From the editor: Enquirer forum shows public trust a key issue in proposed railroad sale
If you’ve read my notes to readers over the past several years, you know The Enquirer takes seriously its role to serve as a platform for debate and the exchange of ideas. Public discourse is essential to our democracy, which is why our young nation in 1791 ratified the First Amendment, along with nine other indisputable liberties in the Bill of Rights.
In The Enquirer, this free flow of ideas usually takes the shape of guest columns, letters to the editor and what I call the “Wild Wild West” of free speech: the reader comment section of our website. (Whether online comment sections uplift our democracy is a question we’ll save for another day.)
Occasionally, an issue emerges that begs for a live discussion, and Issue 22, the November ballot measure asking city residents to approve the sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway, checked all the boxes. It has huge ramifications – the city built the railway in the late 1800s and currently leases it to Norfolk Southern Railroad for $25 million a year. It’s complex. It has passionate supporters and opponents. And it’s something we’ve covered more extensively than any other news organization in town, making us well suited to host the public forum that took place Oct. 3.
Issue 22: What voters need to know about the Cincinnati railroad sale
After introducing the panelists – which included Mayor Aftab Pureval in support of the sale and former state Rep. Tom Brinkman in opposition – I had the opportunity sit back and watch the discussion unfold. Without getting into my personal thoughts on the sale or who made the most convincing argument, here are my three takeaways from the forum.
It boils down to risk tolerance
Owning real estate is a safe, reliable investment. Aside from bubbles in the market that eventually correct themselves, property values grow over time. Safe and slow. But if you’re not afraid of the risk, you potentially can get more bang for the buck by selling that asset and investing in stocks. That’s what the board governing the Cincinnati Southern Railway is proposing, specifically, selling the 336-mile track between Cincinnati and Chattanooga to Norfolk Southern for an agreed upon price of $1.6 billion dollars. That money would be placed in a trust fund, and the interest it kicks off would be used for existing infrastructure maintenance and repairs. The railway board has estimated a conservative return would yield $90 million annually, $30 million of which would be added back to the fund while the rest would pay for roads, parks, city buildings and other infrastructure expenses. But with all investments come risk. A key question for voters is whether the risk is worth the return.
A matter of trust
One thing I didn’t have a true appreciation of until watching the evening play out was how a lack of trust in our political leaders – locally and nationally – has fueled opposition to Issue 22. Despite our request that the audience maintain a reasonable level of decorum, several attendees jeered when the mayor spoke of “guardrails” the state Legislature put in place to ensure the money from the sale is used for existing infrastructure and not diverted to pet projects. Details, such as how a money manager would be selected, how much commission would be paid and the role of lobbyists in moving the plan forward generated a palpable feeling of skepticism. Make no mistake – the arrest of three city council members in 2020 for corruption still casts a shadow on our city.
Democracy is messy
After the debate, I spoke with one of the organizers of the campaign supporting Issue 22. He lamented that the audience was lopsided in favor of those against the sale and suggested The Enquirer could have done more to balance the crowd and keep people quiet during the discussion. For the record, we did not screen attendees in advance. The forum was open to the public and, although free to attend, required a ticket obtainable from our website so we could manage the size of the crowd. We prohibited campaign signs from the auditorium, but that didn’t stop a group of people from gathering outside Union Terminal with signs voicing their opposition. And because of the First Amendment, they had every right to do so. I give Mayor Pureval and Paul Muething, president of the Cincinnati Southern Railway Board of Trustees, a lot of credit for participating in the forum and hope it inspires other leaders to make themselves accessible to voters. Doing so is key to restoring trust.
Yes, democracy can me messy sometimes. But it sure beats the alternative.
Enquirer Executive Editor Beryl Love writes a biweekly column that takes you behind the scenes at The Enquirer. Occasionally, he shares his thoughts on local issues, particularly as they pertain to a free press and open government. Email him at blove@enquirer.com. He can’t respond personally to every email, but he reads them all.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Public trust factor in Issue 22 vote to sell Cincinnati railroad
