It’s been nearly two weeks since a massive derailment of freight cars on the outskirts of East Palestine, Ohio, unleashed an environmental nightmare on the region, with toxic chemicals spewing into the air from a massive fire and leaching into the water and ground. Thousands of residents of the town and neighboring areas are understandably fearful to return to their homes and businesses, with strong odors still lingering in the air and widespread anecdotal evidence of harm to animals, fish, and in some cases people, though the EPA insists that testing now shows the air is free from contaminants and the public drinking water is safe to ingest. The ultimate cost to lives and health may not be known for years.
Government’s primary job is to protect public safety. This catastrophe and the 67 mass shootings just this year are glaring examples of some of our obstructionist GOP politicians not doing their number one job. This country runs on corporate money and the blood if its citizens.
This, and the overall downfall of the US, began with Reagan. It was then that "deregulation" became the catch phrase that would end all issues in America. Sure, if you were a rich industrialist. Follow the trail, and you'll see the downhill slope we've been skidding down since then. Unions being eliminated, companies moving operations overseas to skirt EPA regulations, political money becoming darker and darker, and a cabal of judges groomed by wealthy Republicans. Now, here we are. Gov. DeWine in cahoots with the railroads (donors), telling people all is well, nothing to see here. Courts throwing out lawsuits brought to hold corrupt corporations liable, and unregulated companies flaunting the rules in the name of profits. If there is blame here, it lies at the doorstep of the Republican party and it goes back some 40 years.
Trump ended Obama’s regulations on trains, break systems in particular. Details ran in The NY Times, I believe. Norfolk-Southern raced to the site to execute the controlled burn, which destroyed evidence about what might have gone wrong. Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine refused federal assistance offered by Biden, in e might think to avert federal investigation. It seems the Republicans are colluding yet again ... no legislation to stop mass shootings, regulatory safeguards against toxic pollutants.
The entire line of b.s. rhetoric launched by the Republicans is pure unadulterated disinformation. That is expected. The tragedy lies in the fact that a not insignificant portion of the public is undiscerning, suggestible and utterly pleased to hop onto any train, burning or otherwise that leads to castigation of the administration, nevermind that the present infrastructure issues reflect the monstrous bilking and greed and disregard of the prior administration, given the fact that figurative ground has yet to be broken on most new infrastructure projects as recently funded by the sane, humanitarian-focused administration. But, meh, details...
The Republican motto- don't let the sun set on framing every disaster under the aegis of Democrat culpability....
If they, for example, rescind all AP courses throughout the notion, mayhaps they can continue to perpetuate the profligate hoodwinking of the constituency.....
Per CBS the train was around 150 cars long. The reduced maintenance crew had ONE hour to inspect ALL cars. That is humanly impossible to do anything close to a thorough inspection.
I'm sick of politicians beholden to corporations. I vote in every election from local to federal. I research candidates. I call my state and federal Congress people to express my concerns and opinions. I hope one day we can change things.
"The costs of such disasters continue to be passed on to the public while the profits gained by squeezing the workforce and cutting safety corners inure primarily to the company’s major shareholders." This is so key. Pretty much sums up the core problem of the system we live in: The people reaping the benefits have no structural reason to care about the costs, and the people paying the costs can't accumulate the resources needed to influence the decision-making. Might something like this scare shareholders enough? Am I allowed to hope?
Can't help but feel skeptical of the reports that air and water testing is coming up completely clean. There's many examples of the government covering up dangers to public health. Three Mile Island and Camp Lejeune spring to mind. They literally just filled in the chemical burn trench like it was no big deal and did nothing about the contaminated soil. You can't tell me that's not going to be an issue down the road. This whole thing REEKS of a cover-up from all sides. The Biden admin has already declared themselves Team Big Railroad when they quashed the union strike. Where is Pete B.? Haven't even seen a statement or even a quote from him about this whole fiasco. I guess I'm just jaded at this point, but I don't trust anyone involved.
