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U.S. senators push to spend more on FRA
Two morons seeking headlines/microphones.
Let us see…the trackage, with curves, through the Bronx date to when, mid-19th century? And how many derailments since?
On the other hand, since one particular school shooting, how many have died, killed, shot? Anyone for 10 grand plus?
If Schumer is all for it, by default, there is massive financial trouble with the plan. Everything he touches turns to garbage. Adding more regulators does nothing except create another welfare program for his zero information voters incapable of working in the private sector, who will repay him in kind on election day by guaranteeing his existence as a socialist elite. Compared to Chicago, New York machine operations are extremely easy to figure out. There is only one component.
I would love to be present when everyone’s favorite commenter from Illinois informs an FRA track inspector that his job exists only as a result of a massive welfare program that is somehow keeping a Senator in a job. Never mind that FRA agent’s years of experience in the private sector working for a freight railroad or the many odd hours he spent that go along with that job. Also, let us not forget that he is also subject to calls at all hours of the day if and when there is a major derailment somewhere in the territory which falls under his jurisdiction. Those don’t sound like traits which belong to the typical Welfare recipient.
Also, how would the Senators in question be able to further their political “elitism” by creating a couple of dozen more federal jobs spread across the whole of the US? Wow. That will bring the thankful voters out to the polls. I just don’t understand the basis for the vitriol and hatred toward perceived socialism. This is not an example of Socialism but I understand that some people enjoy throwing that word around whether it is appropriate or not.
Maybe Trains should give Mr. Guse his own column. Or perhaps the owner of The Railroad Press would hire him. They both have like viewpoints.
Maybe Trains should give Mr. Guse his own column. Or perhaps the owner of The Railroad Press would hire him. They both have like viewpoints.
Definitely a good example of the Dunning-Kruger effect in action with a certain commentator on this site.
This might be the worst article i’ve ever wasted my time reading on this site. It is, quite literally, nothing but “he said, she said”. There is no account for the facts.
Example: “funding for rail safety dropped by $9 million last year, the senators say”…. OK, is that true or not? Are you a reporter or a stenographer?
I’d also like to know what the actual proposed increase in the budget is. The article only states what the TOTAL safety and operations budget would be. How is this different from what it was before? Was there NOT a safety and operations budget before? Is the $15m the increase, or is that just the portion of the existing budget that they want to dedicate to this plan? It seems a lot like you were just trying to write the biggest numbers you could find without actually explaining the central question raised in your headline (how much more?).
There will be a certain amount of political activity in the wake of such accidents in order to demonstrate to constituents that their elected representatives are taking action. On the other hand, you will keep the place in better order if you know that mom or sarge or the FRA is checking up on you (even if this incident wash’s caused by rail damage). Thanks to Joseph Petit for making me aware of the Dunning-Kruger effect. It seems to be a scientific cousin of the popular Peter Principle.
$15 million set aside to hire 45 more employees! That is $333,333 per employee! What a waste of money! The railroads generally do a good job of inspecting track. With the cost of a derailment, why wouldn’t they?
This article slithers far below the bar that Editor Jim Wrinn set when he said that Trains should be “the magazine that speaks to everyone with a spark of railroading”
I pointed just out some of the bigger journalistic issues with it in a comment a few days ago. The comment was apparently rejected by Trains Staff.
Generally, I appreciate the subject, if not the quality of reporting on News Wire. Please do better.
Probably a good idea to beef up track and rail bridge inspections. The NYS Comptroller just released an audit of rail bridge inspections and found that railroads had not been doing annual inspections required by law. Some inspections had not been done in years.
"The tracks were not found to be a problem in the Metro-North derailment, but the senators said their efforts are about oversight of the country’s commuter and freight railroad system in general. "
Translation: we have a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist.