But no. It is the Mayor who wants Beltline to kill heavy- or high-speed rail which is needed in Metro Atlanta.

Future increases in property tax revenue from the district would fund the Beltline itself.

My opinion: Bullshit

DOT officials say the two projects could share the same corridor.

My opinion: No reason they couldn't.

But Beltline officials say the attraction of the Beltline would be destroyed, and its economic development engine disabled, by something as unpleasant as high-speed or heavy rail.

My opinion: Leave it to the nuts in Atlanta who helped prevent the outer perimeter from being built to consider high-speed trains unpleasant. Oh yeah baby, I want to get where I am going as slowly as possible.

In Georgia, commuter rail has languished for years, in spite of more than $80 million in available federal funding, until Gov. Sonny Perdue and the state DOT put new emphasis on it last year. DOT hired new staff and Perdue promised support. However, with budget cuts Perdue recently denied DOT’s request for state funds for the project in his proposed budget.

My opinion: And people wonder why Georgia has an unemployment rate above 8% that is predicted by some to climb as high as 12% to 15%. The state is run by idiots who would rather fuss and feud and talk like fools than to pull together to make Georgia a state we can be proud.