Do you remember the first time you heard about Brightline?

It was the high-speed rail that was supposed to be financed privately? Well it just received $1.15 billion in tax-free bonds to expand from Palm Beach through Martin, the Treasure Coast and all the way to Orlando. Brightline is on its way through Stuart.

I could give you several economic arguments why this 19th century technology should not happen. But this no longer has anything to do with economics. This is now, in actuality, if not in name, a PPP (private-public partnership). And, it is heavy on the public part. While the railroad executives will swear that this is still a private sector enterprise, they would be lying.

The Feds and Florida have decided that taxpayer dollars should be used to build the infrastructure of a private company. Governor Scott and his wife own a large share of stock in the parent group and in a Chinese company that will benefit from helping build the trains. Once again, the rich and powerful helping themselves, to the people’s detriment.

Those bonds would never have been successfully sold in the private market. Since they are tax-free, they will do just fine. Investors now realize that both Tallahassee and Washington will support this endeavor regardless of the economic realities. If Brightline is inevitable, as I believe it is, then what should Stuart and Martin County do?

The first thing is acceptance. Stop fighting and see how we can take advantage of a bad situation. If Brightline wants to put a station in Stuart, then work with them so as many trains stop here as practical each day. Make sure Brightline purchases property for a stop at an appropriate place so that it does not hurt the Downtown corridor. Stuart needs to keep in mind that Brightline will not operate at high speed through most of the City.

Take them at their word that they are a private company and under no circumstances give away our local tax dollars to incentivize this.

In the next fifty years, we will be spending millions to repair crossings. This is regardless of whether Brightline brings us benefits such as a local station or not. I still believe that their passenger rail concept will fail. At some point, the government will come in and take over the money-losing proposition. When they do, in 5 or 10 or 15 years, Amtrak or Tri-Rail will inherit that station.

In a convoluted way that was what was to happen a decade ago when Amtrak was to bring rail service to Stuart with a multi modal station. When Brightline really does become public, a true commuter line can be established. This will allow an easy commute south, fulfilling an idea that should have been planned decades earlier. Unfortunately, this is no way to run a transportation network.

Stuart and Martin County now should make lemonade from the bushels of lemons our communities have been pelted with.