Much has been said and written recently regarding the debacle unfolding in Jim Thorpe relating to the operation and taxation of the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. Perhaps it is time to step back and take a look at the overall situation.

Andy Muller Jr., president and CEO of the LGSR, has stated unequivocally that it is his position that the railway is not subject to the borough amusement tax. The borough and its accounting firm disagree. This is a legal matter for the court to decide. Calls for Muller to come to the table are ludicrous. How can there be a negotiation on this point? If the railway is subject to the tax, I don’t see how this can be negotiated without a change to the statute. He either owes the tax or he doesn’t.

If the borough wins in court this will be a Pyrrhic victory. The borough will get a one-time payment but they will receive less tax income in the future not only from the railway but from the passengers who patronize the businesses in town. Additionally, the train will be gone for a long time, if not forever. If the borough loses in court, there will be no payment and the train will be gone, along with the revenue that passengers bring in.

Then there have been published comments, bordering on veiled threats, from the president of the borough council and the acting president of the Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency that if the amusement and entertainment tax revenue is not adequate that the taxpayers will have to bear the additional costs. Let me be the first to remind these officials that we, the taxpayers, are not an endless fountain to be taxed to support tourism. Many, if not a vast majority, of us live here because this is our home. We tolerate the aggravation that increased tourism brings because we are proud of this town and some of our friends and neighbors make their living from the benefits of tourism. However, tourism is not the be all and end all.

Elected officials should take heed, you represent all of the citizens not just the tourism faction. In closing there is an Argentine proverb that states “Abundance breeds arrogance.” I think this fittingly describes the actions of the borough council. And yes, come Nov. 25, 2019, that train don’t stop here anymore.

Respectfully submitted

C.G. Ward

Jim Thorpe