Why is All Aboard Florida still considered a viable project? The DES is nothing more than a cruel joke. It is supposed to be a serious study on the impacts that will occur if All Aboard is allowed to move forward. When will Tallahassee and Washington finally say enough and make them go away? Well don’t hold your breath waiting for that inevitability.

All Aboard Florida is an example of our capitalistic system run amuck. It is a story of the power of the lobbyist…the campaign contribution…the good old boy network at its worst. What is so galling is the fact that the company won’t even make an effort to mask their disdain for the process while we, the residents of the Treasure Coast, make an effort to decipher the DES and come up with alternatives to trains racing through our downtowns. The folks at All Aboard Florida couldn’t care less. They know that they have the politicians right where they put them.

These are neither bullet trains nor truly high speed. Those run through sealed corridors and at speeds not even anticipated by AAF. This is a sham perpetrated on all Americans but especially devastating to the Treasure Coast. Nothing that the company can do will change the insanity they want us to accept. Anyone who believes a stop in Stuart or Fort Pierce will ameliorate this destruction must be dreaming.

All Aboard Florida is a scheme in search of a reason to exist. Even with a stop in Stuart it is unlikely that I would use the train. Last week, my wife and I drove to Miami to catch a flight. In an hour and forty five minutes and for about $20 in gas and tolls we were there. No humping of bags up and down staircases or trying to get from our home to the station. A few days before that I drove to Orlando for a conference in a little less than two hours at about the same cost. There is no way that the train will be faster or less expensive or more convenient.

No, All Aboard is not a rational proposal. It is not a sound business model. It may be an excellent way to develop real estate in Miami but that could be accomplished without the havoc that this will wreak on the residents of the Treasure Coast. The company is willing to spend billions of tax payer money in order to build their properties. It could be in loans or government backed bonds or through subsidies, but in the end, there is no justification for this nonsensical scheme.