Why I Don't Like The Mayor

With all the talk of street cars and light rail in Cincinnati, it is amazing how many people do not know that Cincinnati already has a train, after a fashion. The City owns the Cincinnati Southern Railway.

The Cincinnati Southern Rly. connects our Queen City to Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was built by a bond issue after the Civil War and is run by trustees who are appointed by the Mayor of Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati Southern Rly. is the only interstate railroad owned by a municipality in the United States. The one. The only. Period. Cool, isn't it? Arguably way cooler than some dumb statue in the waters off New Jersey or vain obelisk in the District of Columbia. Too, it is profitable.

The Cincinnati Southern Rly. leases its assets to the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific R.R. which is in turn part of the Norfolk Southern system. This is a long term contract which brings millions of dollars a year into the City's coffers. Rain or shine, feast or famine: that check comes in. Norfolk Southern even paid for some of the improvements such as double tracking the line South of Somerset, Kentucky in the late 1990s.

Over the last year, there have been diturbing reports that Mayor Mallory thinks he might sell the Cincinnati Southern Rly. to raise cash for short term political and economic gain. In fact, some who are intimately familiar with the matter say Mr. Mallory would accept a price that is less than what the railroad is worth.

Arguably, I am not the sharpest turnip that ever fell off of the truck. However, where I come from, people who sell hard assets that are paid for and generate revenue for less than they are worth are considered to be stupid. Based on his alleged intentions in the Cincinnati Southern Rly. matter, Mr. Mallory has revealed himself to be stupid.

Given the high barriers to entry into the interstate freight railroad business and the fact that the one Cincinnati already owns is profitable, it would be very unwise to unload that asset. We should convey this fact in no uncertain terms to City Hall and any individual who aspires to attain office in Cincinnati.