Bush just keeps on ignoring railroads [Dems exploring the bottom of the barrel-no votes here]

Capital Times ^ | 7-28-06 | Dave Zweifel

[SJackson]

The federal government's Transportation Department has just issued a "white paper" on reducing traffic congestion in the country and guess what? It doesn't include a word about how improvement of either passenger or freight rail in America might be able to help.

Once more, the powers-that-be in Washington are determined to put all the nation's transportation eggs essentially in one basket more and bigger highways with a small sop to improving some airport traffic control systems.

The oversight drew a letter of protest from the president of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, George Chilson.

"While you are right to target congestion as a serious and growing national problem, we are dumbfounded that you failed even to mention rail in National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America's Transportation Network," he wrote. "Neglect of rail both by federal policy and stage politics that it encourages is the primary reason that our nation continues to spend enormous amounts on transportation infrastructure without satisfactory results."

What's ironic particularly with this administration, which wants to privatize everything from Social Security to Homeland Security, is that the rail system's tracks and rights-of-way are virtually privately owned by the rail corporations.

But, as Chilson said, "private ownership of the nation's rail infrastructure does not render it less valuable to the American people, place it beyond the purview of federal transportation policy, or make it ineligible for public funding."

The rail passenger advocate pointed out that outgoing Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta has an example of how public and private interests can work together on rail improvements right in his home state of California.

There, the state invested in track, signals, bridges, stations and passenger cars and it has since led to a popular and fast-growing network of 60 daily passenger trains that carry more than 4 million passengers a year on three routes.

"California has proven that a dollar spent developing a railroad will buy us as much freight- and passenger-hauling capacity as a dollar spent on airports or highways," Chilson insisted.

What California did was provide funding for new side-by-side tracks to be built so that passenger and freight service don't interfere with each other, a major problem that impedes the country's Amtrak service to this very day.

Why leaders of this administration can't understand that to put 500 people on a train essentially removes 500 cars from the highway is nothing short of perplexing unless, of course, road builders just have better connections and more money.

[SJackson]

ping

[goldstategop]

Did Willie Green draft this missive?? Just kidding! ;-)

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[EagleUSA]

Yawn. More liberal whining -- this time more union pandering.

[MarkeyD]

We can't drill in ANWAR because it will be years before we can start getting returns, but it's OK to start building more railroads (can anyone say Eminent Domain) even though it would be years before they can be taken adavantage of.

[bert]

Picking at a scab, I would assume W had a bigpart in smoothing the way for improving and facilitating the rail link from Kansas City down through I believe Laraedo to the mexican west coast and the new state of the art container port. There were extreme negotiations with Mexico that had to have large federal input.

How about them railroad appels?

[bert]

Please note that in foreign trade lingo appels is an accepted correct spelling for apples

[SJackson]

We can't drill in ANWAR because it will be years before we can start getting returns, but it's OK to start building more railroads (can anyone say Eminent Domain) even though it would be years before they can be taken adavantage of.

Ironically the one wildlife negative I've heard about the Alaska pipeline pertains to the moose. In the winter, they cruise down the railroad tracks since they're cleared. Train can't stop, mooseburger.

My ecological arguement for roads and trucks.

And they'll be Bush's fault too. Imagine if he or Cheney had a relative who worked for GM or Ford.

[Lurker]

"private ownership of the nation's rail infrastructure does not.....place it beyond the purview of federal transportation policy, or make it ineligible for public funding."

It should.

L

[ol' hoghead]

road builders just have better connections and more money.

Don't forget, the pols buy a lot more votes with a highway than with a track.

[Integrityrocks]

Railroads are a good thing, but if Bush had his nose in this as deep as they want, he be criticised for not paying enough attention to the Middle East. He can't win.

[308MBR]

Market forces are going to take care of the freight side of the railroads. Five buck a gallon diesel will mean about the only stuff shipped very far by truck will be cargo that will rot or die.

Look for the death of "Just in Time" manufacturing and stocking as businesses will be forced to carry more inventory to cover longer shipping times.

Passenger rail is another matter. Most people enjoy driving, and driving will be MUCH more enjoyable with fewer trucks on the road.

I'm buying some railroad stock.

[BigBobber]

Next up for the Dems: canal boats drawn by mules!

They're sure to get the hay and horse lobby with that pitch.

[CedarDave]

The problem is that many have capacity problems, some tore up track after deregulation. UP in ol' hoghead's territory of west Texas, S. NM and lots of Arizona is still single track territory and congestion is blocking flow of goodsd. Can't pay a dividend on your stock if you're spending all your money on capital improvements.

[CedarDave]

What California did was provide funding for new side-by-side tracks to be built so that passenger and freight service don't interfere with each other, a major problem that impedes the country's Amtrak service to this very day.

That's bull, except maybe for some Metro lines in the LA area.

[308MBR]

Think long term, my man. There isn't but one railroad that pays dividends anyway, and they're neglecting their capital program. At this time, for long term gain and market share, they should be "gettin' a little track laid instead of jumping around like a bunch of Kansas City faggots".

Couln't help quoting ol' Slim Pickins and Mel Brooks on that one!

[CedarDave]

We can't drill in ANWAR because it will be years before we can start getting returns, but it's OK to start building more railroads (can anyone say Eminent Domain) even though it would be years before they can be taken adavantage of.

Bill Richardson did that in NM with the approval of a Rat legislature. Not approved by the taxpayers; pulled money out of the road fund. 10% recovery at the farebox. Meanwhile, even some Dem friends of mine say you can't compare occassional congrestion in ABQ with the daily mess in LA, Denver, Dallas, etc. And all of our roads are still two lane -- would be nice to have a three lane interstate in the areas where the train runs. So for the use of a couple of hundred to several thousand passengers per day, everyone else puts up with poor roads that haven't been improved since first constructed as interstates.

See Richardson's Railroad

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"It doesn't include a word about how improvement of either passenger or freight rail in America might be able to help."

Gee, Dave. 'CUZ IT WON'T? Let me guess. Your car stays parked in the garage all week and you "hoof it" to all of your important interviews. Am I right? *SMIRK*

Americans don't travel in a straight line, Dave. We all have things to do that require us to get from "Point A to Point B" in the most efficient manner possible. And that usually means we take our cars, versus schlepping all of our stuff, and kids and pets and grocery sacks on the bus. Or the "Commuter Train."

Gawd. When will they give this up? Mass transit works in cities where the cities have been designed around mass transit. You cannot put a square peg into a round hole without alot of hammerin' and yammerin'. And in case you haven't noticed, DAVE, we live on an ISTHMUS surrounded by WATER. Try building a train tressel across Lake Monona or Mendota, LOL! Your choice. See how that flies, Dave, you Doofus!

I'm not taking the bus or the train. I'll take my Honda Spree scooter for short trips into town for supplies and my car for longer trips. Bet I save more gas and produce less "disruption to the environment" in a years time than does ONE Madison Metro Bus, or a single train car. ;)

Ahhhhhh! I feel much better now. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"Next up for the Dems: canal boats drawn by mules! They're sure to get the hay and horse lobby with that pitch."

Very, very good. ;)

[Rembrandt]

This government (President)..."which wants to privatize everything from Social Security to ..."

You know they're lusting for President Hillary who will seek to nationalize every damn thing under the sun, raise taxes thru the roof, confiscate guns, reduce the military to near zero, scrap all the Star Wars technology and so on and so on, then wonder why Wall Street has tanked.