Bogus CSX Offer to Tampa

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit is in talks with CSX to possibly buy the right of ways to 22nd and 30th streets between downtown and the University of South Florida. CSX offered a shocking counter proposal. Buy 97 miles of track running from Hernando, Pasco and Hillsborough. Plus, CSX still has the right to use the track after the sale. The Tampa Bay Business Journal estimates the sale could cost the HART $238 million.

The is ridiculous. There is no reason HART should have to buy rail line it has no intention of ever using. The justification CSX is giving is it would be selling its arm but keeping its hand. That argument doesn't carry weight since CSX would still be able to use the line under the deal. The taxpayer should be outraged by what CSX is trying to do.