Well, the GOP seems to think that the IRA funds approved just a month ago should have all been spent to eliminate railroad derailments. BUNK !!! (Note: I would have used stronger language, but I stopped myself. I also note for comparison that there was a severe truck wreck, with a truckload of hazardous chemicals that were emitting poisonous vapors, on a major Interstate (I-10) here in Arizona that closed the entire freeway in both directions for over a day. I wonder how and when the GOP will try to place the blame on Biden for that wreck . Same old pattern with the GOP, they never have anything to save to really improve our country so they just sling SH*T.
Seems now like the union contract forced down the throats of the railroad workers was maybe not such a good thing. Actually it seemed like it at the time too. There is lots of blame to go around certainly, but the situation may have been better or headed in a better direction had the current administration supported the workers.
Unfortunately, for the Republican party, connecting the dots is beyond their limited capabilities. They love chaos and finger pointing, even to the point of ignoring public safety. I am beyond fed up with this entire party. As for their voters, they are just as awful as the people they vote for. We all suffer because of their willful ignorance and their desire to " own the libs" , no matter the cost. They cling to their hate, fear and guns, and the Republicans love keeping them riled up. It's what they do best.
Calling the Republican response "disingenuous" is an unduly generous understatement. Yes, there is plenty of blame to go around, but it's mainly on the railroad industry and their profit-driven lobbyists and *trump and the mainly Republican legislators who fought and won against Democratic attempts to increase (ratger than decrease) the number of inspectors and tge instalkation of safer automatic braking systems. To blame Buttigieg and the Biden administration is cynical, ludicrous gaslighting.
The Norfolk Southern freight train transporting toxic chemicals when it derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Period. THEY decided to transport a large quantity of a toxic potentially dangerous commodity through many towns, near homes and people.
It was reported that "The train broke down at least once between when it departed from Madison, Illinois, on Feb. 1 and when it derailed on Feb. 3, employees familiar with the matter told CBS News." Further, it was reported that they got a warning when one of the cars was on fire as it went through roughly 20 minutes outside of the town, and they did not stop to investigate it.
It seems to me this has the makings of a whopping big class-action suit -- unless the the railroads are protected by regulatory or legislated bars to lawsuits.
Government’s primary job is to protect public safety. This catastrophe and the 67 mass shootings just this year are glaring examples of some of our obstructionist GOP politicians not doing their number one job. This country runs on corporate money and the blood if its citizens.
This, and the overall downfall of the US, began with Reagan. It was then that "deregulation" became the catch phrase that would end all issues in America. Sure, if you were a rich industrialist. Follow the trail, and you'll see the downhill slope we've been skidding down since then. Unions being eliminated, companies moving operations overseas to skirt EPA regulations, political money becoming darker and darker, and a cabal of judges groomed by wealthy Republicans. Now, here we are. Gov. DeWine in cahoots with the railroads (donors), telling people all is well, nothing to see here. Courts throwing out lawsuits brought to hold corrupt corporations liable, and unregulated companies flaunting the rules in the name of profits. If there is blame here, it lies at the doorstep of the Republican party and it goes back some 40 years.
Trump ended Obama’s regulations on trains, break systems in particular. Details ran in The NY Times, I believe. Norfolk-Southern raced to the site to execute the controlled burn, which destroyed evidence about what might have gone wrong. Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine refused federal assistance offered by Biden, in e might think to avert federal investigation. It seems the Republicans are colluding yet again ... no legislation to stop mass shootings, regulatory safeguards against toxic pollutants.
The entire line of b.s. rhetoric launched by the Republicans is pure unadulterated disinformation. That is expected. The tragedy lies in the fact that a not insignificant portion of the public is undiscerning, suggestible and utterly pleased to hop onto any train, burning or otherwise that leads to castigation of the administration, nevermind that the present infrastructure issues reflect the monstrous bilking and greed and disregard of the prior administration, given the fact that figurative ground has yet to be broken on most new infrastructure projects as recently funded by the sane, humanitarian-focused administration. But, meh, details...
