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Woolley resigns NCRA, taps Hauser
Humboldt County Supervisor John Woolley has resigned his seat on the NCRA (North Coast Railroad Authority).
Woolley is recommending former Assemblyman Dan Hauser fullfil the rest of his term, which ends ends in July 2009.
Woolley is also set to leave his post on the Humboldt Count Board of Supervisors. He will be replaced by Mark Lovelace, who won the seat in the June 4 primary election.
Hauser is a strong advocate of port and rail development and spoke in favor of the so-called “green port” at the August RAPIT forum along with reps from Goldman Sacs and Placer Group, which ships tractors, buses and military tanks.
I thought Hauser was a shameless careerist in the Assembly and an awful City Manager for Arcata.
With that said, I think Dan is absolutely right-on on this issue, and I thank him for taking this stand and standing apart from his control-freak friends like Lovelace.
I thought that Dan Hauser was passionate about the railroad. I talked to him at the August RAPIT forum and he is a true railroad lover.
He recently retruned from the east coast via Amtrak but had to take a bus, like the rest of us, to make the final leg of the journey from Martinez to Eureka. I’m not crazy about a container port but I do support the railroad. I can’t think of anyone more interested in seeing the railroad return. I wish him luck.
Think back, Hauser was appointed to the NCRA as the CEO after he termed out of the assembly. His expertise in running a R.R. has made it a profitable entity thus insuring Humboldt county of reliable on time rail service for years to come. And now he should be appointed to the board.–pigs really do fly.
Yes
A Hauser appointment is DOA. I don’t know when the resignation becomes effective but it better be the new board of supervisors that will be appointing his replacement.
With Mark and Clif in office, I have hopes that a fiscally responsible railbanking proponent will be appointed.
what a scam!! these guys have no right to be using elected office as a revolving door for their buddies. How about giving the newly elected supervisors a say in this before rushing to seat Dan Hauser?
I like John Woolley a lot but have never understood his penchant for this dead-end black hole for the taxpayers dollars.
And why the hell is Ollivier still on the NCRA, when he has been voted out of the Harbor District?
This item was pulled from next week’s Supes agenda. Woolley’s replacement on the NCRA won’t be on the agenda again until the new Supes are seated.
A Hauser appointment is DOA. I don’t know when the resignation becomes effective but it better be the new board of supervisors that will be appointing his replacement.
With Mark and Clif in office, I have hopes that a fiscally responsible railbanking proponent will be appointed.
Attention, Clif, and Mark. The butcher’s bill is due. Dare to buck the anti-Hauser decree, dare to agree with his appointment, just to see what happens. It will be an eye-opening, and a life-changing experience.
I double dog dare ya.
So we should put someone on the rail board who does not believe in the railroad. Great thinking.
Hauser is a legitimate pick for the position.
Better you face the enemy you know than the one you don’t. Anyway you slice it, Woolley will appoint a rail proponent.
Whoops, make that Woolley will *recommend* a rail proponent.
The directors have two year terms. Ollivier’s term expires next July.
If any supervisor dares to publially consider him for reappointment, it will be political suicide.
And BTW did you see that the Timber Heritage proponents have failed to meet their commitment to fix the Samoa roundhouse? They’re just getting too old and ill to back up their nostalgia with elbow grease. They should gracefully bow out and go play with model trains. When they’re finally gone, the choo-choo train fantasy will go with them.
“So we should put someone on the rail board who does not believe in the railroad. Great thinking.”
You mean you have to “BELIEVE”? Sounds like a religion.
It’s going to take an act of Jesus to get the railroad back in here.
Sorry Heraldo, there are some things I won’t even act on.
Nice.
So how bad do you want to be Senator from Illinois?
….and by the way, my birthday is in June, not December. Merry December 25th.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1093053/Cancel-Christmas–Jesus-born-June-17-say-scientists.html
NAN, so you prefer such historic buildings to rot? A brand new roof was put on the roundhouse, prior to that, it rained on the inside.
A new roof is being put on the boiler house. Everything takes time, money, and energy.
What have you contributed?
Cappy my good son, it’s good to see you are still a true believer.
And I like it that you are opening up your blog to other faith-based ideas, gay-bashing in favor of H-8 and so on.
You’re a jerk.
I had to work with Dan in his job with the city or Arcata.
I think Dan is a #1 dumb ass, don’t know how he keeps a job.
wish I got paid as well for being so lame…
I have known John for many many years and don’t know what he sees in Dan.
A-.-
There is no viable business plan for rail and container port development in the foreseeable future. Neither a private nor a public source of finance has been identified. Major ports on the west coast are cutting back, not growing. Rebuilding our rail is a costly boondoggle.
Advocates for rail and container port are not operating in consensual reality. Their arguments are faith-based rather than reality-based. The rail to trail is a reasonable way to hold onto the option of future rail development in case the economics radically changes.
