By GREG BECKER
Fact: something that has actual existence (Merriam-Webster).
The Santa Cruz Sentinel and Pajaronian published an identical letter, headlined respectively “Are Koch brothers behind rail-trail opposition?” and “Big money trying to kill rail trail.” It asserted that the Greenway trail leadership has “suddenly appeared” and is playing into the hands of the Koch brothers and “Americans for Prosperity.”
“Follow the money,” rather than guessing at motivation, might answer the letter writers’ assertions. Following the money locally reveals a consortium of interests supporting the “rail with trail.” These interests, not Greenway, have introduced and are inadvertently promoting energy transport and storage by rail into Santa Cruz County.
The pinnacle organization promoting rail is the Regional Transportation Commission, which has been awarded a half percent sales tax exclusively for its use. This Measure D money reportedly generates about $17 million per year.
The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County has been the lead non-governmental organization endorsing the RTC’s rail agenda. It has bought full-page ads to that end and its website is an organ of rail trail information. It has several million dollars in matching grants tied to the RTC, according to the Trust’s website. The institutions are married; the Land Trust’s wildlife underpass on Highway 17 depends on the RTC match.
Bike Santa Cruz County and Ecology Action have also been prominent in supporting the RTC’s rail; this year each received $40,000 and $50,000 respectively from the RTC, according to the RTC grant programs pages.
Friends of the Rail Trail (FORT) shares an office with Ecology Action and is fiscally sponsored by them, a registered 501c3 charitable nonprofit. Tax-deductible donations funneled through Ecology Action support FORT’s political action.
Friends of the Rail Trail is led by Mark Mesiti-Miller, the principal emeritus of MME Civil and Structural Engineering (Mesiti-Miller Engineering). Mesiti-Miller is also on the executive committee of the Sierra Club, which endorsed the rail with trail. Mesiti-Miller is co-principal with Donna Murphy of DM5 Consulting, according to their respective LinkedIn pages, and Murphy is chair of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.
It is as if public funds are being used to promote a particular and contentious public policy. It is as if the environmental movement has gone from insurgency to institution, as if protecting the institution is more important than protecting the environment. The stored LPG tank cars are not reducing traffic; they are part of the fossil fuel energy glut brought about by fracking. The otherwise good deeds of the Land Trust, Ecology Action and Bike Santa Cruz County have been subverted.
All of these RTC-aligned organizations and individuals have tacitly endorsed current and future storage of hazardous material placarded tank cars on the Santa Cruz Branch Line. The Hazardous Materials Division of the Federal Railroad Administration, in response to alleged violation reports on the branch line, says, “an excepted track that can hold 100 cars is allowed to have 100 cars of placarded material stored on that track.” “Placarded” refers to the hazardous materials placard on these tank cars. About 88 tank cars will fit on a mile of track, or 352 fuel tank cars from Lee Road in Watsonville to Buena Vista Road, south of La Selva.
Finally, a frequent contributor to the Sentinel and Pajaronian online comment forums is Barry Scott. Scott is on the board of FORT and is listed as paid staff at NEED.org. NEED is a DC-area operation that “works with energy companies, agencies and organizations to bring balanced energy programs to the nation’s schools.” The top 14 contributions to NEED last year range from $68,000 to $492,895; members of the Board of Directors include BP, Phillips 66 and Exelon.
Many people want a trail; some people want a trail with a rail. But very few people want fuel tank car storage, yet that is what’s happening. Could the Koch brothers have done better?
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Greg Becker has lived south of La Selva since 1980. His opinions are his own and not necessarily those of the Pajaronian.
