Letters to the Editor: Eddie Quinn Responds to Letter to the Editor RE: Rails-to-Trails
Mr. Quinn’s response is below, in its entirety, since it’s not available on the Jacksonville Daily News’ website.
Community’s needs greater than bridge
To the editor:
In his Jan. 8 letter to the editor headlined, “More use of bridge than some claim,” Thomas Brock acknowledges that Robert Hitch and I “may not” have seen any joggers or cyclists on the pedestrian bridge. Allow me to return the courtesy — he and “dozens of other walkers, runners, cyclists and families” may use Rails to Trails and its bridge, but I sure as the dickens have not seen them. The few people who may use the Rails to Trails and pedestrian bridge certainly do not justify what has been spent on that project.
I freely admit that I am not a structural engineer; however, in all my experiences with rust, no rust I ever saw “sleeps.” All the rust processes I have encountered continue unabated 24/7 until the metal is completely consumed. Hopefully, no one will be under this “weathered steel” when it finally does rust all the way through.
If Brock truly wants facts, here is one supported by numerous articles in The Daily News: Additional fire and police department personnel and facilities are desperately needed to meet current and future needs. These additional resources, if funded instead of Rails to Trails, would very easily have provided greater security and peace of mind to the entire community.
And did the $1 million grant by the North Carolina Department of Transportation grow on a tree? The fact is that the source of all North Carolina government funds, of which the Department of Transportation is a part, are extorted from the public with the threat of a prison cell or loss of property. The $1 million did not fall out of the sky — it was forcefully confiscated from North Carolinians through taxes.
Bro c k’s l e t t e r a l s o contained one of my very favorite political expressions: “Had the money not been used in Jacksonville, it surely would have been used elsewhere.” Why do politicians as well as other Rails-to-Trails supporter types always seem to think that since the money is there, having already been extorted from fellow citizens, it absolutely must be spent? It seems that spending is and always has been the first, if not the only, option considered. What’s wrong with saving the public’s money for future needs or, heaven forbid, return it to the people from whom it was confiscated?
It is exactly this we-mustspend-it attitude that has put this country on the economic shoals. Contrary to current political philosophy, it is impossible to spend one’s self out of debt. Getting out of debt can only be achieved by acute fiscal responsibility.
I, as well as many others, do not believe that placing a higher priority on Railsto-Trails enthusiasts’ needs for a place to exercise over the needs of additional police and fire department resources meets the good fiscal stewardship standard.
Eddie C. Quinn
Jacksonville
I’d respond but I believe that his letter contains nothing worth answering and nothing I say will convince Quinn that the Rails-to-Trails was a worthwhile project.
I will say this, however: Quinn bases his entire opinion of the usage of the Rails-to-Trails on the 45 seconds to 2 minutes the bridge is visible as he drives down Highway 24/Lejeune Blvd. I base mine on using the trail, twice a day, every day and frequently on weekends. You decide who is the better source of usage data.
January 10th, 2009 at 11:59 am
“Across the United States, trails and greenways are
stimulating tourism- and recreation-related spending.
Lodging and food, as well as river rafting, horseback
riding, bicycling and snowmobiling, demonstrate the
economic value that trails and greenways provide to
communities. Trail and greenway systems have become
the central focus of tourist activities in some communi-
ties and the impetus for kick-starting a stagnating
economy.”
…
“Local governments can no longer permit poorly
planned development if they are to compete for residents
and businesses and pay for the infrastructure costs
associated with sprawling growth. Many businesses rate
the livability of cities when determining where to locate.
They look at schools, housing, proximity and abundance
of outdoor recreational spaces. Cities such as Providence,
Rhode Island and Chattanooga, Tennessee, transformed
industrial blight into beautiful and useful riverfront
greenways and trails as part of strategic plans to attract
businesses and residents”
…
“The San Antonio Riverwalk in Texas is reported to
be the second most important tourist attraction in
the state of Texas and the anchor of the city’s $1.2
billion annual tourist trade. Only a short distance
from the Alamo, the Riverwalk links popular
shops, restaurants and art galleries with recre-
ational activities such as boating and walking.”
Economic Benefits of Trails and Greenways
“State officials there estimate that over a hundred thousand trail users have created 300 new businesses and pumped $20 million into the area’s economy each year, turning former farm towns into tourist stops. If Prairie Spirit grows, Mayor Norman hopes some of that gold will come to Garnett, improving its ‘quality of life.’”
Wall Street Journal
Improving the quality of life for Jacksonville residents is an admirable goal in and of itself, but a rail trail has the potential do do more than just that. Perhaps Mr. Quinn doesn’t understand that quality of life is something companies look for in cities when they are considering relocating, and that those new businesses, as well as tourists, would pump money into your local economy, thereby helping to pay for the fire and police protection Mr. Quinn desires?
Mr. Quinn appears to be a very short-sighted individual.
January 10th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
It’s not often that truer words are spoken, Ms. Steinfeld.
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:36 pm
[...] *The Jacksonville Daily News published an article regarding the NC ACEC award for the pedestrian bridge, though its tone was not-quite-so positive. I responded to the article in a letter to the editor and Eddie Quinn responded with his own letter to the editor. [...]