A Federal Case
Offload the public assets to a private firm, though, and you’ve solved most of your political problems (if none of your financial, geotechnical or environmental ones). That’s why the upcoming deal with Goldman Sachs — which is offering to peddle the port and rail assets in exchange for a slice of the action — is, sorry to say, a stone-cold certainty. Elected representatives from both public agencies can remove themselves, and hence the public, from the equation. And they have the votes to do it.
But if you’d like to pop some popcorn and watch it go down, you can head to the Wharfinger Building in Eureka Thursday evening at 7, where the Bay District will be meeting to discuss the deal. No action will be taken then, but the district will talk about its brand-new business plan, which coincidentally (?) includes talk of just the sort of deal that Goldman Sachs allegedly sprung on the district’s board out of the blue. The deal itself will be cut a couple of months down the line. In the meantime, the Humboldt Bay Stewards, a nonprofit group, is planning a big symposium on the deal to take place sometime in early August.
Meanwhile, the North Coast Railroad Authority recently lost an appellate court case seeking to quash the lawsuit brought against it by the city of Novato, Marin County and a slew of environmental organizations. The suit will proceed. It alleges that the railroad violated the California Environmental Quality Act in preparing for the reopening of the southern end of the line; plaintiffs demand that the agency’s CEQA documentation take into consideration the “entire project” — including the mass cargo the Authority and the Bay District say they’ll soon be shipping through Humboldt Bay.
How does the NCRA respond to this loss? According to a Willits News article, they respond by saying that they’ll take the case to federal court. Why? Because suddenly the railroad authority, a state agency, wants to make the case that it is not bound by California environmental law at all!
Federal court, eh? Maybe they’ll see some people they know in the hallways.
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on the cover
Railroad!
Proposed lines ‘set rich blood a-tingling’ in early 1900s
Some Other Proposed North Coast Railroads
Choo-choo Fantasies
Exposing this east-west rail nonsense
seven-o-heaven
Undeterred Will
Will chides Andrew for lack of attention to detail and makes plans for his inevitable victory.
Recent the town dandy
Jan. 13, 2011
The Golden Boy
Dec. 23, 2010
Wish Lists
Dec. 16, 2010
The Train Geeks Return
Today
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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