After all this time, and after all the “public meetings”, I still have unanswered questions regarding the railroad switching yard.
First, if this project is so desperately needed by Norfolk-Southern, why are they only contributing $2 million to the project? That is the least amount of any of the “partners”.
Second, if this project is only about the rail yard, why are F&M and LGH involved at all? Why isn’t Norfolk-Southern paying the whole $42 million price tag?
Third, since F&M and LGH both will benefit and gain land from this deal, and since F&M has a sizable endowment and many benefactors and wealthy alums, and since LGH is a non-profit that annually posts profits in excess of $100 million, why are they not simply picking up the whole tab on this project? Why burden the taxpayers for any part of this project, since it is these three partners and only these three partners who will benefit from it?
Last, why have public officials and newspaper “investigative” reporters not asked these questions, but have instead simply accepted the financial formula floated by this triumvirate? (F&M and LGH each contribute $6 million, N-S contributes a mere $2 million, and the taxpayers “contribute” $28 million.)
