Trucker's Digest article

[lunachic]

Don't impose more regs on us,
railroad say

Washington-Imposing additional federal regulations on freight railroads would distroy efforts to put more freight on rail and less on the nation's overburdened highways, warned the associtation of American Railroads in a letter sent to members of the House Small Business Committee.
" America already has a great rail freight network"
said Edward R. Hamberger, president and C.E.O.
of the Association of American Railroads.
"We just need more of it,and reregulation won't get us that".
Hamberger reminded members of the committe earlier this month that " ninety years of increasingly repressive regulation brought the U.S. frieght rail-road industry to the brink of ruin.
"But the staggers Rail Act of 1980 partially deregulated the industry and gave rail roads the
opportunity to operate like most other business--
rather then have regulators in Washington tell them what routes to use and what rates to charge" he said.
Since Staggers,railroads and their customers have benefited enormously.
Railroads have reinvested $420 billion back into their system since 1980.
The results has been improved service and safety,and nearly double their traffic volumes-all
the while lowering average rates by more than 50 percent in inflation-adjusted terms.
That means the average rail shipper can move twice as much freight today for the same price as in 1980, stated a news release from the association.

[gearjammer]

I do believe that the RR.s are subsidized so if they are soo good at what they do and can do so much more for less then just why are my taxes being used to give them a hand.
that money could be better spent fixing the roads.

[lunachic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gearjammer I do believe that the RR.s are subsidized so if they are soo good at what they do and can do so much more for less then just why are my taxes being used to give them a hand. that money could be better spent fixing the roads.

yes but there is more to it.
As history does repeat, maybe we need to change our way of thinking?