It's a big day for the CSX deal, though today's hearing won't settle the issue either way. It's probably more vital for the supporters than opponents. But one way or another, this battle will unfold right up until they drop the hankie to end the session. Win or lose, though, neutral observers and even formerly harsh critics are finally giving Sen. Paula Dockery her due for the courageous and skillful fight she's waged on behalf of the people of the city and state she represents. The St. Pete Times "Buzz" political blog named her "Winner of the Week" last week. And yesterday, in a remarkable column titled "Sunrail foe kicking our butts," Orlando Sentinel writer Mike Thomas praised Dockery's game - and thumped his own editorial page - while reiterating his support for the deal. You may remember Thomas as the guy who wrote last year that "Our Dan Webster can beat up their Paula Dockery."
The Sentinel editorial page was at it again recently, stomping feet and calling people who object to corporate giveaways and freight train disruption in their downtown cores "haters" and other such silliness. We sure are selfish over here. After all, these freight trains and this looming industrial corridor really aren't that big of a deal. Don't we understand that CSX provides a valuable frieight service, for which we should all be thankful? And, I mean, these Orlando folks have just wanted commuter rail for so long. It's been such a high priority. It's so important for mobility. And did I mention the freight traffic really isn't that big a deal? Surely, if they could, those Orlando folks would keep it because it's really a minor issue, right? Hmmm. From the Sentinel, A1, Oct. 15, 2002, Part 3 of a 4-part series called Breaking the Gridlock. Headline: Rerouting Trains Could Ease Backups; But Diverting Them From Orlando's Center Would Come At A Steep Price "Twinkies and beer, it turns out, do a remarkably good job of blocking traffic. Of course, anything packed in a mile-long freight train stops traffic. Just ask Central Florida drivers. About a dozen times a day, their trips through Winter Park, Orlando and other parts or urban Orange County are halted by engines and freight cars rumbling across the region's urban midsection.
Bio: Billy Townsend was a longtime government, political and general assignment reporter in Polk County and the wider I-4 corridor. He wrote extensively about Polk's unique regional identity and the issues shaping it, including USF Polytechnic, the Heartland Parkway and the CSX rail deal. Billy recently left professional reporting to take a corporate writing job, but he keeps close tabs on news of all stripes (especially political news) and the changes in modern journalism. Billy's wife is Julie Townsend, executive director of the Downtown Lakeland Partnership.They live with their three children in the Lake Morton area. His work at Lakeland Local is his first as an amateur hyperlocal writer.