The Republican motto- don't let the sun set on framing every disaster under the aegis of Democrat culpability....
If they, for example, rescind all AP courses throughout the notion, mayhaps they can continue to perpetuate the profligate hoodwinking of the constituency.....
Per CBS the train was around 150 cars long. The reduced maintenance crew had ONE hour to inspect ALL cars. That is humanly impossible to do anything close to a thorough inspection.
I'm sick of politicians beholden to corporations. I vote in every election from local to federal. I research candidates. I call my state and federal Congress people to express my concerns and opinions. I hope one day we can change things.
"The costs of such disasters continue to be passed on to the public while the profits gained by squeezing the workforce and cutting safety corners inure primarily to the company’s major shareholders." This is so key. Pretty much sums up the core problem of the system we live in: The people reaping the benefits have no structural reason to care about the costs, and the people paying the costs can't accumulate the resources needed to influence the decision-making. Might something like this scare shareholders enough? Am I allowed to hope?
Can't help but feel skeptical of the reports that air and water testing is coming up completely clean. There's many examples of the government covering up dangers to public health. Three Mile Island and Camp Lejeune spring to mind. They literally just filled in the chemical burn trench like it was no big deal and did nothing about the contaminated soil. You can't tell me that's not going to be an issue down the road. This whole thing REEKS of a cover-up from all sides. The Biden admin has already declared themselves Team Big Railroad when they quashed the union strike. Where is Pete B.? Haven't even seen a statement or even a quote from him about this whole fiasco. I guess I'm just jaded at this point, but I don't trust anyone involved.
Well, the GOP seems to think that the IRA funds approved just a month ago should have all been spent to eliminate railroad derailments. BUNK !!! (Note: I would have used stronger language, but I stopped myself. I also note for comparison that there was a severe truck wreck, with a truckload of hazardous chemicals that were emitting poisonous vapors, on a major Interstate (I-10) here in Arizona that closed the entire freeway in both directions for over a day. I wonder how and when the GOP will try to place the blame on Biden for that wreck . Same old pattern with the GOP, they never have anything to save to really improve our country so they just sling SH*T.
Seems now like the union contract forced down the throats of the railroad workers was maybe not such a good thing. Actually it seemed like it at the time too. There is lots of blame to go around certainly, but the situation may have been better or headed in a better direction had the current administration supported the workers.
Unfortunately, for the Republican party, connecting the dots is beyond their limited capabilities. They love chaos and finger pointing, even to the point of ignoring public safety. I am beyond fed up with this entire party. As for their voters, they are just as awful as the people they vote for. We all suffer because of their willful ignorance and their desire to " own the libs" , no matter the cost. They cling to their hate, fear and guns, and the Republicans love keeping them riled up. It's what they do best.
Good article and it all makes sense.
Calling the Republican response "disingenuous" is an unduly generous understatement. Yes, there is plenty of blame to go around, but it's mainly on the railroad industry and their profit-driven lobbyists and *trump and the mainly Republican legislators who fought and won against Democratic attempts to increase (ratger than decrease) the number of inspectors and tge instalkation of safer automatic braking systems. To blame Buttigieg and the Biden administration is cynical, ludicrous gaslighting.
Unfortunately Norfolk Southern has donated to SO MANY candidates on both sides of the aisle.
The Norfolk Southern freight train transporting toxic chemicals when it derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Period. THEY decided to transport a large quantity of a toxic potentially dangerous commodity through many towns, near homes and people.
It was reported that "The train broke down at least once between when it departed from Madison, Illinois, on Feb. 1 and when it derailed on Feb. 3, employees familiar with the matter told CBS News." Further, it was reported that they got a warning when one of the cars was on fire as it went through roughly 20 minutes outside of the town, and they did not stop to investigate it.
It seems to me this has the makings of a whopping big class-action suit -- unless the the railroads are protected by regulatory or legislated bars to lawsuits.
Israel attack Palestine or better the association of Israeli interests.
It was an attack on US soil...
https://fritzfreud.substack.com/p/israel-attack-palestine