While I have no idea what the new House Transportation Committee will do come January, I can’t believe the freight railroads will shed any tears now that Oberstar is gone. I’m guessing that any reregulation of them is not going to happen [unless it somehow gets through in this lame duck session].
Having worked closely with Oberstar over the years on the High Speed Rail issues, I would say we are fairly screwed now.
I do not kinow his margin of defeat but I see one of three possible choices for him.
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Retire from poltics
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Campaign starting now to regain his seat in 2012.
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Go to work in Obama administration in some kind of transportation position.
Don’t be too sure of that. A lot of businesses, especially utilities and chemicals. are anxious to get some kind of regulation. These are big businesses and probably more Republican than Democratic politically. Reregulation is not a Democrat vs Republican issue but one big business segment vs another big business segment.
I always got the impression that Oberstar wasn’t too bad. It’s Jay Rockefeller that the RRs need gone…
Pretty much official now. Bye bye NLX. At least I got some demo pens…
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/183092/
Oberstar has said he would like to take a position in Public Service.
I will say that as much as the politiicians have lied to the public about this thing, and as much as it would not have worked as it, its sad to see all of our hard work down the drain just like that.
The margin was close. Historically Oberstar carried his district with landslide type numbers between 60 and 80%.
Option 2 is very unlikely, as seniority is based on continuous service. This defeat breaks that and would send him back to the bottom. This makes option 1 most viable.
I like option 3, give LaHood the boot. It is unlikely that Mr Obama would agree with me though, as he kind of needs his token republican in the cabinet.
Option 4 is the private sector, where most unelected politicians end up.
Congressman Oberstar, representing the good folks of Rochester, Minn. also led the fight opposing the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern’s building into the Powder River Basin coal fields.
Actually, his politcal posturing had more to do with demanding that the railway build some kind of outrageously expensive bypass around Rochester.
Although I’m never really happy to see a Republican win elective office, it usually warms the cockles of my heart to see a Democrat lose. James Oberstar was no friend to the railroad industry, and with his loss I say, “GOOD RIDDANCE!”
Oberstar represented northeast Minnesota, not Rochester. He was instrumental in many rail projects in Minnesota (light rail, Northstar commuter rail, etc.) and I don’t believe he had much to do with the opposition of rail service expansion thru Rochester. He will be missed as an expert in aviation safety. However, he was very instrumental in regulating everything. I think he was defeated as the population began to understand that soon everything would be regulated. I suspect that his replacement will have significant influence in Congress as a giant killer in defeating Oberstar.
His replacement will not have influence in Congress, the man’s highest political position before this was on a school board! All of Oberstars seniority is down the drain, so goodbye District 8th’s agenda.
From what I can see the Railroads may not be happy with the Tea Party influence in Washington. Railroads are, and always have, looked to government help in some way or another. Right now they are in need of infrastructure help and guidence. Most Tea Partiers want to take money away from many of these projects…Where someone has outsmarted themselves with these so called Populist demands, the Tea Partiers bleieve Washington and its money should not be a part of private operations nor public operations…i.e., Pork is Dead! Or so they say…let’s see.
As a side note. Tea Party Doll Governor Christie of NJ has successfully stopped the ARC Tunnel project rejecting the $3Billion Federal monies for the project (and must repay over $300 thousand already spent). Now NY Senator Gillibran is asking for that $3B for help with the LIRR East Side project.!
Pork to one is sustance to another. What goes around comes around. Everyone wants ‘small’ government except when they don’t benefit from it.
henry6,
Can you cite some examples of class 1 freight railroads with infrastructure needs for which they are seeking government help, guidance, and public financing?
I think you are misreading the Tea Party if you think it is populist. It is conservative, not populist. The Democrat party is closer to populism than the Tea Party.
That a stupid quesiton coming from you, B. We’ve hashed out these projects from time to time on these pages. NS I81 Corridor and Portage Bridge in NY is one example of one railroad and there have been others we’ve discussed. Plus there is alway cries for rate protection either from big business coal, utility, and chemicals as well as the rebut from the railroads. You know the stories: they’ve been here and in Trains Magazine over the past several years.
Fellas- We just got through an election, and we’re still waiting for the smell to clear from the air. Let’s not start it all over again here. [sigh]
-Norris
The talk on Twin Cities radio stations this morning is that President Obama and Mr. Oberstar talked yesterday and that after a period of letting the dust settle Mr. Oberstar will replace Mr. LaHood as Transportation Secretary.
I called it first, even though I was betting against it.[swg] We’ll see. It is a logical move.