Erie Township’s Monroe County Michigan Intermodal Rail Yard & I-73
NOTE- END OF FUSS: US Rail is not a railroad and faced with fraud charges in their claims to acquire property the promoters ran away with their tails between their legs.
This is a typical Monroe County saga. Somehow enough of our political leaders are so lacking in common sense that simple issues can only be settled by rants and inaction. US Rail is not a railroad so that ends the story.
NOTE- UPDATE: A true gentleman called in late July and pointed out that the company proposing this facility may only be a paper railroad and if so had no right of eminent domain. His stake was substantial because his home would be taken.
Thus this statement was added: Serious questions exist concerning US rail being a true railroad or a paper railroad? Is US rail engaging in interstate rail commerce?
This person took a rational attitude. Now that Attorney Frey is Township Supervisor the issue of enjoining US Rail from claiming any power of eminent domain is they have none as a tool to get property options and this will go to court where it belongs rather than in the public rant and mudslinging arena.
Increasingly, long distance transport relies on railroads to move consumer goods and industrial products nationwide with fuel efficiency and safety that cannot be approached by truck interstate highway transport. A large intermodal rail yard is proposed for Erie Township, an ideal location for such a facility.
In this way semi trailers and ship board containers are brought to the intermodal facility where they are removed from the rail cars, loaded onto semi trailers in the case of semi trailers simply attached to the road tractor and taken to nearby destinations. Overall this results in an outstanding fuel savings per ton mile. Only water transport is more efficient than rail for moving freight with the lowest cost per ton mile.
We can Utilize Obsolete Shipboard Containers... Chicago Illinois
Click on image for larger view
Thus far this project has been highly beneficial to Erie Township. The cost/benefit basis of this proposal has taken elected officials out of the recall petition and election spotlight. Likewise, there has been little fighting over the need or absence of a police department. No one is paying much attention to the trial of a township offical for graft. Even the furor over establishments featuring exotic dancers has faded from the big news picture.
Benefit of I-73
The construction of I-73 will prove highly beneficial to Monroe County. The new Interstate is proposed to run from Jackson Michigan to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The route through the county has not been decided upon. It might follow the present State route 50 and cut off on Dunbar and join I-75 at the Lapleasance bay exit. Perhaps a wiser would be to follow route US-223 and then follow County Road 151 which was a state highway at one time. This would link US-23 and I-75 and have a tremendous commercial benefit in serving as an outer belt forToledo taking pressure off Alexis Road and the several lateral Monroe county roads that serve as shortcuts.
Some Misunderstand Eminent Domain & the Common Good
One problem is that Monroe County lags most of the nation in high school standardized achievement test scores or even high school completion. One Silly Democrat candidate for county commissioner even has "No Eminent Domain" in a big box on his campaign advertising. I hate it when our local folks make us all appear uninformed.
Therefore, is not surprising that the right of the state to take property for highways, airports and the like is a necessary function of government yet misunderstood? One thing that sets our Republic apart from much of the rest of the world is our bill of rights. The Fifth Amendment provides for just compensation when easements or property is needed for a lawful purpose. Private needs for property include power line easements, interstate natural gas Transportation pipelines, Hospitals and yes railroads. The webkeeper expects that the homes on the 500 block of Hollywood Drive taken by Mercy Hospital for needed parking. If this happens, it is a justifiable need. Your webkeeper is nearly ready for an assisted living facility, so the move will not be so bad. We are assured fair market value for our homes thanks to the Fifth Amendment.
Obvious Advantages of Intermodal Rail Transport
The concept of moving shipboard containers and semi trailers from distant locations such as west coast ports to close to the destination is good for both the economy and the environment. The cost of moving a ton mile of goods by rail is only a small fraction of that of doing so by highway transport. There is a huge energy savings because the energy required moving a container of freight on a railroad flat car with steel wheels rolling on steel rails is far less than the mechanical losses in rubber interstate highway concrete. This loss is termed mechanical hysterisis in the case of rubber. This type of loss is essentially non existent in steel wheels rolling on steel rails.
The labor savings and advantage of reducing the number of heavy trucks on our highways travling long distances eqyates to an improvement in our enviornment. Lets not forget the savings in energy given the cost of diesel fuel.
In addition thate will be many jobs created for our huse pool of trainable but otherwise hard to employ workforce. Skilled jobs will be created as well. A good complimentary industry for the proposed industrial park would be a csrapping operation of obsolete steel shipping containers. These are accumulating around large cities. The photograph taken in Chicago above is only part of a pile of them that is visible from outer space.
Monroe Michigan MacSteel Plant taken for Lotus Island
Click on image for larger view
The Monroe MacSteel plant converts high quality scrap steel of known composition into the highest quality degassed steel alloy bar stock. Perhaps with the help of our area recycling facilities such as OmniSource having superb quality control, we can amass the synergy this creates and open up a bright future for Erie Township and the entire area.
The Bottom Line Is...
There is nothing that anyone can do short of throwing out the bill of rights to stop a legitimate Intermodal rail yard from being built if proper location and enviornmental procedures are followed. Serious questions exist concerning US rail being a true railroad or a paper railroad? Is US rail engaging in interstate rail commerce? Sure, it is convenient for the sorriest lot of politicians one could elect to resort to demagogy to take the heat off their own shortfalls and improprieties. This they do by pointing fingers at some our best citizens who serve on the Monroe County Industrial Development Corporation and try to bring prosperity and jobs to our community.
These are the opinions of the webkeeper and are not intended to offend anyone. As one of our finest Presidnets, Harry Truman said, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991
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