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Oh my...these chemicals are so bad...these poor people have to go now...!
Now!
Vinyl chloride I am speechless how horrible for these people and the entire ground area there!
News Nation has covered this story in detail. One of their reporters was on the scene covering a news conference and got pushed around and jailed. Looks like an environmental disaster in the making. Railroad is trying to buy off people with small amounts of cash to sign hold harmless agreements.
I lived in this area years ago and once upon a time it was a thriving economic area with high union paying jobs in the steel and auto manufacturing sectors. It’s been a depressed rust belt area for many years. Ohio needs to step up and help these people out.
I was thinking that when I watched the people at the town hall, and the inside of some of the houses when residents are being interviewed on TV. These are poor people, they don't look highly educated, and I just kept thinking these people are going to get steamrolled by this giant corporation. That's why when the one guy told Chris Cuomo the railroad made them an offer (they live on the creek and were offered assistance in finding a new rental and a couple months rent) he told them to stay around after the show, because Chris and his people wanted to advise him so he doesn't get ripped off. Like having to sign away future rights.
The more I see coverage of this, the angrier I get at the Railroad, and also how America is just set up now to sacrifice the masses for the few. All these big corporations are like this. Exxon fought having to pay the residents of Alaska who lost all income from fishing and tourism due to the Exxon Valdez disaster, for 20 years. 20 years they had their $1000 an hour lawyers appeal and fight, while those people were just trying to stay alive.
Last night on News Nation, Leland Vittert said a former employee of that railroad thinks short staffing is what might have caused the crash. I don't know why he thinks that, I missed that. But Leland said this railroad reduced it's workforce by 40% over the last decade. Meanwhile, their stock price rose by 1000% during that same 10 years. They apparently have about 1000 incidents/accidents a year.
They have decided it's cheaper to cut corners and cut safety, and pay off victims, than it is to run the trains safely. In their 2005 derailment, in which 9 people died and 550 hospitalized, they paid $50 million dollars. Leland said that was 1.5% of their profit that year. That's it, just 1.5%. So they couldn't care less.
I was thinking that when I watched the people at the town hall, and the inside of some of the houses when residents are being interviewed on TV. These are poor people, they don't look highly educated, and I just kept thinking these people are going to get steamrolled by this giant corporation. That's why when the one guy told Chris Cuomo the railroad made them an offer (they live on the creek and were offered assistance in finding a new rental and a couple months rent) he told them to stay around after the show, because Chris and his people wanted to advise him so he doesn't get ripped off. Like having to sign away future rights.
The more I see coverage of this, the angrier I get at the Railroad, and also how America is just set up now to sacrifice the masses for the few. All these big corporations are like this. Exxon fought having to pay the residents of Alaska who lost all income from fishing and tourism due to the Exxon Valdez disaster, for 20 years. 20 years they had their $1000 an hour lawyers appeal and fight, while those people were just trying to stay alive.
Last night on News Nation, Leland Vittert said a former employee of that railroad thinks short staffing is what might have caused the crash. I don't know why he thinks that, I missed that. But Leland said this railroad reduced it's workforce by 40% over the last decade. Meanwhile, their stock price rose by 1000% during that same 10 years. They apparently have about 1000 incidents/accidents a year.
They have decided it's cheaper to cut corners and cut safety, and pay off victims, than it is to run the trains safely. In their 2005 derailment, in which 9 people died and 550 hospitalized, they paid $50 million dollars. Leland said that was 1.5% of their profit that year. That's it, just 1.5%. So they couldn't care less.
Largely due to crony capitalism it appears that what was once the position of a public servant is now a glitzy career where power and wealth are expected. The States as the greatest world power is quickly coming to an end; it may be sooner than expected.
All comes down to greed in the end. You just never have enough (which I can understand that to a point). When you do wrong to get more is when it is a crime that will be punished ultimately.
Like it or not, chemical products and their components and by-products are a part of life in an industrialized society. Rail transportation, (which isn't accident-proof -- nothing is) is usually the safest way to move them in large quantities.
The rail industry enjoys a large cost advantage for moving heavy freight and it has been developing for just about 200 years, but it is not attractive to the esthetically-obsessed and the upwardly mobile -- Tracks aren't welcome in Ward Cleaver's neighborhood.
