Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Thank you, John Gonder. That's exactly what I was thinking.

"I can't help but wonder what could have been a better use of this benevolence."

Is the Horseshoe Foundation's cool million a necessary bonus, or unnecessary charity? What's a few days going to matter, anyway?

At-large councilman John Gonder's blog posting is reprinted in its entirety here.

The Little Bridge That Could ('ve)

The Horseshoe Foundation has offered an incentive of one million dollars to get the Sherman Minton Bridge open earlier. While the community spirit of this organization is well-known and welcome, I can't help but wonder what could have been a better use of this benevolence.

Since the bridge closed in September, what if that noteworthy sum had been committed to a timely reopening of the K & I Bridge? A minor, but vital, link between New Albany and Louisville would have been re-established. Access for cross-river workers may have been eased a tiny bit. Off hour traffic would have been a snap. (Direct travel to the Horseshoe Casino would have been easy, as would the directions--get off the bridge, turn left, stop at the boat.)

But now, as the imminent reopening of the Sherman Minton approaches, the renewed K & I would settle back into a pattern of reduced relevance for workers and gamblers, yet the bridge would remain. We could soon be engaged in a productive discussion of how best to incorporate The Little Bridge That Could've into a soon-to-be-unveiled Greenway and,how best to utilize that structure as a link for bike and pedestrian traffic across the river.

Those primary uses of the bridge would not preclude the use of the bridge as a steam valve to let off some of the congestion caused by a bridge closure in the future. It would also serve as a link to life saving emergency services if another bridge were blocked or closed.

Apparently, the value of having the Shermn Minton open about 25 days earlier is worth about $40,000 per day to the casino. Once the gamblers have replenished the coffers, perhaps the Horseshoe Foundation would see fit to throw about a month's worth of that forty Gs a day toward a revitalized K & I bridge. All the current incentive is buying now is some time, but a renewed K & I would be a real and lasting benefit to the community.

12 comments:

Jeff Gillenwater said...

A great example of short-term versus long term thinking.

If they really wanted to provide bridge related community service, they could start by having the foundation person on the Bridges Authority challenge the egregiously inflated traffic numbers used to justify all the other proposed spending.

That's free, so the million could be spent on the K & I or myriad other long lasting projects.

Iamhoosier said...

I agree, the money could have been used more wisely but it's their money. At least the part after all the tax deductions.

If it helps speedup the reopening, I'm grateful for that but it's insulting to try and pass this off as altruism. Be honest about it. If it wasn't costing Horseshoe much more than what they are giving, it wouldn't happen.

Jeff Gillenwater said...

It does provide some insight into the sort of capital Horseshoe has at its disposal. They could pay for the total repair without blinking.

Being a singular, governmentally protected monopoly certainly has its advantages.

ecology warrior said...

is the K&I structurally sound for automobile loads?

ecology warrior said...

another point, isn't the K&I privately owned? Once again John Gonder comes off with pie in the sky ideas without doing his homework

Jeff Gillenwater said...

Railroad employees were using the K&I for their own commuting a very short while ago, effectively poking holes in the claim that it's not safe for automobiles. The cities/states have options for dealing with the railroad concerning reopening the K&I-- some nice, some not so nice. It's more a matter of political will than ownership.

Gonder is aware of that. Tim apparently isn't.

Kate Caufield said...

One side of the K&I has been kept up maintenance wise; the other side has not.

ecology warrior said...

exactly kate, I would suggest Gonder and his blind followers talk to the engineers, aslo Gillenwater, ownership of the k&I is not so easily dismisssed as you seem to naivelly think

ecology warrior said...

of course John Gonder can get it done cant he, give me a break

bayernfan said...

"He's an angry elf"

dan chandler said...

Sept. 2011 video of cars driving across K&I.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSA4UhuLrkA

Jeff Gillenwater said...

And a bit of a follow up:

WLKY: K&I Bridge to Potentially Reopen