The people of Cincinnati have been playing a heated game of Monopoly well into the night.
You have discovered that you own the Queen City Railway, which has been hidden under the board that you forgot about.
You didn’t find the card yourself, it was told to you by one of the other players, who happens to hold the other three railroads.
The player says that you made an arrangement 142 years ago where they collect rent on your railroad.
“We haven’t talked about the matter in the last 96 years, and it seems you guys aren’t interested in it anymore so... could I buy it on November 7 for $1.6 billion?”
You’ve been so busy with houses and hotels you don’t know railroads do Though you can see from the card that the more railroads you got, the more the rent goes up..
The purpose of this website is to tell voters what railroads do and what Cincinnati can do with this one.
Position Summary:
It would be an enormous financial mistake to sell the railway.
But more than that, the city has been underpaid for the railway for the last 120 years. Now a terrible 99 year lease is ending, and the city has an extraordinary opportunity to take direct ownership of the railway and operate it to its fullest potential as a strategic and economic asset.
The city can operate its own passenger trains on the railway, serving Cincinnati-Lexington-Chattanooga. But using access to the railway as leverage for access to other railways, it will be possible to continue the train to Atlanta.
A Cincinnati to Atlanta train would be a powerful economic and cultural engine whose benefits would resonate through the tri-state area. The railway in its current condition can support passenger speeds of 80mph. With upgrades, it can do higher speeds.
Cincinnati is in a position for which there is no global parallel. Cincinnati can establish a valuable passenger service at a fraction of the cost and time than anywhere else in America. The city has found a long lost treasure which it can use almost immediately and whose value is far greater than the sale offer.
What I am asking voters to do:
1.) Vote no on issue 22 and retain ownership of the railway.
2.) Demand that the CSR board terminate the sale agreement.
(In accordance with section 12.05(f) of the sales agreement between the CSR Board and Norfolk Southern, which allows for termination within 30 days after voters reject the sale.)
3.) Demand that the CSR board notify Norfolk Southern that the city will run the railway itself and not extend the lease.
(In accordance with the supplemental agreement of 1987.)