We Need to Ask More ’Stupid Questions’.
I was reminded yesterday of a wonderful line from an old Peanuts comic strip. It was something Charlie Brown probably said, commenting on a particularly outrageous remark from Lucy:
“If you can’t be right, be wrong at the top of your voice.”
John Boehner (R-Ohio), the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, took a page from that book yesterday when a reporter started to ask him a question about the House Appropriations Committee cutting $260-some million from Amtrak’s budget less than a day after the tragic accident in Philadelphia.
“Are you really going to ask such a stupid question?” snapped Boehner. “Obviously it’s not about funding,” he continued. “The train was going twice the speed limit.”
Well, frankly, Mr. Speaker, it’s about time the national media started asking questions about the consequences of your party’s refusal to adequately fund projects and programs affecting the health and safety of the general public.
The question was absolutely legitimate because it’s been well established that a number of infrastructure improvements have been delayed because of a lack of federal funding. And it’s equally true that this was exactly the kind of accident that the Positive Train Control system could have prevented. PTC would know where the train was and what the speed limit is at that exact spot, and it would have automatically applied the brakes when the engineer failed to do so on his own.
And so, Mr. Speaker, it was NOT a stupid question. On the contrary, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has confirmed that a lack of funding has delayed the implementation of the system that would have prevented this accident.
But there is an even bigger issue here, Mr. Speaker. You were asked that question because it’s what a large chunk of the American people want to know. You shouldn’t have to be reminded that we’re the ones who pay your salary. You work for us so—please—treat our representatives in the media with a little respect.
Now answer the goddam question!
Jim, I’m not sure all ‘representatives’ in the media deserve our respect. Case in point was MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, who like you and others, are using the tragic accident in north Philadelphia, to bash Republicans and fiscal conservatives, who, like me, are tired of the ever-growing size and cost of government.
Matthews opined (shouted was more like it) that in Communist countries railroad tracks could be in a straight line from A to B (and not have sharp curves as in north Philadelphia) because the Communists wouldn’t have to respect private property rights.
Now, with contracts with 14 labor unions, I’m not sure anyone has ever accused Amtrak of being an efficient business operation.
And it’s most unfortunate that those calling for more government spending are using the tragic Philadelphia accident as an occasion to try to gain political advantage. (Seems like there is a former Washington political operative who’s now mayor of Chicago who once said something like ‘never let a good crisis to to waste.’
Apparently there are others who waltz to the same sheet music.
And I think that’s too bad.)
You know I’m a passionate supporter of long-distance passenger rail (although I couldn’t care less about urban transit) and I do my best to try to sell my Federal and state representatives my point of view without impugning, fulminating, or lecturing.
When I owned a business and a customer wasn’t buying what I was selling I didn’t blame him; I looked at my sales presentation to try to understand why he didn’t perceive any benefits to spending money for my product.
I know this is your blog but I do get somewhat weary of your constant denigrating of Republicans and conservatives. I don’t recall you ever speaking kindly of, or profiling in a positive way, a Republican. Well, at least you didn’t seem to to that in your fine All Aboard books, of which I have bought three.
Several points: First, I think it’s entirely legitimate to link this accident to a lack of funding. PTC would likely have prevented the accident and the curve where it happened has been on a list of a dozen or so which NEED to be straightened, but the work has been slowed or postponed for lack of funds.
Certainly not all members of the media deserve our respect. In fact, I despair of most in the media today. Reporters are ill-informed and lazy; their coverage is superficial and often in error.
I “bash” or “denigrate” Republicans because most of those against Amtrak and/or passenger rail take that position for all the wrong reasons and they deserve to be called on it. I would be glad to bash a Democrat and will do so when and if one makes an ignorant and incorrect statement when attacking passenger rail.
Actually, I have supported and voted for a number of Republicans in the past, both at the local and national level. That has become increasingly difficult to do, however.
You hit the nail on the head Jim. Frankly, if mainstream media would report the story as you just did, we more than likely would have full funding for our infrastructure, including Amtrak. But, alas, the mainstream media is controlled by some of the same individuals that line the pockets of those elected to serve us. Now, if only some District Attorney in the area surrounding the site of the Amtrak accident would have the gumption to bring these Congressional Clowns up on charges (Manslaughter?) since their actions (or lack thereof) most definitely contributed to the outcome of this wreck. And yes, Mr. Speaker. Answer the Goddamn question!
It’s a source of terrible frustration to me. In many cases, I think it’s just laziness. And Amtrak causes a lot of its own trouble by, for instance, not refuting the myth that the Northeast Corridor is “profitable”. For one thing, that perpetuates the idea that if only Amtrak could get rid of all those money-losing long-distance trains, everything would be rosy. Completely wrong, of course, because (1) the L/D trains feed passengers into the NEC, and (2) Amtrak’s own accounting system skews the numbers in favor of the NEC. Very, very frustrating. Anyway, thanks for the comment.