And "greed". like "racism", is just one of the words the wokesters like to use to demonize anything and evryething of which they've decided (collectively,of course) that they don't approve. Heaven forbid that they should be faced with a hard choice!
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 02-19-2023 at 10:49 AM..
It's all going to depend on the outcome of the investigation.
If the railroad is found to be negligent in any way, shape or form, it should be held accountable for all costs.
If the railroad didn't do anything that lead to the derailment, then it's just an accident. Everyone affected by it is basically screwed.
The last I heard, some sort of mechanical failure is suspected, and the RR knew but ignored it. But I'm not sure I heard correct information. Anyone else paying close attention to these details?
Largely due to crony capitalism it appears that what was once the position of a public servant is now a glitzy career where power and wealth are expected. The States as the greatest world power is quickly coming to an end; it may be sooner than expected.
All comes down to greed in the end. You just never have enough (which I can understand that to a point). When you do wrong to get more is when it is a crime that will be punished ultimately.
I saw the reporter again yesterday who spoke to the employee...it's a current employee, not former. He said the maintenance crews have been cut drastically, and there aren't enough to maintain the trains and tracks. He also said the company has some kind of sensors on the tracks that are supposed to detect a problem that will lead to an accident before the accident (he said this train probably showed whatever the sign is for several miles before the derailment). He said they used to be every 10 miles, but the company moved them to every 20 miles.
This is their 3rd derailment this year and it's only February.
Like it or not, chemical products and their components and by-products are a part of life in an industrialized society. Rail transportation, (which isn't accident-proof -- nothing is) is usually the safest way to move them in large quantities.
The rail industry enjoys a large cost advantage for moving heavy freight and it has been developing for just about 200 years, but it is not attractive to the esthetically-obsessed and the upwardly mobile -- Tracks aren't welcome in Ward Cleaver's neighborhood.
And "greed". like "racism", is just one of the words the wokesters like to use to demonize anything and evryething of which they've decided (collectively,of course) that they don't approve. Heaven forbid that they should be faced with a hard choice!
The railroad industry lobbyists spend millions a year trying to get safety regs rolled back. They fought using double-walled tanks for these dangerous chemicals, which most experts say would have prevented the chemicals from leaking out in the first place. They fought speed limits being lowered when transporting dangerous chemicals. They fought 2-man crews in the cab.
As I said, this particular company cut it's worforce by 40% over the last decade. One employee said lack of maintenance workers, which were cut, was one of the main reasons for these accidents. While their stock price rose 1000% during that time period. They have profits of billions a year.
They decided it's cheaper to let accidents happen and pay off the victims, then it is to transport chemicals safely. The payoffs are built into their operating costs.
Sorry, in my world that is plain greed. They should be demonized, they have chosen profits over people.
The railroad industry lobbyists spend millions a year trying to get safety regs rolled back. They fought using double-walled tanks for these dangerous chemicals, which most experts say would have prevented the chemicals from leaking out in the first place. They fought speed limits being lowered when transporting dangerous chemicals. They fought 2-man crews in the cab.
As I said, this particular company cut it's worforce by 40% over the last decade. One employee said lack of maintenance workers, which were cut, was one of the main reasons for these accidents. While their stock price rose 1000% during that time period. They have profits of billions a year.
They decided it's cheaper to let accidents happen and pay off the victims, then it is to transport chemicals safely. The payoffs are built into their operating costs.
Sorry, in my world that is plain greed. They should be demonized, they have chosen profits over people.
Like it or not, chemical products and their components and by-products are a part of life in an industrialized society. Rail transportation, (which isn't accident-proof -- nothing is) is usually the safest way to move them in large quantities.
The rail industry enjoys a large cost advantage for moving heavy freight and it has been developing for just about 200 years, but it is not attractive to the esthetically-obsessed and the upwardly mobile -- Tracks aren't welcome in Ward Cleaver's neighborhood.
And "greed". like "racism", is just one of the words the wokesters like to use to demonize anything and evryething of which they've decided (collectively,of course) that they don't approve. Heaven forbid that they should be faced with a hard choice!
Very true, although I personally find the overuse of the whole woke/wokesters terminology tiresome. Everyone posting in this thread has a pile of possessions made out of plastic, including whatever device they are using to post on. This is a risk we took when we decided to develop a huge appetite for the plastic products that are made from these chemicals. There might be a price to pay once in a while. It's not just corporate greed. It is everybody's greed that creates situations like this.
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