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LA Train Crash Another Sign of Outdated US Infrastructure
A contract engineer misses a red light and two trains collide head-on at a combined 80mph and 25 people die? This in California a 'high technology' state?
People's lives depend on one 'red light' not being missed? How about a 'fail safe' backup, GPS tracking of trains, automatic collision avoidance systems, train to train communication, or a dedicated track for commuter lines?
Might some of the trillion spent on Iraq and the GWOT be better used upgrading our crumbling rail and road systems? This LA train system seems to be a disgrace, almost as bad as the antique and outdated hellhole called LAX.
America's infrastructure is killing us, and George Dubya and John Sidney McCain III do not care. America does not need another War President wasting lives and resources overseas.
nyt on crash
People's lives depend on one 'red light' not being missed? How about a 'fail safe' backup, GPS tracking of trains, automatic collision avoidance systems, train to train communication, or a dedicated track for commuter lines?
Might some of the trillion spent on Iraq and the GWOT be better used upgrading our crumbling rail and road systems? This LA train system seems to be a disgrace, almost as bad as the antique and outdated hellhole called LAX.
America's infrastructure is killing us, and George Dubya and John Sidney McCain III do not care. America does not need another War President wasting lives and resources overseas.
nyt on crash
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And how about this irony -- I heard the conductor was texting at the time, and that is why he didn't see the red light.
September 14, 2008 9:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
We're a nation of slumlords.
September 14, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Whereas, the Galveston seawall, built by the Army Corps of Engineers in response to the 1900 storm, held one more time, turning back the storm surge of yet another hurricane. As a BOI Galvestonian, I applaud The Corps of Engineers and infrastructure you can believe in. Sometimes government works.
September 14, 2008 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I suppose that had the seawalls been built by the citizens of the City of Galveston rather than by the people of the United States of America, they would have failed.
I'm sure we can all agree with Billy's implied judgment that the folks of Galveston are too dumb and too irresponsible to take care of themselves -- can't we?
September 14, 2008 10:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's not a project the citizens of any city can take on by themselves. They can do their part, but the job was far beyond the things you can do at the local level. The entire city had to be raised 20 feet, using dirt dredged up from the bay and ship channel between Galveston and Houston. Then a 17-foot seawall was erected along the Gulf side of the inhabited part of the island. Raising the city and the seawall saved tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars over the last 100 years and made a major cotton and petroleum port on the Gulf possible. The people of Galveston did take care of themselves. They got the seawall built. Are you really that wet? You've been around here a long time to be raising such a stupid argument, ellen.
September 15, 2008 6:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for this post. Levees break, brigdes collapse for no reason, steam pipes near Grand Central Station in Manhattan suddenly explode because they're older enough to be John McCain's father and we're told that the government can't create jobs. Of course the government can create jobs. It can create jobs not just fixing the nation's infrastructure but modernizing it and designing it for the future.
Is it really necessary to pretend, as we seem to do, that there is no future to plan for?
September 14, 2008 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bridges, levees, rail systems...
Where is a current version of the WPA when we need it?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration
http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/wpa/wpa_info.html
September 14, 2008 3:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's why the so-called Iraqi reconstruction was a non-event, Staebler. The Republicans don't believe in government, let alone programs like the WPA. After they play the "free enterprise system" card, their hand is empty.
September 14, 2008 10:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
The United States doesn't invest in public infrastructure for the same reason it rejects universal health care for Americans. Our nation came to its senses when it rejected FDR style socialism for the genius of the free market twenty eight years ago.
September 14, 2008 6:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Over the past several years there have been 4(2007), 2(2006), 16(2005), 3(2004), 3(2003) and 7(2002) railroad passenger fatalities.
As a society how much should we spend to prevent these -- or some of these -- deaths?
September 14, 2008 10:56 PM | Reply | Permalink