Rahm to Kill Rail Traffic
Currently, 30% of the nation's rail traffic flows through Chicago.
Prediction: within 10 years of this being enacted, it drops to half of that:
Prediction: within 10 years of this being enacted, it drops to half of that:
- Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday asked the nations mayors to back a plan to impose a “national hazardous waste” fee on the freight railroad industry to fund programs to bolster safety as dangerous materials moves through cities and provide insurance if, as Emanuel said, “God forbid,” there is an accident. Chicago is a major national freight crossroads.
“None of know what is coming through our city,” Emanuel said. [this might be English - SCC]
Emanuel detailed his proposal during a panel dealing with transportation at the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting here attended by Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. Afterwards, Emanuel met privately with Foxx, who replaced former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who was a close personal friend of the mayor. Foxx was open to Emanuel’s program but with many transportation issues on his plate, did not make a commitment.
Rahm sure has a lot of "close personal friends" in high places, doesn't he? In any event, at some point it will make more sense to keep rail traffic out of the Chicago area rather than pay fees. It might even make sense to move the rail center of the nation farther south, toward St. Louis, to avoid Chicago and its bottleneck.
Labels: dumb ideas
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
32 Comments:
DC tried this under another name and the Appeals Court ruled it interfered with interstate commerce and bunch of other constitutional issues, laws, and executive orders. Common carriers, like railroads, are required to carry hazardous materials - its a law.
Galesburg is already one of the big hubs in Central Illinois. Might as well revamp. I am sure they could use the added jobs.
There's already a process for this, it's called insurance and the rail companies pay dearly for it. Everything is analyzed and calculated and premiums are paid. If CFD and CPD responded to an incident regarding a train they get billed by the city. Since the rail road land is already paid for ( maybe decades ago) Rahm is basically asking for air space tax. Mayor Daley tried to do the same with residents who owned satallite dishes. He wanted to tax the air waves. It's a money grab like speed cameras. I only have 16.5 years on the job but I have never had to a traffic crash report for an injured child struck by an auto near a city park. Not ever. I have worked in a lot of districts and still never heard of the same. So why the need for cameras near parks. Can a news department FOIA the exact ratio of traffic incidents near city parks. My guess 1 percent or less. Yet a boat load of money to install needless cameras. A complete revenue agenda.
Rohm will deal with the railroads like he deals with the Cubs and everything else. Railroads have options and will use them. Railroads have asked for years for new mainlines through Chicago. Chicago has fought this. They can and will go elsewhere. The railroad yards in Chicago are old junk run in or near ghettos. Now more fees? Forget it. Better to go around and flip Chicago the finger as each train goes by.
Rahm is on his way out.
Rahm's solution to everything: taxes and fees.
In Rahm's greedy little mind you can never have enough taxes and fees.
Does this little prick EVER shut up?
He's so fixated on the high velocity transfer of taxpayer wealth that it clouds his judgement and he says some truly fucked up shit like it's the most normal thing!
Jeez! To have been a fly on the wall to hear the sad, sorry and apparently very low class, foul and fucked-up shit being said at the dinner table when this little jag was growing up.
There is no logical reason why decent people have to be exposed to the hazard of dealing with the aftermath of this twisted little manling's severely fucked-up come-up.
This will go nicely with Quigley's
proposal to shut down flights at O'Hare after 9pm!!!!
I'm all for it. Live in Clearing/Garcia Ridge neighborhood trains over there are horrible to say the least always stopping back up traffic. Hopefully this will reduce the amount of trains flowing through the neighborhood. Alderman doesn't do nothing about trains. It's a pain in the ass
There's already all kinds of transport regulations for hazardous waste. The railroads already self-insure for things they're responsible for, and use re-insurers for the catastrophic claims.
This is nothing but a money grab - how many rail cars have 'hazardous waste' on them every year * $X = lots of money for the grubby Scumocrats to get their hands on...
Can we just take all the communist dumbocrats and put them in prison somewhere? Please. I'd really like our Country to get productive again...
the railroads are already in the process of moving out of Chicago and Cook County. The BNSF opened up their Elwood, IL facility a little over 10 years ago. Since, the Union Pacific has opened two rail facilities outside of Chicago/Cook, one in Rochelle and the other in Joliet. The Canadian National just opened up a facility in Joliet. CSX has plans to open a facility in Seneca, IL. The Canadian Pacific recently closed their facility in Schiller Park and funneled all of that rail volume through their Bensenville facility. I've hear, but don't know for sure, that the Norfolk Southen has purchased property in either Will or Grundy county to pu a rail terminal. While plenty of rail facilities still operate within Chicago/Cook (and probably always will), more crap like this will only ensure rails continue to move the bulk of their operations outside of that domain.
Unless its arab oil then it move free per bh obummer
Can a news department FOIA the exact ratio of traffic incidents near city parks. My guess 1 percent or less. Yet a boat load of money to install needless cameras. A complete revenue agenda. .........................
The cameras are venue generators, plain and simple. Why are they at parks? Again, plain and simple. It's where the longest stretches of side streets without controls are at. It's where you can get going fast without realizing it and then the flash..
Prior to the Civil War, most rail lines were headed toward St, Louis. Because of the war and the North controlling manufacturing, those lines shifted through Chicago, which created the stock yards, manufacturing, and even the commodity exchanges, that fueled the financial industry in Chicago. St. Louis missed out on most of the economic development that made Chicago America's 2nd city.
