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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 8:42 pm 

Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:08 am
Posts: 705
co614 wrote:
Seems very obvious to me that the City Council has zero intention of working with Jason.

Reviewing Mr. Sobczynski's public interaction with the Council, his social media proclamations, and the proposal he informally gave to City officials, what specifically do you see that would compel the Council to "work with him"? What information has he conveyed to City officials that would lead them to conclude that he and his proposal are worthy of their consideration?
co614 wrote:
They don't even extend to him the courtesy of including the 503 as an item for discussion on the recent meetings agendas.

Courtesy is a two-way street. You got to give to get, especially when dealing with a governing body that holds all the cards.

Mr. Sobczynski's propensity to emphasize his personal 503 timeline and claim that he and his supporters "saved" 503 only serves to further divide him from the people in government that he needs to work with and reduces his perceived professionalism because it is an incorrect statement of fact. 503 is still an at-risk artifact because of its condition and continued exposure to the elements which, in Port Arthur, includes regular battering by tropical storms and hurricanes. It is by no means "saved".

Perhaps if Mr. Sobczynski presents himself as a facilitator for the City and not a thorn in their side he will have a higher probability of getting consideration from the City government. The more people on the Council who he can make look good to the community and whose job he can make easier, the better chance he has of being engaged in a positive manner.


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2018 8:02 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:19 pm
Posts: 2557
Location: Sackets Harbor, NY
Not complicated. Time to move on, refund the Go Fund Me donations and be glad the 503 was saved from being scrapped.

Enough already !!

IMHO-Ross Rowland


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2018 9:25 pm 

Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:09 pm
Posts: 560
I hate to agree, but I think Ross may be on to something with this one. There has been zero updates on the GFM in over 2 months, and it is pretty clear the city has no interest in going with the plan.

It may be time to cut bait and walk away from this one, before it starts to go sour.

It was downright amazing what was pulled off, the chances of it ever happening again, are likely zero. Especially if it appears that this effort will be a failure.

Yes, the engine was saved from the torch, whichever way you look at it, but the goal was not to just save it, but to move it and restore it, which is what many donated for.

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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2018 9:28 pm 

Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 2:22 pm
Posts: 1543
co614 wrote:
Not complicated. Time to move on, refund the Go Fund Me donations and be glad the 503 was saved from being scrapped.

Enough already !!

IMHO-Ross Rowland


Why are you so anxious to see this end?


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2018 11:56 pm 
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Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2015 11:05 am
Posts: 144
Location: Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada
co614 wrote:
Not complicated. Time to move on, refund the Go Fund Me donations and be glad the 503 was saved from being scrapped.

Enough already !!

IMHO-Ross Rowland


Why just pay back when many projects can be updated with funds !! I agree is not the purpose of donations but, I think many of us have agreed to see some projects move forward. OR get the money for the display restoration of 503

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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2018 5:15 am 

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:02 am
Posts: 293
The Big: according to Go Fund Me's rules, money raised with their service can only go towards the original stated purpose. Those donated funds cannot be used for anything else.

As for those folks who wish this to be over and done with already, with the donations refunded, what's the rush? Things are moving at the speed of government. Perhaps Jason will still get the #503. It remains to be seen if the Port Arthur group will have any success in raising funds for a making a static display of #503. If it doesn't work out in Jason's favor, then the funds will be returned. Returning them now may just result in continued decay of #503 if the Port Arthur group fails to raise any money of their own.

When I donate money to a cause, I don't expect to see that money ever again. If my donation gets refunded, then so be it. I won't have any trouble finding another use for that money. But I'm in no rush to have it refunded. Let the whole situation play out first.

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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2018 9:48 am 

Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:27 am
Posts: 569
Location: Winters, TX
I suspect that the antziness about this situation stems in part from dealing with a private individual instead of an established organization. Another factor is that I was reluctant to give money to an individual, but since the big names were also donating then I felt more confident in making a donation. So those big names may feel a bit responsible to a certain extent for the outcome. So far nothing has come off as planned which also doesn't add to one's confidence in the situation.

