[Don Eckel 111]

Supporting the tracks is obviously one of the things that will contribute to their success. But I think that we need to take a long hard look at a problem that seems to be passed over. There are many places that are sought for warehouse space and if the rumors are true, NED is one of them. It is our penchant for cheap Chinese goods going to Amazon, Walmart, Harbor Freight, and a host of other resellers has these warehouses being built on what seems like every open plot of land here in the Northeast. There have been 5 built in my town alone in the last 5 years. In my opinion, until the public and our politicians make a concerted effort to reduce this, nothing will change. We will continue to lose not only tracks but other places of recreation. If you don't believe the massive amounts of imports to be part of the problem, ask yourself why a warehouse developer would pay 3-4 times more than the property is valued at.