Posted on 04/04/2009 5:37:56 AM PDT by Right Wing Assault
Greg McNeil competed with city, county and state officials for Ohio's federal stimulus money and wound up winning $168,323 to silence train horns at a crossing near his home.
McNeil's project, on behalf of his homeowners association, was one of only 149 chosen last week by the Ohio Department of Transportation from 2,222 eligible to receive $774 million in infrastructure money. His is the only submission from a private citizen to receive ODOT's nod.
"I tell you, we were ecstatic," he said. "This was just tremendous."
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.cleveland.com ...
If a train doesn't blow it's horn, how can people know when it is approaching? This guy is promoting killing people for his own comfort.
Just like those who choose abortion.
I can’ believe that a private citizen was even eligible to receive these funds. Normally government funds can only go to other government entities or non profit corporations.
Let’s see if I got this straight.
168,000 taxpayer dollars are being spent to silence train horns?
Aren’t there supposed to be bids taken on things like this?
My lower bid:
Award me 16,800 taxpayer dollars - and I’ll go buy a toggle switch at Radio Shack.
Then when the train hits a car because the driver didn’t realize there’s a train approaching.
Let the mayor, do the press conference.
To explain why the train was silenced.
I hope these dumbass liberals and moderate/rino idiot republicans who voted for Obama (Fried Chicken) know of the backlash which is building and will be engaged in the near future! The country is going to be torn apart one way or the other.
Isn’t that a kneejerk reaction?
The project is to find a way to isolate the sound of the train horn, to the local area of the train/road intersection.
That way , an autos in harm’s way will be notified, yet the sound won’t carry for miles into the neighborhood, where it does absolutely no good.
correction:
“any autos...”
Project one: pay off the mortgage.
Project two: bribe some city officials
Project three: throw a party for the neighbors
Project four: get more money.
Projct five: screw the train horn.
Jobs Jobs Jobs...its all about ‘shovel ready’ Jobs.
OK sorry you’re being serious.
How about this.
Before we spend OUR money on this pork, this poster would like to know which was there first:
The people complaining. Or the train.
If the train was recently added to the mix, then great let’s spend the money and do what’s needed. But only if the train has been foisted upon the neighborhood, perhaps by out of control bureaucrats using eminent domain.
If the train’s always been there - then this seems to be more “gimme” entitlement stuff, by people who knew the house they were buying was near a train track - and now are just whining.
Since I don’t know the situation yes I’ll admit to a knee-jerk reaction. But then again, the original Boston Tea Party was a knee-jerk reaction also.
I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be against all non-essential government spending. Ever.
It’s a safe knee-jerk reaction to adopt, imho Reagan would have approved.
Government is not the solution.
Where are you getting that? There is nothing in the article to suggest that.
I agree with all that awarding money to a private individual on a no-bid basis is a travesty.
However, having said that, noise from train horns is a significant issue in my neck of the woods. I live four blocks a major rail corridor (3 tracks), and less than a mile from two others (a one tracker and a two tracker). These tracks are heavily used for freight and ever more frequently for commuter trains which often barrel through in rapid succession. Often there are multiple grade level crossings within close proxity.
If every train (as is required) blows its horn at every crossing, the combined noise is damn near unending. Many municipalities have negotiated with the rail lines (and obviously some government agency) to have quiet zones, especially in their downtown areas. The cities pay for enhanced crossing security (lights and gates, etc.) and grant some kind of liability waiver to the railways.
It sure makes life a lot more pleasant.
OTOH, despite train horns and crossing signals, it's rare that a week or two go by without hearing of somebody, somewhere in the metro area getting whacked. And it's not because trains are leaving the tracks and stalking unsuspecting pedestrians in their neighborhoods.
My take, after reading the story, is that this fellow had been working for some time to find a solution to the noise of the trains reaching the “unprotected” crossing.
The RR did a survey and recommended a fix that probably is workable (least because they don't want to get sued by a careless driver).
Then, like government agencies, non-profits, etc, have done for years they applied for a grant from a pot of money available for the government. Now the fact that this comes for the big “stimulus” package sticks in my throat, however, this fellow used the system as it has exited for years and years.
In this area, the buses have now added beepers like truck use when they back up. But these seem to be on when they are slowing to pick up passengers, while picking them up, and as they are driving away. And maybe while turning. In other words, most of the time in the city. A few pedestrians have been squished lately, so I guess it is in reaction to that.
With that kind of money, he could probably buy everyone in the subdivision development an ipod. Just don’t preload it with Johnny Cash or Hank Williams.
168K for train horn silence? Easy, just let nobama keep going..... won’t be long before NO coal trains, NO freight trains ‘cause won’t be burning coal for electricity and no one except the elite socialists will be able to buy anything the trains haul.
Where are the railroad police when you need one...
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