The CSX railroad recently underwent a $250 million dollar repair, so to me it is foolish to spend $700 million to relocate it. And it’s interesting to note that while MDOT has yet to repair the Biloxi-Ocean Springs bridge, CSX has managed to repair it’s entire rail line; including six major bridges. Maybe we should put CSX in charge of repairing Highway 90, they are obviously more motivated to get the job done then MDOT is.

If the CSX railroad really needs to be relocated why not include it in non-emergency legislation that can be debated in full. It's unfair to the American taxpayers to label it an emergency or disaster relief. Speaking of disaster relief there are still Mississippians living in FEMA trailers; shouldn’t they be more of a priority then a Scenic Beach Blvd.?

Anthony Topazi, president of Mississippi Power Co., claims relocating Highway 90 is a matter of safety not pork, but his letter was a tad misleading. (Sun Herald, April 13, 2006). Highway 90 is NORTH of the CSX rail lines in Jackson County, thus there is no benefit to relocating the railroad in Jackson County. This project will not benefit the entire MS Gulf Coast, but only Harrison County. Also while it is not as convenient as Highway 90 Pass Road does run east - west in Harrison County and does connect to the interstate. I was able to get to Biloxi Regional (which is close to Highway 90) shortly after Katrina struck using the interstate and back roads. And as long as people live along Highway 90 rather you call it Highway 90 or Scenic Beach Blvd you will still have to get relief workers to them. Honestly I can't see how moving Highway 90, and relocating the CSX tracks will help anyone survive another hurricane.

According to Senator Trent Lott (Sun Herald, April 17, 2006) moving the tracks isn't an issue of dollars, but of sense. Easy for Lott to say a senator’s salary will be $165,200 this year, well above the salary of the average Mississippian. Maybe $700 million is chicken feed to him; I on the other hand have trouble even comprehending how much money that is. But if safety is the issue why not look at building tunnels, overpasses and elevated tracks in the railroads present location. Surely that would be cheaper then moving the entire track. And as a Mississippi resident who lives North of the Interstate I feel that my life, the lives of my family and neighbors are just as important as the lives of those who live closer to the Gulf, I don't particularly want a railroad for a neighbor. And no one has addressed the issue of how relocating the tracks will affect those who live North of the Interstate. I hate to break it to you Senator Lott, but it's not just a few folks in Washington DC who object to moving the CSX rail lines; some Mississippians object to relocating them too.