Rick_b --
Just to supplement what John West and Rick Murray wrote, consider that back in 2000 and 2001 when John and I were actively involved in the operation of the C&TSRR as members of RGRPC you can bet that RGRPC actively pursued lobbying the state legislators for appropriations, and you can bet that we stressed that the C&TS was the economic engine of the region (that's a no-brainer!).
And we also stressed the manifold purposes of the Compact which are to preserve a mode of transportation, etc., etc.
This is some of what we wrote to legislators back then:
"A variety of measures have shown that a fully operational C&TSRR is critical to the economic health of the region due to its ability to attract a large number of tourists to visit and stay in the region:
In a recent fairly typical year of operation (2001) spending by tourists that ride the line brought $45-$50 million of economic benefit to the region. In turn, this generates roughly $2.5 to $3.0 million in tax revenues for the two states in the form of sales, gross receipts, gas, and lodgers taxes.
Furthermore, in a normal season the Railroad provides full- or part-time employment for 90-100 people, resulting in an annual payroll upwards of $1.5 million.
A study in 2001 revealed that Chama's gross receipts climbed 80% in the months the C&TSRR operated, and another study in 1999 reported that half the businesses in the Chama Valley were dependent upon tourism."
BTW, back then we attracted 50,000 rides in 2000 and 55,000 in 2001.
This is not really a zero-sum game in which if one guy wins the other loses. As Roger, others, and probably you appreciate, the more riders the railroad attracts, the better it is for everyone. Sure, HRM's location will give it a locational advantage in the souvenir market, but that's relatively small potatoes. What's really important is that, if the gift shop helps HRM be successful, then everyone benefits because HRM will have more resources to attract more riders.
My only objection is that there continues to be a myth going around that the Compact (or the Charter as you call it) states that the C&TS is simply for the benefit of local businesses -- that's not in the
Compact, the legislation has far broader purposes.
