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Title pretty well says it. Government does a lousy job providing what services they do provide, do so at a horribly high cost, and government workers are never held accountable. Yesterday, a freshly rebuilt (to the tune of $180 million taxpayer dollars) railroad track was operated by the government. On the very first train run on that track, the government drone driving it went into a posted 30mph zone at 80mph, derailing the train, killing 3 people, injuring dozens. Even worse the main N/S west coast highway is still closed due to a railroad engine laying across it.
And...some people think turning health care over to the government-and government workers-is a good idea? Are you serious?
Maybe had the government (Republicans specifically) had implemented the safety measures that had been requested time and time again then this would not have happened.
As for healthcare they already do, who do you think runs Medicaid and Medicare, simply expand it for everyone making less than 100k.
The trouble with your argument is that many Amtrak lines are important to the US, however many Amtrak lines are not profitable and need some Government intervention to keep them running.
The alternative is just closing much of the US rail system, which would have implications for the US as a nation.
The rail disaster could have been avoided if speed restriction technology had been in place, indeed such technology is set to be in place next year, which begs the question as to why this new service was started before such technology was in place.
No-the bigger question is how did the government manage to hire such an incompetent operator. If I decided to ignore the speed limit and drive my vehicle through a school zone at 80mph and take out a bunch of kids in a crosswalk-would you blame the lack of "speed restriction technology". Or would you place the blame on the operator?
This is no different than the VA. Our veterans are dying waiting for treatment, and due to incompetent treatment. Yet NO ONE is ever held responsible.
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Originally Posted by Toyman at Jewel Lake
No-the bigger question is how did the government manage to hire such an incompetent operator. If I decided to ignore the speed limit and drive my vehicle through a school zone at 80mph and take out a bunch of kids in a crosswalk-would you blame the lack of "speed restriction technology". Or would you place the blame on the operator?
This is no different than the VA. Our veterans are dying waiting for treatment, and due to incompetent treatment. Yet NO ONE is ever held responsible.
The Operator could just as easily been private, it's the regulation and technology that needs to be improved.
In the UK we used to have nationalised railways, however the train services are now private whilst the track is a mixture of public and private.
Train and track safety features were introduced after public inquires in to disasters, and it should be noted that no country is exempt from train disasters, and this is the case in countries with both private and public systems.
However since fitting new safety features as part of the Cullen Inquiry (see the 'Ladbroke Grove Rail Crash' below) such as Atomatic Warning System (AWS), Automatic Train Protection (ATP), Train Protection & Warning System (TWPS), Improved Signals and Improved Driver Training standards have increased safety significantly.
The Cullen inquiry also reccomended the creation in 2003 of the Rail Safety and Standards Board and in 2005 of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch in addition to the Railway Inspectorate.
As a result Britain's railways have now become the safest in Europe.
Before the ACA, I couldn't get health insurance thanks to minor preexisting conditions. Thankfully I found a job, in the midst of the recession, that offered benefits when I was diagnosed with stage IV cancer at 23.
There were several treatments I couldn't get because I didn't have tens of thousands of dollars lying around, like fertility preserving treatments. But that was better than not having access to the $500,000 chemo regime that saved my life.
Without the ACA, who would cover me if I lost my job? Or if I wanted to be a stay at home mom while my partner focused on growing his business (a business that only exists because he can get access to health insurance through the exchange which he never would be able to do due to health concerns)?
European verbiage aside, you don't "drive" a train -- passenger or freight -- you operate one. A locomotive engineer has no control over "steering" his/her vehicle; that responsibility rests with whoever controls the switches and signals; usually from many miles away.
And an operating railroader is involved in the movement of much heavier vehicles -- 600 tons for an Amtrak Metroliner or Acela, and up to 20,000 tons (in a few instances) for a freight which can be up to two miles long --as opposed a ton and a half of Ford or Chevy.
And the occupation can be mentally challenging; an Amtrak engineer operating a round trip between New York and Washington (or a freight engineer operating between Los Angeles and Barstow, CA (one way) will encounter over thirty "control points" -- at which lineside signals must be read, interpreted -- it's usually more than a simple stop-or-proceed indication -- and obeyed without question; sounds simple enough, but as we all learned in Philadelphia two years ago, a momentary mistake often can never be undone.
Below is a link to a video of a cab "ride-along" on a Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight in Southern California; It's a long one (over two hours) and less than a third of a typical engineer's day. As you'll notice if you read some of the comments, most of the "MTV generation" in the audience don't have the patience to finish even a single viewing.
It takes a special mindset to be an operating railroader, and those who pass the tests (which can be structured to convey some rare, but very dangerous circumstances) are admitted to a small and select fraternity (one which, BTW, was opened to most minorities and women only over the past thirty years or so). Those who pass shouldn't be faulted for occasionally displaying a certain sense of pride.
Over twenty years ago, at the atypical age of 45, I was given a chance, after twenty years of trying, to join that exclusive group, thanks primarily to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act; I was warned at the outset that special high standards would apply, and possibly in part due to personal pressures (a terminally ill relative) I came up just a little bit short, and was dropped from the program just before vestment of union rights. But I bear no resentment for what turned out to be an experience of a lifetime. I believe that there are far more experiences like this than the occasional individual who still "falls through the cracks" -- but the only "absolute security" of which I'm aware is on the other side of a cemetery plot.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 12-20-2017 at 08:56 AM..
Operating a train is not the same as running health care. Was the Engineer driving the train working for the government or a private company?
Weird topic.
It's actually a typical topic from the people who hate their own government, 3 or 4 are started everyday.
Every other civilized country's government can run their trains at twice the speed we can get ours up to. Conservatives would have you believe that your government can't do anything right, when in reality it just comes down to their refusal to fund it.
Before the Republicans worked themselves up into a lather over their hatred of their government, it funded our interstate highway system. Of course we can't afford to spend dick on our infrastructure now that they've put us in a trillion and a half dollar deficit hole.
I understand why, it's no skin off their noses, Republican's wouldn't be caught dead on a train. Mass transit is for those unwashed 'masses' who're too lazy to earn enough to fly...
Ah, Republican talking points 101. Starve a government service of funds, point to it failing, "privatize" to reward stalwart donors who can then profit from it.
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