As a manager of a thriving shortline that does not use public funds, in reading the article, how is it that Mitch Stonger thinks they are exempt from hazard clean up and wants to use $1.5 million to clean up weeds and brush. Any other company or public authority would have to get the work done if the fire department or department of health gave notice to remove a hazard or weeds or brush, The authority should be investigated on why they have not kept the ROW free of brush and weeds and other hazards.The NCRA needs to use money they already have as an authority to clean up the trash brush and weeds, in many other counties around the State the local jail work programs will provide inmate labor to a govermental body or an authority to do this time of clean up for little or no cost. Has Mitch or the board looked into this option to save the taxpayers some money and provide work for the inmates.

Show me the that there is a REAL public need to reopen this the railroad. California has no good comprehesive rail plan and sending $5.7 million to the NCRA is wrong. there are many other viable shortlines in the State that could make very good use of the $5.5 Million to help get trucks off the road and ease traffic problems and help to create new industry development and jobs here in California. I hope the bill is vetoed again. Other states, Kansas, Washington, Penn and Oklahoma have good rail programs to support viable rail service, but each of these programs holds the authority or the operator accountable for use of the funds. To allow the NWP to put $1.5 million in the NCRA’s discretionary funds borders on criminal and it has no accountability. As a public agency the NCRA should be held accoutable for use of funds and have a plan on where the funds are to be used. NWP may indeed have trains 3 days a week or 10 to 20 cars but even if they only open to Willits it is going to be expensive to maitain and keep open, the shortline break even point of 100 cars per mile will not work north of Cloverdale you will need in the range of 400 to 500 cars to the mile just to maitain the railroad. They need around 5000 per year just to keep the lights on.

When it comes to the Port of Humbolt it's at the bottom of the list with LA/Long Beach and Oakland adding capacity. There is a new Port in Canada now coming on line and there is room and capacity at Tacoma and Portland and for other cargos you only have to look at the Ports of Stockton and Richmond to see there is more than enough capacity without trying to run trains down an unstable, vunerable railroad that has and will again fall off into the the rivers of the North Coast.

Before any more money goes to the NCRA there needs to be a full accounting of where all the past funds have went, line item by ine item and the NCRA needs to have a a plan the public has the right to view on hwo and where all money will be spent, no funds should be sent to be if they are going to be used as discretionary funds. As a manager I am held accoutnable for each and every dollar I spend and would not have it any other way, thats just GOOD business.