Taxpayers who oppose state and federal funding of the Relocation Project of the Dillerville Norfolk Southern Rail Yard should write to their state and federal officials, and let them know how they feel. This includes President Obama, who is opposing the use of earmark money.
Following is a copy of the letter that I have submitted to President Obama:
This is to let you know that I am opposed to any more government funds going to finance any part of the relocation project of the Dillerville Norfolk Southern Rail Yard in Lancaster County, PA. This project, already in its first stages of implementation, will primarily benefit the two largest and most well-endowed non-profit institutions in the City of Lancaster. They are Franklin and Marshall College and Lancaster General Hospital.
At the same time that the state of Pennsylvania is reducing the hours of state employees and reducing funding of many of its historical museums and social service agencies, Franklin & Marshall College and Lancaster General Hospital have applied for $20 million of government grant money to fund a project that even they admit is for their own private benefit (as reported below by Michael Yoder, Lancaster Intelligencer Journal reporter, in a by-lined article that appeared on Feb. 27, 2009):
“F&M wants to move the rail yard so it can consolidate its athletics fields with the land it is redeveloping at the former Armstrong floor plant, and Lancaster General Hospital has planned expanding at the site.”
F&M College has already been given $10 million of state earmark money toward the project.
I want my tax money to be used for public projects, not for projects that will primarily benefit two well-endowed institutions in the private sector.
End of letter. Persons who want to contact the White House electronically may use the form on the following website:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
