Do we have a Charles Krauthammer thread?

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

I'm all for high speed trains, just kind of thinking that if it was really that great of an idea private industry would have done it already.   Welp, maybe not, because the enviro and regulatory roadblocks probably would have been insurmountable.   For something like this you probably do need government leading itself avoid its own laws to get done.

I guess the EPA and government regulators in general have blood on their hands...

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/15/us/amtrak-says-it-was-just-months-away-from-installing-safety-system.html?_r=0

Railroad officials said Thursday that installation of the safety system on tracks across the country was also hampered for more than a year by longstanding F.C.C. rules that required environmental and preservation reviews before the safety system’s antennas could be installed in historic areas or near tribal lands.

But no, it was like totally the fault of those evil cost-cutting Republicans!

[michigancat]

I'm all for high speed trains, just kind of thinking that if it was really that great of an idea private industry would have done it already.   Welp, maybe not, because the enviro and regulatory roadblocks probably would have been insurmountable.   For something like this you probably do need government leading itself avoid its own laws to get done.

I guess the EPA and government regulators in general have blood on their hands...

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/15/us/amtrak-says-it-was-just-months-away-from-installing-safety-system.html?_r=0

Railroad officials said Thursday that installation of the safety system on tracks across the country was also hampered for more than a year by longstanding F.C.C. rules that required environmental and preservation reviews before the safety system’s antennas could be installed in historic areas or near tribal lands.

But no, it was like totally the fault of those evil cost-cutting Republicans!

Money has also been an issue in implementing positive train control.

[michigancat]

It's stupid to "blame republicans" for this, but it's also pretty clear that more money allocated sooner could have prevented this accident. You can definitely make a valid argument that the additional money required wouldn't have worth it, but not that it couldn't have stopped it.

[Dugout DickStone]

How about blaming the gonzo freak job engineer?

[CNS]

He looks very tightly wound.   I bet he flips crap super easy.

Might be a result of being paralyzed and all.  Tends to make one look a bit stiff.

Oh, no crap?  didn't know this about him.  I have only watched him while on the treadmill at the YMCA with closed captioning on for like 15min at a time.  Don't know if I have ever even heard his voice. 

[BIG APPLE CAT]

I was hearing something on the news this morning about the ntsb discovering what appeared to be a hole or crack in the conductors window that would likely have gotten there as the result of a projectile. Then they were interviewing a guy who lived close by saying bored youngsters throw stuff at passing trains fairly regularly.  I think they were trying to make the case that the conductor got distracted by a projectile flying into and cracking his windshield and in the confusion forgot to apply the brake.

Seems like a tough thing to prove, tho.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

I vote we cut all amtrak spending. It's a huge Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!) waste if money and now people are dying because of the anachronistic nature if the endeavor.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

I doubt the city allows trains to drive through its city limits at 110 mph. Monorail or not.

of course they would

Maybe in libtard fantasy land where train  speed isn't already curtailed by like every single city

[michigancat]

I doubt the city allows trains to drive through its city limits at 110 mph. Monorail or not.

of course they would

Maybe in libtard fantasy land where train  speed isn't already curtailed by like every single city

an elevated monorail (or something similar) would have different speed limits you big dummy

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

I doubt the city allows trains to drive through its city limits at 110 mph. Monorail or not.

of course they would

Maybe in libtard fantasy land where train  speed isn't already curtailed by like every single city

an elevated monorail (or something similar) would have different speed limits you big dummy

Nobody is building a monorail idiot. And if they did, cities would regulate the eff out of it. Nobody is going to allow an eyesore to shuttle people at 110 mph past all of its businesses. Good grief

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

Welcome to libtard fantasy land where this is an idea warranting debate

[8manpick]

Nuclear power and public transit? Where can I sign up?

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

I'm all for high speed trains, just kind of thinking that if it was really that great of an idea private industry would have done it already.   Welp, maybe not, because the enviro and regulatory roadblocks probably would have been insurmountable.   For something like this you probably do need government leading itself avoid its own laws to get done.

I guess the EPA and government regulators in general have blood on their hands...

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/15/us/amtrak-says-it-was-just-months-away-from-installing-safety-system.html?_r=0

Railroad officials said Thursday that installation of the safety system on tracks across the country was also hampered for more than a year by longstanding F.C.C. rules that required environmental and preservation reviews before the safety system’s antennas could be installed in historic areas or near tribal lands.

But no, it was like totally the fault of those evil cost-cutting Republicans!

Money has also been an issue in implementing positive train control.

Yeah, because only getting about $1.5 billion per year in federal subsidies just wasn't enough to break the logjam of FCC and environmental regulations. JFC, you are being really dense on this one.

[michigancat]

I'm all for high speed trains, just kind of thinking that if it was really that great of an idea private industry would have done it already.   Welp, maybe not, because the enviro and regulatory roadblocks probably would have been insurmountable.   For something like this you probably do need government leading itself avoid its own laws to get done.

I guess the EPA and government regulators in general have blood on their hands...

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/15/us/amtrak-says-it-was-just-months-away-from-installing-safety-system.html?_r=0

Railroad officials said Thursday that installation of the safety system on tracks across the country was also hampered for more than a year by longstanding F.C.C. rules that required environmental and preservation reviews before the safety system’s antennas could be installed in historic areas or near tribal lands.

But no, it was like totally the fault of those evil cost-cutting Republicans!

Money has also been an issue in implementing positive train control.

Yeah, because only getting about $1.5 billion per year in federal subsidies just wasn't enough to break the logjam of FCC and environmental regulations.

Obviously

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

While it's true this all could have been avoided if that damned cracker would have simply pulled back on the throttle like he is paid to do, the real solution here is a multi billion dollar multi thousand mile monorail system.  Suck it Disney world, we're taking your novelty nationwide.

You know what would prevent plane crashes, a nationwide gondola system. That's the type of infrastructure spending that makes sense. It's the repukelicans fault there are plane crashes.

[star seed 7]

I don't think gondolas are very efficient replacement for airplanes

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

I don't think gondolas are very efficient replacement for airplanes

The only worthwhile thing about this post is that we now know lib7 thinks the us should build a monorail
 

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

I don't think gondolas are very efficient replacement for airplanes

The only worthwhile thing about this post is that we now know lib7 thinks the us should build a monorail
 

Also, let's not overlook that Amtrak would totally be cheaper if we spent more money on it. I feel like this pearl of wisdom isn't getting the attention it deserves.

[Institutional Control]

Who is Charles Krauthammer?

[Mr Bread]

i had never heard of him, but i googled him and he is pretty shockingly ugly.  his face sort of looks like it's made of wax that is starting to melt.  v. gross. 

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

i had never heard of him, but i googled him and he is pretty shockingly ugly.  his face sort of looks like it's made of wax that is starting to melt.  v. gross.

Yeah, he looks the Crypt Keeper. But he's also a huge stud.

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

I always thought he kind of looked like Corky.