BNSF threatens shutdown over PTC deadline

[Smike]

I think every post is missing a key point, 7 years on paper then you subtract the delays due to the other government agencies which held up the process (FCC for one would refuse to do its part for entire year to grant the licenses)

So no matter how much money you throw at the problem after you get the marching orders from the congress, having to jump through a long list of other government agencies to act before you are done, your destiny is no longer in your hands.

Government is a pile of can't get anything done, the only thing I can think of is the RR's should have been sounding the alarm louder a long time ago (or maybe they have, and its the news media that just only now cares to make it a story)

If they stop Jan 1 even for several days, JIT (Just in Time) operations of most company’s in the US will come to a halt.  Have fun with that one congress. Then 30 days later power plants will hit operational limits on coal stock piles. Then it gets real, but it will never get to that. (As crazy as the congress can be)

[Rich_S]

 The US is a civil society and we all are expected to make sacrifices for the greater good because of this arrangement.

WOW, what a steaming pile! Last time I checked we were still a Representative Republic, you know "land of the free". Government is suppose to work for us, we don't work for the government. Remember "Of the people, by the people and for the people"  Sacrifices were made during World War 2 because we were at war with two different nations and supplying our Allies with need war materials and weapons. Using your example, what sacrifices are people on public assistance making for the country? It would sure do us a lot of good financially if they got off public assistance, maybe by creating their own companies so they can start paying into the system, then maybe we wouldn't be 19 trillion dollars in debt. 

What I find very amusing, for people who claim to like model railroading and railroads, you don't seem to like the prototype very much? And please don't even start with the old "They received free land through land grants" Everyone seems to forget the Federal Government received special low cost freight rates from those land grants that lasted into the 1960's. In the long run, it was the most expensive land the railroad ever received.  Railroads are the only transportation companies in this country that have to maintain their own right of ways, plus pay taxes on the land. How soon we all forget? 

[Spades]

Sacrifices were made during World War 2 because we were at war


During the years of 1944 thru 1945 The US Government controlled 89% of the US economy, 50% maybe up to 70% US male population was in uniform,  Kinda of mind boggling.

[GaryHinshaw]

Is there no respect left in this world?