an east-west rail line, it should be for other factors than coal. Let’s hear what could be accomplished by the rail proposal that would benefit the entire community.
Is coal exporting a viable long term industry? Does is really justify a billion dollar freight rail line?
Monte, there are several reasons people oppose rail. The underlying major push, though, is a larger overall push to slow growth — economic and housing — in Humboldt. When environmentalists push an issue based on economic concerns (rail isn’t financially feasible, road widening will help Wal-Mart, an overpass is too costly for ‘blood alley’, etc.), you know something is up.
I would like to see the employment contract for these 17 full time employees with their benefit and retirement packages as well. How is the health insurance?
Thank you for reporting on this. If you hadn’t done so, many would not have known it was an item on the City Council agenda Tuesday, prepared by the ‘Humboldt Bay Harbor Working Group,’ or where we’re currently at on the issue. I welcome hearing the different opinions across the board– or across the third rail, as it may shape up to become.
The Humboldt Bay Harbor Working Group sure has a strange way of “unifying the community,” with their characterizations of those who disagree with them.
“Coal dust is notoriously difficult to control. BNSF estimates that each uncovered car loses between 500 pounds and a ton of coal dust en route. It is unknown how much coal dust will be released into the air, onto the land, and into the water from the from the 80-100+ acres of open, continuously turned-over, coal heaps in storage at the terminal site. There are concerns about train derailments, the effects of dust on human health, local clean water supplies, and on the marine environment. The methods of containing coal dust, especially in adverse weather conditions (wind, rain) are unproven, and it is uncertain which party would pay for dust mitigation measures.”
http://www.coaltrainfacts.org/key-facts
How dare you challenge anyone with facts MB, this is about J-O-B-S!
@10:07, retirement package? In print? That’s laughable unless you’re the publisher and/or editor. The others will be out of a job unless they leave the area or go solo since I can count on one hand the number of local ad companies that have 5 employees, let alone 17.
Yet there those little worker bees are, valiantly, yet blindly, swinging at anything that might do some good around here. All the while trying to keep quiet the very equipment their snot-rag is printed on the ArkleyNazi paid for.
MediaNewsgroup people must be reading the blogs and their little project and thinking “Jesus, what a little joke they got going on there; biting the hand that feeds them, BTW, how much for their presses?”
But leave it to them to bitch and moan about anything “rail” to mean “archaic, out of date”, while completely forgetting the 21st century has embraced rail. The little steam tourist one is a historical exhibit, but don’t let that discourage them from acting like a bunch of howler monkeys (or 15 year old hormonal females) with their displeasure over it.
Mother Judy has quite the control over them.
http://www.bnsf.com/customers/what-can-i-ship/coal/coal-dust.html
It seems coal dust problem has been mitigated to a large degree. With MB, railroad up here is only negative thing.
Can any one of these pro rail/port commenters refute the questions posed by the author of this blog post? All this non sense about job creators, who owns the printing press, etc. is nothing but schoolyard bullying. Let’s get some facts already!
http://youtu.be/X4NdxpedeMg
Coal Dust? Why that’s no problem!
the facts re: who owns the press you’re so concerned about: “Western Web opened in 2005 with new, state-of-the-art equipment, great people and a passion for excellence in print production. Fueled by the quality requirements of our start up daily newspaper, we invested in the latest equipment in pre-press and press. Sadly, the newspaper fell victim to the economy and closed in 2008. Western Web continued on. On April Fool’s Day 2010 Steve and Jack purchased the assets and formed Western Web, Inc.” In short, Steve and Jack own the press, not Rob.
Rob built it dick head.
Gosh, Ryan, is the summary as comically biased as your article?
More so! And unlike my article, it’s being advanced as a public policy proposal!
The quote comes from the Western Web website. It was not rewritten.
Maybe Rob can use the cash he received from the sale of the printing press to fund new feasibility studies?
Bob, why cannot you admit Arkley funded your press? Cannot you get basic facts correct?
Last I heard, NCJ was struggling to pay healthcare.
NCJ has not done basic website maintenance in years. If you want to find spam, the best place on the NC is on the NCJ website.
Yeah, well, who paid for your printing press? Huh?
Oh, that’s not what this blog is about? Ok. Back to the choo choos!
Who isn’t “struggling to pay healthcare”? What sort of ass-wipe would make such an idiotic assertion?
Wow, the Arkleyies are all riled up today!
Hey Rob, whatever happened to that big fancy Marina Center project?
unanimously approved. tough year for neo-liberal extremists.
ERNESTO; One word “SPAM”! Lots and lots of SPAM! The 17 people that work at NCJ are pros at SPAM. Man did you come to the right place……..
You missed a few…………is there anyone in charge of this sinking ship.
Obviously, Unanonymous has no idea what a neo-liberal is, and Brian Connors is babbling.
Joel can’t be struggling to pay for anything, you lost the right to bitch about that after taking a month off in Spain.
I wasn’t aware that one “loses rights” after enjoying a vacation. Anon-r-Mouse might enjoy some time off from his gloomy, menial job if he were acquainted with the concepts of earning and saving.
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