It was a nice try by our US Secretary of Transportation to try and “fool” us into believing he and the Obama administration are “focused” on the one segment of transportation that keeps America moving – trucking. But I and a few million others that are watching you and the big 0 administration “aren’t buying” it.
Today’s blog post title on the secretaries fastlane.gov site reads: “Obama Administration moving freight more safely, smoothly, and sustainably.” Are you kidding me? Just what exactly have you done – except for spending money and lots of it – to improve the movement of freight more safely? Giving truckers a bike path? Sending millions of dollars to bus and train transit authorities – so they would not lose their jobs – not mentioning the fact that most of the transit authorities are union led and overpaid.
What has the D.O.T. done for the concerns of safe truck parking? States are closing rest areas – but you want to spend millions on getting bus transits to state parks? You want to build bicycle lanes – and make truckers pay for it. You Mr. Secretary, want to rebuild the train infrastructure to more utilize an industry that constantly loses rail cars, and trucks have to bail them out – plus they (trains) cannot meet the freight demands even though they claim to haul more.
Reducing driver distractions make highways safer for freight? Oh you must be talking about the Texting enactment that you and the FMCSA ordered upon trucking – without “proof” showing texting and driving a tractor trailer causes accidents. Plus, the fact that enforcing such a decree will be almost impossible and giving the fact that the “punishment” is almost lessor for “murdering someone” than for texting in a commercial vehicle, tells me it is all about money and NOT SAFETY.
Improving miles of track in advance of a high-speed rail network also smooths the way for more efficient rail shipping? Huh? High-speed rail network would have to have its own track I would assume given the fact that heavy freight trains move slowly – and high-speed rail – is supposed to be faster than am-track service. As I’m sure you have seen in the news that accidents do happen at rail crossings and god help us if you are planning on running a high-speed train 150 mph through a town on existing tracks. So again please explain to me and about 4 million other truck drivers how this has anything to do with trucking freight?
The point is this: In 506 days, the Obama Administration has worked tirelessly to make shipping America’s goods safer, faster, and cleaner than ever; and we have no intention of stopping now.
If this is your point, then you and the “zero administration” have clearly missed it. The point is: that 506 days of the “zero administration” is in fact been 505 days too long. All that you and the “0″ administration have done is to spend, spend, spend the money the US does not have to waste on some of the most ridiculous “projects” we have ever seen. Instead of focusing on what the US “needs” as far as infrastructure goes, which is a high-priority, you and the administration have wasted money on things the US “wants” but is NOT a high-priority.
© 2010, Truck Drivers News Blog. All rights reserved.
C’mon now, Jason. Let’s be fair. New bike paths would help to keep the one cycler I see each week from being run over. Surely that’s worth a few billion bucks?