MILT THOMAS
Editor’s note: A public hearing by the Florida Development Finance Corporation is planned for tomorrow (Monday, April 20) in Tallahassee regarding the proposed issuance of up to $1.7 billion in Transportation Facilities Revenue Bonds for All Aboard Florida. The following letter dated April 16 states the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce’s opposition to the hearing being held without three new trustees of the FDFC being present.
April 16, 2015
Mr. Bill Spivey
Florida Development Finance Corporation
800 N. Magnolia Avenue, Suite 1100
Orlando, FL 32803
Dear Mr. Spivey:
On behalf of our Board, our members, and the community I am sending our written comments concerning the All Aboard Florida project. I request both this letter and the attached information be distributed to the FDFC Board of Directors.
We were disappointed to learn that new appointees to the FDFC Board were not even going to be present at the public TEFRA hearing called for April 20, 2015. It was difficult to understand the reasoning behind holding an important public hearing that, according to your quote in the morning Indian River Press Journal “The (finance corporation) has expended a significant amount or time, effort and expense preparing for this public hearing” when no one from the FDFC Board will attend. Further, considering the three FDFC directors are newly appointed by the Governor, it is more confusing as to why a meeting was established for this date, time and place if none of the three were even able to attend.
The Indian River County Chamber of Commerce (the “Chamber”) represents nearly 900 businesses from Vero Beach, Sebastian, Fellsmere and surrounding counties. I served for over a year on the Vero Beach High Speed Rail Commission which was responsible for reviewing every aspect of the All Aboard Florida proposed passenger rail project. Being well-versed on the proposed project, I must inform you that the comments received by both the Chamber and the High Speed Rail Commission from our business community and community at large have been overwhelmingly opposed to the project.
While the proposed All Aboard Florida project itself indicates 32 high-speed passenger trains will be traveling each day through our communities, what is getting lost in the discussion is that Florida East Coast Railway intends to increase their freight traffic from about 9-10 trains per day to 22 per day on the same lines and in the same corridor. Combined that is 54 trains each day! (See Draft Environmental Impact Study Section 5, Table 5.1.2-4 which states the plan for the number of freight at 22 per day traveling at 54.2 mph and the number of proposed passenger at 32 trains per day (to start) at 106.6 mph.
I am including our Chamber’s comments about this project as related to the Draft Environmental Impact Study that was published in September 2014. Our comments include the impacts the proposed project will have on the businesses and residents of Indian River County. Moreover, the Chamber’s comments highlight the lack of intelligent, relevant information that is known about All Aboard Florida’s proposed project.
We urge the FDFC Board of Directors to oppose the $1.75 billion of tax-exempt bonds requested from All Aboard Florida for this project. There are too many unanswered questions, far too little relevant information about the project and we believe the project, as proposed, will have serious negative impact to the businesses and residents of Indian River County.
Sincerely,
Penny Chandler
President
Indian River County Chamber of Commerce
Indian River Guardian 
The Indian River Chamber of Commerce is asking the questions that the print media has been ignoring. The All Aboard scheme, however, is a public health and safety issue that is NOT getting the attention that it deserves by either the media or our elected officials.
While it is understandable that the Chamber of Commerce would be interested in the impact on business, I want to know the views of the medical community. Are they able to meet the need if a major train accident were to occur in Indian River County? How will emergency medical care be financed if a rail accident has a negative impact on indigents or those without health insurance? Will the Florida East Railway pick up the costs on training first responders meeting the challenges of a train accident?
It is time for the medical community to make their views on the All Aboard Florida scheme known by the public.
Unfortunately for the residents of the Treasure Coast, the following section of the law is what the FDFC will focus on in finding a rationale for approving the bonds: F.S.288.9602 (6) In order to improve the prosperity and welfare of the cities and counties of this state and its inhabitants, to improve and promote the financing of projects related to the economic development of the cities and counties of this state … and to increase the purchasing power and opportunities for gainful employment of citizens of the cities and counties of this state, it is necessary and in the public interest to facilitate the financing of such projects as provided for in this act and to do so without regard to the boundaries between counties, municipalities, special districts, and other local governmental bodies or agencies in order to more effectively and efficiently serve the interests of the greatest number of people in the widest area practicable.
This is an over drawn battle that will NEVER be won. Know why? Because the railroad company owns the tracks and will seek private bonds to fund the project to get it moving, therefor bypassing EPA regulation red tape and impact studies. The fact that the idiot county commission is wasting more tax dollars on this is a crock and anyone with a brain should know that highspeed rail and freight rail are not allowed to share the same tracks. So no this isn’t a ploy to get more freight through, its an actual plan to improve the transportation system and rather than miss the opportunity to use it in the future,we need to court these guys to give us a stop here. We have a derelict power station in downtown that can be utilized as a welcome center and plenty of small buissness that would love more people year round! Pull your heads out of the sand