Piermont Branch (Orig Erie Main) aka Suffern Industrial

airman00 wrote:WHY do we cater to nimbys so much?? Way, way, waaay TOO much catering to nimbys! The will of a few people should NOT overrule the greater good that the train would bring. I understand that money would be a big issue in restoring the Piermont Branch. But money should be the issue, NOT nimbys! What is it that a few anti-rail people make a stink and then railroads and govt agencies get down on one knee and bend to their will??

The silent majority is not the spoken minority. Politicians listen to the latter, not the former

Having been in government for 25 years I can tell you the vocal minority are those that come to town council meetings and create the biggest issues. The politicians, wanting to remain in office, often placate to those folks or ask staff to bend over backwards for them as they do not want bad press. The papers, or press, of course post the negative stuff as that gets the most clicks to their websites, or most papers sold.

Most people that accept the way a municipality, county, or state are run, never go to the public meetings to express their support. And if they do, they may go to one meeting. But the NIMBY's go to every meeting.

Politicians with a backbone or the ability to nullify the minority of dissenters are few and far between. It gets even worse when the NIMBY's threaten or follow through with legal action to stop a project.