Quite a bit of news and commentary about the CSX hub/rail deal floating around this week. We’ll start with my employer because it pays me.

My intrepid colleague Lindsay Peterson had another front page piece on Wednesday concerning CSX and Florida rail policy. This focuses on the merits of giving taxpayer money to railroads. On the same day, the Trib’s editorial page praised Tom Pelham, the head of Florida’s Department of Community Affairs, for agreeing to come to Lakeland to hear concerns firsthand. Pelham will be in Lakeland Wednesday. The editorial criticizes the general silence of other top state government officials on this issue.

Since then, the Florida Department of Transportation has agreed to give a presentation on the rail realignment and hub deal at the Oct. 11 meeting of Polk’s Transportation Planning Organization. It’s not clear who specifically will give the presentation or if DOT secretary Stephanie Koupelousos will attend. Koupelousos has refused to comment on any aspect of the CSX/Polk issue.

The Bradenton Herald wrote a story about how Port Manatee has high hopes for business related to the hub.

And the publisher of business magazine Florida Trend appeared to offer an endorsement of the hub at the annual meeting of the Central Florida Development Council, Polk’s only countywide development group.

I didn’t attend the meeting. But according to the Winter Haven Chamber’s Bob Gernert, Lynda Keever said “the CSX rail facility could be a tremendous opportunity for this area” and added, “it could be the glue that links the region together.”

I emailed Keever and left a phone message asking how specifically she thinks the hub will act as regional uniter. I haven’t heard anything back.

The reporting Lindsay and I have done indicates that this project benefits the Orlando area and CSX while actively harming Tampa Bay’s commuter rail aspirations and the quality of life of cities along the S-line, including Lakeland. That may be a good and just thing, but I’ve yet to hear anyone – from CSX, Winter Haven or the state - say it’s not true.

Finally, Lakeland Local’s Chuck Welch took a guest turn on Sticks of Fire, which is arguably Tampa’s premier blog, to explain the background of the CSX deal as he sees it. Check it out.

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