The argument of *what we want* needs to be separated from *what is cost-effective and realistic.* I am sick and tired of the faith-based rail/port folk arguing against facts and realism with their hopes, dreams, and desires.
Don’t confuse reality with desires: Those of us who operate in a reality-based world may actually *like* to see rail. Wouldn’t it be great if some fantastic tooth fairy were to drop several hundred million dollars on us to build passenger rail connecting us to the Bay Area? but the economic facts just don’t support that.
There is no such tooth fairy. Its time to appoint folks to the harbor commission and the NCRA board who operate in a reality-based world.
Let’s get this straight – you want to appoint someone to head up the wrecking crew.
Just so we’re clear.
I wonder, have you heard that president-elect Obama is going to implement an infrastructure plan on the scale of the interstate highway system? It’s been on the news a little lately. How does that mesh with your reality?
Seems to be saying “reality” … like “facts”… Hausers’ time has come and gone, time to shelve him and his hippie pipe dreams.
or take away his pipe…
Dan Hauser is not now, nor as ever been a Hippie! Please don’t disparage hippies you are harshing our buzz by confusing us with turkeys.
Your version of the future, you mean.
Before politics Dan was an adjuster for Fireman’s Fund Insurance Companies. Beard, yes. Hip, no.
Cap – what do you contribute besides hate?
Call in sick, call in gay day, what’s the difference? Usually when you call in, you are sick. I guess these few people who called in really are sick, a disease called homosexuality.
“Let’s get this straight – you want to appoint someone to head up the wrecking crew.
Just so we’re clear.”
Just so we’re clear, it was Dan that had the tracks ripped up between Arcata and Blue Lake. Dan has “wrecked” more track than any other person (mother nature not withstanding).
No – the trustee appointed by Elizabeth Dole when she was Secretary of Transportation did far more damage than even the storms have done to the rail.
But maybe we should just elect people who do not want to operate any facility for its designed use. Sewer and Water boards, no more sewers or water. Rail board, rip it up. Harbor board, let it silt in. Wonder how long those folks will stay in office.
Yep, they’ll actually implement projects like wetland restoration, multipurpose terminals and trails for people instead of dreaming of projects like container ports and railroads to nowhere.
And they’ll stay in office longer than you’ll be on this side of the dirt.
That will really get this economy going. All those jobs! Whippee!
The way phart counts, 500 imaginary jobs are more valuable than 80 real ones.
But its only your imaginary job he finds so valuable. You can bet that for himself, phart chooses real tuna casserole to imaginary filet. But then, phart is one of those “Do as I say, not as I do”.
There will be civilian work programs long before there are rail and port jobs.
Trails that don’t get used vs. railroads that don’t get used. Hmm. Tough call.
Oh, you say the trails will be used? Good, because I say the railroad will be used.
It doesn’t matter a whit to me if the rail or port get built. I have a nice life and hope you do too. It just makes economic sense. Restoration jobs are short lived, and after the trail is built where does the money flow from? Locals biking and hiking and dropping their wallets on the trail?
This economic cycle will change and trade will continue. Or you can cycle around and around, but show me the money in that.
“Oh, you say the trails will be used? Good, because I say the railroad will be used.”
Yes, I see people walking and riding bikes everyday. How many trains do you see waiting to come here?
if you wonder how much use the trail would get, come to McKinleyville and see how much use the Hammond Trail gets. Bikes, horses, peds, joggers, dogs, kids with training wheels…yep, it’s all happening here on the former Hammond Railroad tracks.
And how much money does that trail generate for McKinleyville or the county? Nothing wrong with the trail, I use it. But it is not economic development.
The Hammond Trail isn’t bordered by a bay that, at low tide, smells like a cesspit. It’s also not bordered by a highway with noisy cars. The Hammond Trail is nice. You can’t polish the turd trail that runs between Arcata and Eureka.
Anosmia afflicts fewer than 200,000 people in the US.
I’m all for helping people who are living with disabilities, but this trail makes scents, not sense.
I think that many are missing the big picture here. The right away alone is worth millions of dollars. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Maybe we could build a huge prison for people suspected of being terrorists or anti-American, the train could be used to safely transport the prisoners to our new money making prison.
Prisons are where it’s at! That’s where almost everyone agrees we should be spending our money. After all, if we don’t give up our liberties, how can the government assure our safety?
Seriously though, once the right of way is gone, there’s no getting it back, no matter what happens in the future.
Rail banking preserves the ROW.
I have to somewhat agree with the rail banking idea.
At least we would have a trail or somewhere to put a monorail in the future if things ever get better.
fyi, Woolley must have pulled it from the agenda, there is no such thing as appointing Dan Hauser to NCRA on tomorrow’s agenda.
Thanks, John, for listening!