The increasing, ‘mind-blowing’ costs of rail trail

Delighted as we are that our Regional Transportation Commission continues to successfully win rail trail construction grants, it should be pointed out that their recent announcement of a $19.5 million supplement to already awarded funding still won’t cover even a mile of this trail’s mind-blowing price tag.

Our county’s railroad track-adjacent trail, half of which is now simply bike lanes on busy roads, could be the most expensive in the nation. Most consider about $5 million/mile for a reasonable suburban trail; ours now clocks in at over $26 million/mile, and still, even with this new grant, it is short of funding.

For perspective, we’re widening Highway 1 for $14 million/mile. We can’t seem to build a bike path for almost twice that.

Why? With nothing more than some inoperable tracks, no voter-approved funding, and a dream dating from before the RTC purchased the corridor, trail planning has been larded with infrastructure for a train — someday! We can’t repair our roads and yet we’re spending five times the national average on bike lanes?

— Nathaniel James, Santa Cruz

A poetic ‘seaward glance ... of an ancient wharf’

the end

last supper, last inning, last exit,

last words, myself bounced about

standing on the seaward glance

of an ancient wharf pummeled

by wind and wave its barnacled

beams refusing to give way until

they do and wharf breaks bond

with the shore and drifts buoyant

enough for me to ride its gallop

— David Swanger, former Santa Cruz Poet Laureate, Santa Cruz

Past ethics in government now seem archaic

In a country where conflict of interest is no longer verboten for Supreme Court justices and the once and once again president, I’m reminded of a small incident from the late 1970s. I worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service studying endangered manatees in Florida. I published a story about manatees in a magazine for the general public. I would have been paid $200 but, as a public servant, I could not (and did not think I should) accept that payment. The work we did as public employees belonged to the American people.

Seems sadly archaic now, doesn’t it?

— Susan H. Shane, Bonny Doon

AG nominee was lying ‘on the liar’s behalf’

May we agree, telling the truth is a cornerstone of moral human behavior? Lies of omission are lies, too.

In her Senate confirmation hearing, U.S. Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi, on repeated questioning, would not admit that Joe Biden was the legitimate winner of the 2020 election. The incoming president has made lying shamelessly a job requirement, notably for attorney general. I anticipate all the Republican senators will soon vote in lockstep to confirm Bondi, knowing she lied on the liar’s behalf.

Historian Timothy Snyder warns that post-truth is pre-fascism. An edifice of lies is not a durable structure to stand the tests of time, but rather is a sign of underlying weakness. It’s a precursor to many a mistaken wrong turn.

— Jack Nelson, Santa Cruz

Trump: Let LA firefighters, politicians do their jobs

Dear President Trump:

Please shut the hell up and let the LA firefighters, first responders and local politicians do their job. You have no experience in firefighting, as proven by your lamebrain suggestion to use air tankers to put out the fire in the Notre Dame cathedral in 2019 (the weight of the water would have caused the weakened structure to collapse).

Instead, please be a leader and view the damage yourself in order to understand how the federal government can help those affected by this unbelievable catastrophe.

Thank you!

— Peter Gibson, Soquel (Ed. note: Trump said Tuesday he plans to visit LA.)

Letters policy

Letters to the Editor should be no more than 175 words and be accompanied by the writer’s home address and a phone number for verification. Letters can be emailed to editorial@santacruzsentinel.com. We do not accept anonymous letters.