Steve Mensing, Editor
Here’s is the very latest on the Carolina Thread Trail issue along with readings to provide a better understanding:
♦Right here in Salisbury exists an environmentalist’s dream come true: “The Carolina Thread Trail Mall”. Over a 1,000 endless miles of clean indoor trails never requiring fencing or mowing and safe from the elements and rabid possums and two-legged skunks. No focus groups being run ”Delphi Style”. No “non-profit” groups preaching idealism whose ”visionary” leader hauls down a million dollar salary from multiple sources. No being back-trailed by sexual predators, stick-up kings, or punch-out artists. No suffering from having your land grabbed by eminent domain. None of that. The upside is other-worldly. Where else is another thread trail where you can buy walking or running shoes right on the spot?
The Carolina Thread Trail Mall was just purchased last month at a bargain and according to Commission Chairman Jim Sides: “We’ll open the Mall early and close it late so folks young and old can walk themselves healthy come wind, rain, snow, or excessive heat. And they’ll be benches where they can rest their weary feet.”
“Folks can imagine walking the Appalachian Trail,” I said. ”Or jog around the belt of equatorial Africa, or walk backwards across the top of the Great Chinese Wall, or boog-a-loo with the Wolf down Wall Street. The county manager and the county commissioners listened to our health-minded citizens. Just think of it, nobody is going to have their money or their land ripped off by some non-profit environmental group with their periscope up for printed green.”
“Carolina Thread trail won’t be happening in Rowan, Bud,” said Jim. “Not on our watch. Salisbury and Rowan County are up to their ears in sidewalks, trails, tracks, and parks where folks can walk to their hearts content. The people suggesting this thread trail nonsense have idealist intentions with no thought of tomorrow’s consequences. I’ll stand in their doorway whenever they show up.”
“Preach it Brother Sides. Don’t leave any stone unturned. We’ve got those green carpetbaggers on the run.”
“The county commission said NO in 2009 to this build it and they come thread trail nonsense. We’re not going to waste one cent of taxpayer money for some “pie-in-the-sky” environmental foolishness that gives no thought about who’s going to pay for the upkeep of these trails after the grant money runs out. Besides history shows us nobody uses these boondoggles. They’re no more used than bike trails that tangle with traffic.”
“Amen.”
After we hung up, I ran and reran the limited upside against the very vast and overwhelming downside of “build it and they will come” thread trails. Let’s take a closer look.
THE UPSIDE OF THREAD TRAILS
• The Outer Limits of Idealism Gets to Flex its Muscle. For a brief moment idealism, with little thought of who is paying for this tomorrow, gets to play snake charmer.
• Just about everybody loves nature and desires to “save the planet”. Nonprofit conservancy organizations create many money making networks around the USA and in covert ways to restructure our laws and property rights. If you are a utopian idealist this might be peachy. Or you love to hide your greed behind Mother Nature–this is your cup of green tea.
• Long Trails Connect Metropolitan Areas and Prepares Us for the Bicycle and Rickshaw Era. According to greenies we’ll need to prepare for a world when fossil fuels run low and human beings are forced to resort to peddle and foot power. Synthetic fuel is on the way so forget about peddle and foot power.
• Healthy Exercise. Healthy exercise is a great argument, but if we look around Rowan County and Salisbury we have mile after mile of sidewalks, tracks, public parks, pre-existing footpaths, an indoor mall (The Carolina Thread Trail Mall), treadmills, stationary bikes, and ellipticals. We have zero need for building thread trails for health purposes.
THE DOWNSIDE OF THREAD TRAILS
• It’s a fact that only a miniscule percentage of people ever use thread trails or bike paths. Sad, but true. In some areas of the United States days can go by before a lone hiker or bicyclist will travel a thread trail or bicycle on a path. What is far more likely is that someone will walk in a mall or on an existing sidewalk, track, or park path. No need whatsoever for a an underutilized thread trail. Seriously how many persons do you know travel along the trail from Concord, N.C. to the University of North Carolina in Charlotte? Or even heard of it? Build it and they will come? Not happening. The fact that few people use thread trails should be enough to stop the Thread Trail movement in its tracks.
• After the Grant Money Runs Out, the Local Taxpayer Takes Up the Slack for the Thread Trail’s Pricey Upkeep for Trails that People Seldom Use. Somebody must pay for mowing, fence repair, vandalism, and cleaning up human and animal waste.
• Liability for Deaths and Injuries. People get injured, get beaten and mugged, drink bad water from nearby springs, and other accidents occur on thread trails. The local taxpayer is ultimately liable for deaths and injuries.
• Health Risks. Unlike paths and sidewalks in more urban areas, certain health risks are involved along thread trails. Ticks, rabid animals, and poisonous snakes abound in wilderness areas. Heaven forbid a thread trail ever goes through the Vanderford “Spite Hole” where the water glows in the dark and a Yeti’s remains rest a few yards away after quenching its thirst at this glow-in-the dark “Fountain of Youth”.
• Sanitation. Who is going to pay for the disposal of human waste or horse manure should someone need to ride their Arabian down the Thread Trail?
• Possible Haven for Criminals. Criminals often stalk walkers and runners along thread trails in and near urban areas for muggings, rapes, and stickups. Hiker’s bodies show up in wilderness areas around the United States. Walkers and runners have more to be concerned about than Smokey the Bear. Stick to the Mall–you’re less likely to be deposited in Radio Shack or Books-a-Million.
• The Cost of Security on Thread Trails. The taxpayer has to foot the bill for security along thread trails. Walkers and runner are easy marks in the “wilderness”. Perhaps near tougher urban areas they can construct a Fort Apache style outpost. Maybe county drones could patrol the thread trails at a cost? ”Mr. Natural’s remains identified on Thread Trail in Salisbury–Medical Examiner undecided if it was a gang-related decapitation or a feral dog attack.”
• False Hopes. Small businesses are told they will profit from thread trail travelers, but alas only a handful of walkers and bicyclists ever use these trails and are unlikely to purchase anything for the return trip home. Get real. However, folks walking at the indoor Thread Trail Mall can shop to their delight and grub too.
• Grossly Overpaid Directors and CEOs of non profits involved with Thread Trails, The taxpayers largely pay to pad the leadership pockets of the Thread Trails through the government’s redistribution of wealth to savvy nonprofit honchos.
• Property Grabbing with Eminent Domain Maneuvers. Heck if a municipality can no longer grab turf via forcible annexation, why not try covertly grabbing some landowner’s dirt through eminent domain? Check the fine print. Behind much idealism is not only short-term thinking, but a greed fueled “non-profit” who knows all the legal ropes. Learn about property rights and eminent domain:
http://landlaw-nc.com/eminent_domain_faqs.html
