Re: Presidents, Congress and the Railroads
Author: The Odd Duck
Date: 11-04-2016 - 03:39
BOB2 Wrote:
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> Why would anyone spend a penny to make coal
> "cleaner" (real expensive to do...) when you can
> burn natural gas for electricity at 1/3 the price
> per BTU equivalent? That makes the massive
> reduction in CO2 is free, hell, with credits
> generated, even profitable..... That along with
> cheaper and cheaper wind and solar, and much more
> efficient use, with things like LED's,
> compressors, modern insulation, and dozens of
> other innovations has caused demand for
> electricity to flatten out, as well. So no
> President is going to undo that, it's just plain
> economics that is slowly killing the coal industry
> and the coal train..... Pandering to voters in
> Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, or West Virginia may
> be good political tactic, but it's still BS, so
> don't hold your breath waiting for mines to
> reopen.
>
> Amtrak, many improvement to our rail
> infrastructure, transit, highways, and our public
> infrastructure in general depends upon the
> policies and expenditures authorized by Congress,
> not the President. Which is unfortunate. Since
> Congress has proven remarkably incapable of any
> action, even on things as basic as a highway bill,
> that is paid for and begins to address our 55 year
> old Interstate Highways, as well as our RR's and
> mass transit systems.
>
> Those who oppose free trade are fools. No one
> forces you to trade, unless it benefits both the
> buyer and the seller, which creates a benefit and
> surplus for both, who get more goods and services
> at a lower price than they would have had, if they
> had not traded. Those who preach this nonsense in
> the name of jobs, don't like to count the jobs
> lost, when trade is not free. Policies which are
> protectionist, which tinker with the value of the
> dollar, or drive up interest rates, slow economic
> growth and raise prices for consumers. That does
> hurt RR's and the economy in general.
>
> This country had two years to come up with
> something better, so we have met the enemy, as
> Walt Kelly once noted, and it is us......... We
> get exactly the government we deserve, because we
> will have, for better or worse, elected it....
Question. Are we not living in a fool’s paradise if we are depending on natural gas to solve our major energy supply?