Indian river county getting private money to take bond issue to Supreme court. Private money ? Maybe airline in background ? It is pecular that this and the Texax HSR both suddenly gets backbone to take on the previous rullings ?
https://www.rtands.com/railroad-news/22283/
Not sure where the wacky paranoia about airlines comes from ... or some of the cracked-up numbers in the quoted story. County Attorney Reingold thinks the whole appeal cost (assuming the Court grants cert here) is something like $400K ... and there's more than that left 'in an account dedicated to the legal battle' (which is over whether the tax-exemption of $1.75 billion in private activity bonds associated with the Brightline project is legal)
Now, if you want potentially-justifiable paranoia, consider the idea that the Indian River County people are anticipating a conservative 'turn' on the Court (see the stories about Ruth Bader Ginzburg's health lately) which will somehow tilt the decision in their favor. Not having read the controversy (or either the DC Circuit's decision or the appeal brief, I'm not even going to comment.
I think it's far more likely that any 'private money' would be associated with the relatively high-profile status of All Those People Dead From Brightline. (Up to 40 the last time I looked, which would be concerning even for New Jersey Transit!) See this lovely piece of journalism, for instance. (There is a better editorial on the RT&S site here.)
"Lovely piece of journalism" indeed. Sob-sisterism at it's best.
I hate to sound cruel and heartless, but it's been said countless times on this Forum before. You can't save some people from themselves. You can try, but as the saying goes "You can't put in what God left out," especially common sense. Suicides? You can and should advertise and post places where those who need help can get help, but if someone thinks he or she would be better off out of this world than in it, and won't look for help, then they'll accomplish the deed one way or another. If they can't walk in front of a train than they might just walk in front of your car. Would it be fair to call you a killer if that happened?
Trains don't "kill" anyone. Trains are mindless pieces of machinery with no sense of right or wrong or justice or fairness. Those who put themselves in the path of the train are the ones to blame, like it or not.
You know, there's times when I think the German work for suicide is closer to the mark than the English one. In German it's selbstmord, literally self-murder. "Suicide" sounds too euphemistic, too "clean."
OK, I'm off the soapbox. Someone else can jump on.
In the story about deaths (linked inside the linked story) there are references to "dynamic envelopes." What the heck does that mean?
IMO, that writer is trying way to hard to be clever. The first paragraph is ridiculous, whatever the heck it is he's trying to say.
Suicide comes from the Latin, suicidium which means the act of killing one's self, pretty much the same as the German term.
I fail to see what either of you find so disconcerting about the story. A lot of statistics that analyze the death toll.
Lithonia OperatorIn the story about deaths (linked inside the linked story) there are references to "dynamic envelopes."
I understood this as a fancy jargon way of expressing where the 'safe clearance' for approaching the train is indicated, like the yellow line on platforms. Think of it as showing the closest you can come without encountering the 'dynamic' effects of the train, including slipstream or anything it might have loose or dragging.
The principal problem with All The Brightline Deaths is that they play into the hands of the considerable number of people who didn't and don't want fast trains on unseparated ROWs, or who think any 'train hitting person' accident is a railroad-induced calamity that shows capitalist hard-heartedness at its worst. I'm concerned that it's getting worse, rather than better, and there is little effective that can be done to preclude that.
Wonder if the firing of the Disney CEO will affect the station plans of Brightline on Disney property ?
The US needs grade separation and secured ROWs for mainlines as part of moving into the second half of the 20th century.
blue streak 1 Wonder if the firing of the Disney CEO will affect the station plans of Brightline on Disney property ?
First Bob Iger wasn't fired. Second, I doubt it would affect things at all.
An "expensive model collector"
n012944 blue streak 1 Wonder if the firing of the Disney CEO will affect the station plans of Brightline on Disney property? First Bob Iger wasn't fired. Second, I doubt it would affect things at all.
blue streak 1 Wonder if the firing of the Disney CEO will affect the station plans of Brightline on Disney property?
Wonder if the firing of the Disney CEO will affect the station plans of Brightline on Disney property?
Why do we get these conspiracy theories over and over?
Iger wasn't 'fired' - he's becoming executive Chairman, something I doubt would happen from any sort of forced retirement. The guy replacing him, Chapek, was head of the parks division, and presumably knows full well what the arrangements with Brightline have been ... and are expected to be.
