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Senator Franken gets an earful
Having lived in Minnesota, I can tell you that Sen. Franken is a serious, thoughtful and intelligent senator. Most of those commenting probably haven’t seen him in action, so they don’t know what they’re talking about. And yes, I think Sen. Franken should have been that blunt, and too bad if the railroads feel they were “abused.” We can’t sit around complaining that nobody understands and loves the railroads and then make excuses if they’re price-gouging. As much as we enjoy railroading, we need to be realistic enough to understand that railroads aren’t always right.
Here is the reality: having family in southern Minn. and knowing the rail reality there, guess what? It was and always will be a seasonal business. The rails back then (C&NW and Milw. Rd) did what the business could cover for fixed costs. Now, what is the difference?
SNL’s “Funny Franken” isn’t laughing now. What makes those shippers think that a professional comedian would know anything about railroad transportation?
Al Franken-You’re good enough,you’re smart enough, and doggone it,people like you.
viability of Milwaukee Road’s western lines
That part of Minnesota isn’t served by BNSF.
Sen. Franken ought not be so blunt. But, even in light of that abusive remark, BNSF’s owner (and his friends) will still send the Franken campaign the maximum allowable contribution.
Someone in the railroad industry needs to explain the other side of the story to Sen. Franken. More government regulation is not going to solve the problem. In fact, increased government medling will make the problem worse, not better.
Hard to take Sen. Franken, Seriously!
Al, As someone who grow up in Minnesota, in a rural farm town, I can tell you that their is a fair share of producers who look for government handouts and bailouts when the weather isn’t cooperative for their crops. I will have respect the Senator when he is honest about an alternative to the crowd and quit playing the populist, it is getting old. What is the alternative? put their product on a truck to another terminal on another shipper or to a barge terminal. They won’t because it means more money out of their pocket. The northern plains are full of opportunistic producers who are trying to game the railroad because of brutal winter weather and large crops. Roy S Osborn has it right.
Kudos to Sen. Al Franken; He tells it as it is. Corruption is corruption.
Senator Franken probably believes in the “Canadian solution” that has been inflicted on the Canadian railroads - bellow and pass laws demanding what is physically impossible at the moment.
Hey, whatever happened to our old friend the “Goose”?
Senator, where is the money to keep the roads open and serve the farmers? These are the roads Congress built to put the railroads (real business) out of business. The farmers were happy to abandon the railroads 40 years ago, why do they want the railroads back now?
Senator, where is the money to keep the roads open and serve the farmers? These are the roads Congress built to put the railroads (real business) out of business. The farmers were happy to abandon the railroads 40 years ago, why do they want the railroads back now?
Senator, your government put most of the railroads out of business when you built the highways and interstates. Where are the trucks that were supposed to make shipping faster and cheaper? Yes the railroads raise rates when the farmers produce way too much crop. Hopefully the railroads can use their profits to rebuild their infrastructure. Congress is letting the highway system crumble and that is corruption!
Senator, your government put most of the railroads out of business when you built the highways and interstates. Where are the trucks that were supposed to make shipping faster and cheaper? Yes the railroads raise rates when the farmers produce way too much crop. Hopefully the railroads can use their profits to rebuild their infrastructure. Congress is letting the highway system crumble and that is corruption!
Senator, your government put most of the railroads out of business when you built the highways and interstates. Where are the trucks that were supposed to make shipping faster and cheaper? Yes the railroads raise rates when the farmers produce way too much crop. Hopefully the railroads can use their profits to rebuild their infrastructure. Congress is letting the highway system crumble and that is corruption!
Senator, your government put most of the railroads out of business when you built the highways and interstates. Where are the trucks that were supposed to make shipping faster and cheaper? Yes the railroads raise rates when the farmers produce way too much crop. Hopefully the railroads can use their profits to rebuild their infrastructure. Congress is letting the highway system crumble and that is corruption!