Dollars and sense
It is a bad use of our tax money to pay to signalize the crossing at Center Street.
There is widespread understanding that many of us are hard-headed enough to say we don’t want to be inconvenienced, and will impose our will on municipal officials. It is understood that many merchants will say they don’t want to close any railroad crossing that might adversely affect their business. If the town board is pro business as they are suppose to be, the businesses will rationalize the town board needs to support them.
I know the fire department and rescue squad will be lobbying in support of keeping the Barden Street crossing open, as closing it will delay the response of emergency vehicles. It seems that decision has pretty well been cast, to close that intersection.
Let me put this on a basis that we all can relate to: dollars and sense.
Are we truly that inconvenienced by going a block one way or the other to cross the railroad? Is it worth that much to us to not have to go an extra block when we are going to the hardware or drug store? I suspect for most people it isn’t worth much of anything.
Let me be clear: the merchants on Center Street I consider friends and supporters of this paper. I wouldn’t propose the town do anything that I truly believed would hurt them.
I believe the emotions of the moment are overruling our dollars and sense.
Let me make an offer to both the emergency services and the Center St. merchants that makes dollars and sense to me. Rather than asking all the citizens of the town to pay part the town’s share of the costs of signalizing the two railroad crossings, why not pick up the cost yourselves.
Have the town set up a special tax district to cover the costs of maintaining the railroad crossing. Cover those businesses who believe their business would be adversely affected by closing the crossing, and through additional taxes, let them pay the annual costs. It is only about $2,500 per year, and it could be cut up based upon the tax value of the buildings in the Center St. area. While the larger businesses would pick up a larger share and smaller businesses would take a smaller bite, it would be around $350 each for maybe seven businesses. That sounds reasonable, it they truly believe closing the intersection will hurt their business.
Our fire department and rescue squad have a good bit of tax money they are bringing in. Is it worth forgoing purchase of some new equipment more often to keep Barden Street open? You could argue that it would still be all of our tax money that would be going to keep that intersection open, but is it significant enough for the two departments to maybe wait on getting some new equipment to pay that cost?
Our major problems that we want our taxes to pay for sometimes become relatively minor problems when we are asked to pay the costs directly. We freely want the taxpayers often to pay for things to benefit us, but when we are asked to pay the direct costs, perspectives change.
Our town board needs to make the decisions that are best for all the citizens of Princeton. If they are spending the tax dollars of all the citizens of Princeton, they need to keep all of the taxpayers in mind.
I don’t believe the future of the hardware store or the pharmacy will be jeopardized by the closing of Center St. I don’t believe closing Bardin Street will significantly impact emergency services.
One other factor that I’m not sure we are weighing is the changes in traffic patterns when the new elementary school opens.
Many correctly point out that Dr. Donnie Jones Boulevard is a mess when school is beginning and ending. A big percentage of that traffic is generated by the elementary school students.
When the new school opens, the old school will be a safer place, and mornings and afternoons will be better.
Of course, Holt’s Pond Road will be a different matter.
Fewer railroad crossings and faster trains through town will improve safety and ultimately will reduce delays.
The state is not trying to hurt Princeton. They are not the enemy. They are trying to encourage us to make the right decision. They are offering some financial encouragement to make the right decision.
The right decision for all the citizens of Princeton is to close both crossings. It makes dollars and sense.
There is widespread understanding that many of us are hard-headed enough to say we don’t want to be inconvenienced, and will impose our will on municipal officials. It is understood that many merchants will say they don’t want to close any railroad crossing that might adversely affect their business. If the town board is pro business as they are suppose to be, the businesses will rationalize the town board needs to support them.
I know the fire department and rescue squad will be lobbying in support of keeping the Barden Street crossing open, as closing it will delay the response of emergency vehicles. It seems that decision has pretty well been cast, to close that intersection.
Let me put this on a basis that we all can relate to: dollars and sense.
Are we truly that inconvenienced by going a block one way or the other to cross the railroad? Is it worth that much to us to not have to go an extra block when we are going to the hardware or drug store? I suspect for most people it isn’t worth much of anything.
Let me be clear: the merchants on Center Street I consider friends and supporters of this paper. I wouldn’t propose the town do anything that I truly believed would hurt them.
I believe the emotions of the moment are overruling our dollars and sense.
Let me make an offer to both the emergency services and the Center St. merchants that makes dollars and sense to me. Rather than asking all the citizens of the town to pay part the town’s share of the costs of signalizing the two railroad crossings, why not pick up the cost yourselves.
Have the town set up a special tax district to cover the costs of maintaining the railroad crossing. Cover those businesses who believe their business would be adversely affected by closing the crossing, and through additional taxes, let them pay the annual costs. It is only about $2,500 per year, and it could be cut up based upon the tax value of the buildings in the Center St. area. While the larger businesses would pick up a larger share and smaller businesses would take a smaller bite, it would be around $350 each for maybe seven businesses. That sounds reasonable, it they truly believe closing the intersection will hurt their business.
Our fire department and rescue squad have a good bit of tax money they are bringing in. Is it worth forgoing purchase of some new equipment more often to keep Barden Street open? You could argue that it would still be all of our tax money that would be going to keep that intersection open, but is it significant enough for the two departments to maybe wait on getting some new equipment to pay that cost?
Our major problems that we want our taxes to pay for sometimes become relatively minor problems when we are asked to pay the costs directly. We freely want the taxpayers often to pay for things to benefit us, but when we are asked to pay the direct costs, perspectives change.
Our town board needs to make the decisions that are best for all the citizens of Princeton. If they are spending the tax dollars of all the citizens of Princeton, they need to keep all of the taxpayers in mind.
I don’t believe the future of the hardware store or the pharmacy will be jeopardized by the closing of Center St. I don’t believe closing Bardin Street will significantly impact emergency services.
One other factor that I’m not sure we are weighing is the changes in traffic patterns when the new elementary school opens.
Many correctly point out that Dr. Donnie Jones Boulevard is a mess when school is beginning and ending. A big percentage of that traffic is generated by the elementary school students.
When the new school opens, the old school will be a safer place, and mornings and afternoons will be better.
Of course, Holt’s Pond Road will be a different matter.
Fewer railroad crossings and faster trains through town will improve safety and ultimately will reduce delays.
The state is not trying to hurt Princeton. They are not the enemy. They are trying to encourage us to make the right decision. They are offering some financial encouragement to make the right decision.
The right decision for all the citizens of Princeton is to close both crossings. It makes dollars and sense.
posted by Barry | 1:41 PM
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