Katy Trail

I've said all along that Governor Matt Blunt gave the Katy Trail Bridge in Boonville away to the Union Pacific Railroad to reward loyal campaign contributors like the UP and Ted Kettlewell. And the more we found out, the clearer that becomes.

Instead of rushing to please campaign donors, the Governor should have shown some leadership, applied a little creativity, and worked with the community to find a mutually beneficial solution.

According to the AP, yesterday an environmental group joined the effort to protect the Katy Trail from Governor Blunt's reckless assault on it.

An environmental group has entered the legal fray over an old Katy railroad bridge, contending that plans to tear it down could jeopardize the existence of Katy Trail State Park.

A lawsuit filed on behalf of bicyclists by the St. Louis-based Great Rivers Environmental Law Center seeks to block Union Pacific from dismantling the bridge and prevent Gov. Matt Blunt’s administration from relinquishing the state’s interest in the 73-year-old structure.

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Here's the latest Temple Tantrum: Blunt's Boonville Bridge Boondoggle.

This Temple Tantrum gives you the background on Governor Blunt's decision to give the Boonville Bridge away to the Union Pacific Railroad, the largest private landowner in the United States.

A Cole County judged has ruled that Attorney General Jay Nixon's lawsuit to protect the Katy Trail can proceed.  Here's the AP story on it.

By the way, does anyone know if Senator Jim Talent agrees with the Attorney General Jay Nixon and the users of the Katy Trail or with Governor Blunt and the railroads on this dispute?

Here's a hint: Union Pacific has given Talent $8,500 just this year.

The Blunt Administration has some pretty serious explaining to do over their handling of the Katy Trail bridge issue.

The Blunt Administration has repeatedly said that their decision to give the bridge away in Boonville to political contributors does not jeopardize the rest of the trail.

Gov. Blunt even had DNR Director Doyle Childers tell the Southeast Missourian:

Department of Natural Resources director Doyle Childers said the agency's decision is legally sound...

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Today's Post Dispatch story by Tom Uhlenbrock on the Katy Trail bridge reveals new information that shows the Blunt Administration has repeatedly mislead the public on the legal risks associated with Gov. Blunt's decision to give the bridge away to his political contributors, the Union Pacific Railroad and Ted Kettlewell.

The department also had contracted with attorney Charles Montagne to provide legal advice on preserving the bridge. In January, Montagne issued a memo that said removing the bridge would threaten the corridor that was being banked for possible future railroad use, and in the interim being used as a recreational trail.

Construction in St. Charles County already had caused one breach. Removing the Boonville bridge would leave the section from Boonville to St. Charles without a connection to an existing rail line, creating a legal loophole for landowners to reclaim their railroad easements.

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Rude Rod Jetton-is leading a bike tour on the Katy Trail from Clinton Missouri to St. Charles to promote fitness-Today's e-mail says he will start  in Clinton and head "west":

"The Speaker Jetton's Fitness Challenge is going to start on Monday, June 20^th and go through Friday, June 25^th. During that time we will travel the Katy Trail which runs from Machens (just east of St. Charles) all the way past Sedalia. We will be starting at Clinton, heading west. "

It's gonna be a long trip if he starts at Clinton and goes West-Let's hope he keeps riding into the sunset.

It sures sounds like it. Tearing down the bridge in Boonville strengthens the argument that Farm Bureau and other opponents of the Katy Trail make.  Here's the current Missouri Farm Bureau Policy on Rails to Trails:

We believe adjacent landowners should be given the first option to acquire abandoned rights-of-way. In addition, railroad rights-of-way, whether owned by the railroad or obtained by easements, should not be converted to any other purpose after the railroad company ceases to use the line for rail traffic. We oppose any federal or state law, such as the National Trails Act, which attempts to circumvent landowners' easement rights by using the abandoned line for some other purpose.

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If the Governor can give away the Katy bridge, whats to keep him from saying the buildings at Roaring River State Park at Cassville, Mo. are in bad repair, lets give the park away.  Call it "privitization" if you will.  Perhaps he can apply this logic to the roads in Missouri, ranked one of the worst in the nation.  Give them to his friends at UP, then we are free of the liability and free of all repairs in the future.   Something to think about. 

Perhaps I had the mistaken idea that State property could not be given away, it had to be declared surplus and sold to the highest bidder.  I guess in this case this highest bidder only counts in contributions.

Yesterday, when Attorney Jay Nixon filed a lawsuit to protect the rights of Missouri taxpayers over the Blunt giveaway of the Boonville Katy Trail Bridge, DNR was quick on the trigger with a press release to attack Nixon.

In their haste, DNR issued the following statement on behalf of Department Director Doyle Childers:

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MAY 26, 2005 -- "I am profoundly disappointed that
the attorney general has acted on his threat to sue the people of the
state to force them to spend millions of dollars on a depilated bridge
that was never meant to be used as part of a trail and is years away
from ever being able to carry a train.

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Not so fast, Matt Blunt. The Missouri governor's attempt to give away the rights to the Boonville bridge - a sweetheart deal for Union Pacific that would endanger the popular Katy Trail hike and bike route - has met an obstacle in the form of the state attorney general. As reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jay Nixon has filed suit against the Department of Natural Resources:

The Missouri State Chamber of Commerce and Industry today issued a press release defending Blunt's giveaway of the Katy Trail Bridge in Boonville to the Union Pacific Railroad.

In doing so, they cited environmental concerns saying that the giveaway is an example of "positive natural resources stewardship of reusing the old steel from the bridge..."

Maybe the State Chamber is turning green, or maybe they are weighing in because Dan Mehan is the chief apologist for the Blunt Administration.

Or maybe, they are trying to provide cover for Ted Kettlewell.  Kettlewell is on the Executive Committee of the Missouri State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and is therefore Dan Mehan's boss.

Kettlewell's company, OCCI, has a $10 million dollar contract with UP to remove the bridge:

Attorney General Nixon weighed in on the bridge giveaway today.  How in the world can the Governor give away a valuable state asset without even letting people know its available.  Perhaps we have some old run down state cars that would cost a lot to repair -- I'll take em for free, then I can turn around and sell them at a profit.

Apparently Hit Dog Hollers, because Doyle Childers was quick to issue a press statement blasting the A.G. for things he didn't even say.  I predict this whole thing results in a federal investigation of misuse of state property.  Wonder which U.S. Attorney would handle that?   Oh wait, this is in the district of the guy who has the no bid license fee contract.  I'll bet he's o.k. with lucrative no bid giveaways of state assets.

Take Action Today! Sign the Fired Up! Save the Katy Trail Online Petition

The reckless acts of Governor Matt Blunt have placed the entire legal underpinning for the Katy Trail in jeopardy. This forum has been created so that there is a central place for folks to post information on this topic and to organize activities to fight against the Governor's misguided plan to destroy this Missouri treasure.

For more photos of the Katy Trail State Park, click here.

Take Action Today! Sign the Fired Up! Save the Katy Trail Online Petition!

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