Re: NWP Tank Cars
Author: OldPoleBurner
Date: 10-04-2016 - 18:26
As I reviewed all the back and forth regarding this issue, I wasn't too sure who was doing what to whom. That is, until Mansourian's statement just after he denied any ulterior motives on SMART’s part; made it crystal clear where the truth lies.
He said, “We are a public agency and we’re complying with the law. It’s our job to protect public health and safety”. Sounds all flowery and nice, and dedicated to duty - right?
Uh-No! Because its plain and pure bullbleep!
Now just imagine that: all other tenants (also public agencies themselves) are supposed to immediately curtsy and then bow to the east? Just because SMART is a public agency. This is just another case of arrogant, overbearing, big shot, big ego government over-reach; officials, presidents, senators. et al, throwing their weight around and imposing imaginary authority over everyone else. It seems to be so much in vogue right now; Officials everywhere from Washington to Sacramento just can't seem to resist it.
And no - SMART is not complying with the law at all. They are not even being reasonable - even if this was only a mere request, it is still irrelevant to SMART's passenger operations. Moreover, having absolutely no authority whatsoever, interference with interstate transportation, which is the clear intent here, is a federal crime. Certainly its is not complying with any law.
But most problematic and offensive of all, is the authoritarian vigilantism, implied by SMART's wannabe public enforcer notion, that they are somehow protectors of public health and safety”. They definitely ARE NOT! Their sole duty as a public agency is to provide the transportation that private enterprise has proven unable to provide; and to do so as safely as possible (as defined and regulated by others).
If they have any duty to protect the public, it is only to protect it from their own errors, omissions and stupidities. But even there, they must still answer to those with the real authority and real duty to protect public health and safety - those already well established regulatory processes such as the CPUC, FRA, STB, etc
In order to actually do their duty well, SMART needs to strictly stick to their own duties - and leave the regulatory actions to those appointed to be regulators. We the public, must insist upon that; not only for this reason, but also because of the total and complete chaos that will result to both local and national economies, if we don't.
And wasn't that the whole point of the Federalist Constitution, why the Convention was called in the first place, why a national congress was chosen to "regulate commerce among the states"; to overcome the widespread economic chaos caused by differing local regulations. Why must we keep arguing this point, given the repeated historical experiences that we have had. Have these people never learned our own history as a nation? Or did they just ignore the subject while in school- being that it wasn't cool?
Or perhaps, arrogance, pride, selfishness, nimbyism and partisan bias just keeps on overriding all learning......