The local effort doesn't appear to be going anywhere. It's been nearly a month since they posted anything on their Facebook page. And they've never stated any plans or goals towards restoring the 503. They seem to be the only game in town as no one else has come forward with any effort to care for the locomotive.

The bottom line is that this is one very sad situation. Makes me wonder if it might've been more merciful if the 503 was scrapped as planned.


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2018 12:07 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 9:18 am
Posts: 710
Location: Wall, NJ
There are a couple of givens here:

1) Government moves slow. Whether federal, state, or local, it moves slower than anyone likes.
2) The GoFundMe rules seem to prevent the money from being used for anything other than the stated purposed. The individuals behind it are known in the community so doing something underhanded would not be wise.
3) You can bet that as soon as the GoFundMe money is returned that the town will finally come around and decide to sell the locomotive. Nothing underhanded, its just luck and how things work. We have all been there.

No news is good news to me.

J.R.


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sun May 27, 2018 1:15 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 am
Posts: 2499
J.R. is right. Wait it out.

None of us who donated were expecting money back; we expected to save a locomotive. That’s still the case.

This is unchartered territory, with a last minute GFM appeal. Let’s see what happens. No matter what some folks think, Jason & Nick (with the power of the GFM) are the only reasons the locomotive isn’t gone already.

Both of these gents are members of the steam community. I am not going to throw them under the screeching, stationary wheels of a 2-6-0 being dragged into uncertainty.

Rob


JR May wrote:
There are a couple of givens here:

1) Government moves slow. Whether federal, state, or local, it moves slower than anyone likes.
2) The GoFundMe rules seem to prevent the money from being used for anything other than the stated purposed. The individuals behind it are known in the community so doing something underhanded would not be wise.
3) You can bet that as soon as the GoFundMe money is returned that the town will finally come around and decide to sell the locomotive. Nothing underhanded, its just luck and how things work. We have all been there.

No news is good news to me.

J.R.


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:34 pm 

Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:08 am
Posts: 705
The TCEQ is still going through the abatement documentation but considers that the City of Port Arthur has met its obligation. No mention of any future plans for the locomotive or the total cost of meeting the mandate.

https://www.panews.com/2018/06/04/tceq-hasnt-completed-review-of-bryan-park-soil/


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 9:13 am 

Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 2:22 pm
Posts: 1543
Scranton Yard wrote:
No mention of any future plans for the locomotive or the total cost of meeting the mandate.


Has Jason's group written a letter to the City Council and asked them when they plan to discuss future options for 503, and when or whether they plan to respond to his proposal for the locomotive?


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 4:28 pm 

Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:18 pm
Posts: 75
AFAIK, Jason does not have a "group" of any kind, and that is his biggest problem -- he does not have an organized, ongoing, knowledgeable group to back up his efforts. Nothing ever can be done without people being organized.


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 10:56 pm 

Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2004 1:41 pm
Posts: 834
Location: Bowling Green, KY
Do a favor, let me know where else we went wrong in saving this locomotive.

Cheers,

Jason


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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 1:26 am 

Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2016 4:12 am
Posts: 35
Location: Pasadena, CA
Speaking for myself, as a donor to Jason’s GoFundMe drive, I am grateful to Jason for his efforts, trust his intentions and abilities, and am happy to let him hang on to my donation for as long as he thinks doing so is in the best interests of the locomotive.

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 Post subject: Re: L&A 503
PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 4:10 am 

Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 2:22 pm
Posts: 1543
MargaretSPfan wrote:
AFAIK, Jason does not have a "group" of any kind, and that is his biggest problem -- he does not have an organized, ongoing, knowledgeable group to back up his efforts. Nothing ever can be done without people being organized.


I only used the term “group” loosely to refer to Jason and possible business associates plus all the people who donated to the cause. My point was the question of whether the entire matter is intended to remain suspended until the City Council responds to Jason’s proposal.


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