Perhaps it’s a tea-party moment, who knows? But Charlotte state Rep. Ric Killian seems to be taking an ideological stance against more federal spending on railroads even though the $461 million coming to North Carolina in federal stimulus funds would benefit his own constituents. It also would employ, a representative of general contractors in the state says, 13,000 to 15,000 people in “direct and indirect jobs.”
But Killian is against better railroads and more routes and less road congestion and pollution and faster trains connecting areas of the state to one another. His logic is nonsensical. “Folks,” he told a House committee, “what we need are private sector jobs. We do not need publicly financed jobs. Taking federal dollars for temporary jobs in our state, it’s not going to solve our economic problems.”
OK, so it won’t solve all our problems. But there are many thousands of people in North Carolina who have no job at all right now, whom it might help. And these “temporary” jobs would be fairly long-lasting, give the time needed to finish such projects.
And yes, North Carolina needs private sector jobs, but did it occur to Mr. Killian that if more rail routes are improved that it could lead to more construction near station sites, more development and more industries that need rails for transportation?
Apparently not. Or at least, Killian was selective in his logic used to support his stated attempt to kill the federally funded rail program in North Carolina. For those who have signed on to co-sponsor this foolishness, the point is to stand behind reduced federal spending, all of it. The problem with that is the same as with people who would just as soon let a well freeze up or go bad rather than pour a little water in to prime the pump.
This is federal money of direct benefit to the people Killian is supposed to represent. And contrary to what he says about freight service being harmed by investment in passenger rail, state Transportation Secretary Gene Conti said the federal funding will help improve freight service, which freight companies recognize, by the way.
Legislators from the Triangle delegation, representing an area that would benefit greatly from this money, need to lead the opposition to Killian’s proposition.
And one wonders how his home-folks back in Charlotte feel about Killian’s wanting to turn down the $152 million that would go to projects, and jobs, there.
staff editorial
April 3,2011
