Light Rail

In November NPH punched "yes" on his ballot when asked if his city ought to build a massive light rail line. We had been asked this question in this city at least twice before and answered the same both times: yes. But the "no's" always seem to outnumber the "yes's" where we live, and so the question kept having to be asked.

This time it was asked like this:

SHALL THE FOLLOWING BE APPROVED?

In order to provide for the people of Kansas City a pioneering urban rail passenger system, constituting the foundation of a future regional transit system, offering not only increased energy-efficiency, comfort, mobility, transportation savings, and convenience, but also a greener, cleaner, safer environment, a stronger economy, and a means to help America reduce its dependence on imported oil; shall the City of Kansas City, Missouri extend the current three-eighths (3/8) cent transportation sales tax, due to expire on March 31, 2009, for 25 years, beginning April 1, 2009 and ending March 31, 2034, with said tax to be used solely to fund the construction, operation, maintenance, and beautification of the following transportation improvements under the auspices of the Kansas City, Missouri City Council:

This time, to everyone's surprise, the "yes's" carried the day. An unusually large light rail starter line was approved by the citizenry, with an assumption of federal matching funds that is questionable at best and a city administration positively annoyed by the occurance. Right away there was talk that the city would have to overrule the voter's choice because the plan is unrealistic (the city has since backed away from that talk).

Well, things are going to start moving on this thing, and NPH is tickled. There's something in this blogger's soul that delights in being a part of something as dreamy and in-the-clouds as this, if only for the reason that the prevailing pragmatism of our age has bred a certain skepticism and sluggishness that we feel compelled to avoid. We understand the very real possibility that this thing never gets off the ground, or that it gets off the ground and then comes to a screeching halt. But for now, we're glowing in the fact that the yes's finally beat the no's, and we're reading this light rail blog regularly to keep up with the train.