Like the stockyards, the railroads will leave, especially when they get pushed by tax hunting political hacks. The exchanges are empty, soon to be closed as the industry shifts to electronic trading from anywhere, so why stay here. The CBOT & CME were once huge job creators for this city. It amazes me that Dick Durbin is one of the pols pushing for higher taxes on all financial transactions, another jobs killing bill. When the financial industry finally heads for greener pastures, Chicago will be left a jobless, bankrupt, empty ghost town. Take a drive through Chicago Hts or Gary to see what the future looks like.
How many jobs did Boeing create here?
Where's all that parking meter revenue?
How about the bicycle deal and all those bike lanes, another great idea.
We sure know how to pick'em.
Railroad tracks are DANGEROUS.
It's all about the children.
. . . the children.
. . . the children.
I don't believe railroads pay property taxes in Chicago, even though they are one of its largest land holders most of which was granted to them by the government. This is just rahm's way of collecting his due.
Knowledge is power. Get a FEMA guide book. Look at the plaqards as they go by... then read the guide number and the closest you can get to it. LNG? About 1 mile away. The department I worked for was right on the IC Mainline. One of those tankers go to ground and it was in our lot. This is a money making attempt by the City and the Feds will tell him to back off. Or the railroads will just move around the city, as they are trying to do now when they purchased the EIJ rr to go around the City.
Bypass already inhttp://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130529/BLOGS02/130529793/plan-floated-for-3-billion-chicago-rail-bypass the works...
Pipelines. Safer no emmesions but still nobama and his ilk will not allow Keystone. Warren Buffet owns the Burlington Northern Sante Fe railway and is a big backer of barry. With the increase in US oil production the amount of oil shipped by rail is up and the BNSF is shipping a lot of it.
Rahm doesn't care if he kills rail traffic here. He'll already be gone, by the time this latest 'it's for the children' idea is implemented.
I don't know why Rahm is doing this. I know for a fact he has pulled many trains.
Now, kees me you fool!!!!
Anonymous said...
I'm all for it. Live in Clearing/Garcia Ridge neighborhood trains over there are horrible to say the least always stopping back up traffic. Hopefully this will reduce the amount of trains flowing through the neighborhood. Alderman doesn't do nothing about trains. It's a pain in the ass
1/24/2014 07:20:00 AM
Sounds like someone should've done their homework before they moved there.
I'm guessing that rail line has been there quite a bit longer than your house.
Don't worry. Rahm's future downtown city lights project will solve all our problems.
Lots of oil is transported from Canada by rail
See the connection?
Anonymous said...
Prior to the Civil War, most rail lines were headed toward St, Louis. Because of the war and the North controlling manufacturing, those lines shifted through Chicago, which created the stock yards, manufacturing, and even the commodity exchanges, that fueled the financial industry in Chicago. St. Louis missed out on most of the economic development that made Chicago America's 2nd city.
Like the stockyards, the railroads will leave, especially when they get pushed by tax hunting political hacks. The exchanges are empty, soon to be closed as the industry shifts to electronic trading from anywhere, so why stay here. The CBOT & CME were once huge job creators for this city. It amazes me that Dick Durbin is one of the pols pushing for higher taxes on all financial transactions, another jobs killing bill. When the financial industry finally heads for greener pastures, Chicago will be left a jobless, bankrupt, empty ghost town. Take a drive through Chicago Hts or Gary to see what the future looks like.
How many jobs did Boeing create here?
Where's all that parking meter revenue?
How about the bicycle deal and all those bike lanes, another great idea.
We sure know how to pick'em.
1/24/2014 09:45:00 AM.
The latest I heard from Durbin is his push to have a US National Park created in Pullman. I can just imagine some family from Nebraska wanting to get all the National Parks checked off on their Park book taking a vacation in the 005th District. Word will quickly spread that the Pullman National Park is a decoy to get your family robbed, raped and plundered by the savages.
Many fine places to eat around there too, the White Castle at 103rd and Michigan for some hot sliders; the 005th District police station ought to see an increase in walk in customers minus their belongings.
Durbin sounded like the real goof that he is explaining how wonderful it would be for a Pullman National Park. This will make for some good cartoons or SNL skits.
As a appraiser who works for the railroads, Rahm's proposal will never happen. Railroads are required to carry hazardous materials and are under the jurisdiction of the FRA. US Railroads are like the 200 year old man. They have survived a Civil War, depressions, floods, storms, two world wars, deregulation, consolidation, etc. They will also outlast a little prick like Rahm.
umm, rahm is not going to kill rail traffic through the city. it is governed by federal law. interstate commerce rules and statute surpass this pile and his mayoral authority.
If Pullman becomes a national park, does that mean the Feds will be policing it? Charging admission? Campsite?
Anonymous Anonymous said...
umm, rahm is not going to kill rail traffic through the city. it is governed by federal law. interstate commerce rules and statute surpass this pile and his mayoral authority.
1/25/2014 07:40:00 AM
Oh, you mean it's like those other Federal laws he can't circumvent!! Like the ones regarding illegal immigrants?
And, yes, they are ILLEGALS. Not 'undocumented'.
Great idea, just like the Tollways. Tax everyone and everything to death, until everything comes to a standstill 'cause were outa money!
Railroads are federal business Rahm. If a accident occurs, the NTSB and FEMA handle it, NOT Chicago. To institute a tax, just because it comes through your turf is nothing short of 1920's gangster style racketeering. The railroads have way more than enough money to build new tracks that go around Chicago
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