A $2 billion shot in the city's arm?

There's no doubting that CenterPoint Properties has a plan of immense magnitude for Joliet.

[rayelwood]

Centerpoint has so much Government clout that the City of Joliet Just rolled over. I might as well go and get zoning for a strip club. If they can get a rail center right in peples back yards.

[Paine]

Joliet Resident Taxpayers Will Pay For Intermodal

I would like to address all the smoke and mirrors on the Intermodal issues south of Joliet, I say smoke and mirrors for the reason of that’s what it is, a diversion to draw public attention away from the facts. It is estimated that in a short period of approximately three year the area resident property tax assessed value multiplier could double due to the Intermodal, How, you ask?
While all the attention is drawn on property securment and zoning for the developer, Centerpoint, Special Interest Railroad Lobbyist are in Springfield proposing to change Illinois Statue on Municipal Code issues of railroad dissolution or de-annexation from a municipality, I refer to Illinois pending and proposed legislation SB 2356, Now that being a mouthful to comprehend, I will explain in steps how this will transpire.
1) The City of Joliet goes ahead without any further research and approves the plans for the developer, Centerpoint,
2) The City of Joliet will need money to furnish water, sewer, police, fire services roads, lighting and other infrastructure projects to accommodate the developer, Centerpoint
3) The city of Joliet will sell municipal bonds to raise the capital, the developer assures high tax revenue returns for the city; keep in mind that the City of Joliet must pay back, with interest, said bond money.
4) Centerpoint completes rail portion on project in a two to three year time frame.
5) Developer hands possession and keys over to railroad, in this case Union Pacific.
6) At that time rail road, Union Pacific dissolves annexation on the basis that the railroad is exempt from property taxes by both state statue and congressional rulings; this is due to the railroad being federally subsidized. Here is where the taxpayer gets hit.
7) Joliet Municipal bonds mature, there is no property tax revenue from the railroad to assist in the payback of bonds, Joliet of City services to residence are cut due to city deficit, the city falls into disarray, Now, the already finically strapped city has limited recourse, you know and so do I that the first place the city will look for as a bailout will be the Resident Property Tax Multiplier. You will pay the bill!
If you feel the above writing is conjecture or assumed, make reference to Cities and Cobb County Versus Norfolk Southern; Atlanta, Ga. http://www.ble.org/pr/archive/headline011601b...

I will be posting periodical articles on certain community/railroad concerns,“The Safety and Security of Our Community”,“Federal Railroad Hazardous Materials Regulations or The Lack of Regulation, Yet Another Exception”, for the Union supporters, of which I am,“Rite to Work Act”, Who Sponsored this Legislation in Other States and Why?”,“Local Government/Centerpoint /Union Pacific Accountability and What Can Residents Do”. I will end the segments with,“Don’t Scream Corruption, Let the United States District Attorneys Office Investigate”

In closing this first article, I understand that the City of Joliet gave a bus tour of the proposed and effected area, Shouldn’t that bus tour been of Gary, Ind, Ford Heights, Il., or at least the existing rail yards in Chicago?

Hope to see all parties of concern at City Meeting, July 29th , 6 p.m.

Assumed Pen Name
Thomas Paine

[Sick of Trains]

We live in Coal City, a small town south of JOliet about 20 miles or so. Trains never used to be an issue back in hte day pre-Centerpoint. Now you cant hardly get through town because there is something like 82 trains a day roaring through here. Our quality of life has drastically changed from air pollution to noise to safety concerns all the while BNSF doesn't even clean stuff up along the tracks. Now we hear that our Fire Department needs tax money to build a new station on the other side of the tracks---not because of the town growing, but because there are so many trains that the emergency services can't get to the scene. This is ridiculous anymore!