It falls on the guy starting this to explain why he thinks anything regarding 'station plans' will change, and what he thinks they would be. But I expect him to back it up with better actual facts.
If this was a public works project with politicaly connected bidders who are know the system of favors the tune would be diffrent.
That guy never gives answers or explanations, just makes unfounded statements posing as questions.
n012944 blue streak 1 Wonder if the firing of the Disney CEO will affect the station plans of Brightline on Disney property ? First Bob Iger wasn't fired. Second, I doubt it would affect things at all.
These impressions come from reading only the headline, sometimes poorly written, to a news story without reading the whole article. I make it a point to read the whole article when I see a headline, typically to an on-line news story, that has me saying "WHAAAAAT?" the moment I read it.
Whether it's deliberate or just sloppy journalism I'll leave others to judge, but there's sure a whole lot of it going on.
Okay, what headline or story on this thread said Bob Iger was fired? I failed to see it in any of the linked articles.
I can't speak for "blue streak," but several days ago I saw a "pop-up" headline from an on-line news service that said, if I remember correctly, "Bob Iger Out As Disney CEO," or some such. Now if one just read the headline and nothing else it does give the impression Mr. Iger was out on his butt, which is hardly the case.
I didn't bother to read the story myself because I just didn't care. I'm not connected with Disney in any way.
Bob Iger's status at Disney wasn't mentioned on this thread until "blue streak" brought it up.
At every level of a major public works project like building a subway or a sewer system,,There are layers of project builders,engineering firm,planning firms,acountants and unions that a savvy politician could hit and has every right to shake down for political contributions and favors. The problem with Brightline is that they did not ask for or needed the permisiom of the local politicos to exist. S Florida is basicaly New York Politics Tammery Hall South. Had the project been funded and planned with public dollers it would have take 15 years min to have the first shovel of dirt and have gone into hundreds of millions of cost overuns and when complete would have had to bee shut down for months do to some planned engineering failure see the Big Dighttps://www.amazon.com/Big-Dig-Reshaping-American-City/dp/0316605980/ref=pd_sbs_14_img_0/142-7426524-3612967?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0316605980&pd_rd_r=9072fddd-8fa2-4c48-9617-b27e78aebdee&pd_rd_w=A7TQS&pd_rd_wg=Swe7K&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=71M91CSRA0JDA1X5BJ3Y&psc=1&refRID=71M91CSRA0JDA1X5BJ3Y
Not always but a quick resignation usually is because asked to resign immediately. Without any underlying reason does appear unusual ? Could be no reason is because of some clause in employment contract.
blue streak 1 Not always but a quick resignation usually is because asked to resign immediately. Without any underlying reason does appear unusual ? Could be no reason is because of some clause in employment contract.
People that are fired don't stick around as the Executive Chairman.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/25/disney-bob-iger-explains-why-hes-staying-at-disney.html
And some on here complain about news organizations!! On here we get the worst sort of speculation and innuendo without substance to back it up, all hiding behind his usual question marks.
Here's the story on Bob Iger. It is not very long.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-02-25/disney-ceo-bob-iger-bob-chapek
The Nimbys are still trying to derail Brightline. Now they are getting the Florida transportation commission to investigate.. Investigate what ? Just more waste of taxpayers money. Maybe some of that taxpayer money needs to find some black pockets ?
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/shaping-our-future/all-aboard-florida/2020/02/24/virgin-trains-discussed-florida-transportation-commission-rail-safety/4855518002/
blue streak 1 The Nimbys are still trying to derail Brightline. Now they are getting the Florida transportation commission to investigate.. Investigate what ? Just more waste of taxpayers money. Maybe some of that taxpayer money needs to find some black pockets ? https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/shaping-our-future/all-aboard-florida/2020/02/24/virgin-trains-discussed-florida-transportation-commission-rail-safety/4855518002/
And just what do you mean by your last sentence, where a statement is hiding behind a question mark?
Looks like with Bob Iger's lateral move at Disney things are going to hell in a handbasket already.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/jungle-cruise-boat-sinks-disney-magic-kingdom
Maybe he should move back?
I going to assume he meant back pockets ....
Here is a opinion piece photos and stories of people getting upset about chainsaws.
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/columnists/gil-smart/2020/02/26/virgin-trains-expansion-kicks-into-high-gear-get-ready-disruptions/4862443002/
Comments redacted to prevent more political meddling.
OvermodIger wasn't 'fired' - he's becoming executive Chairman, something I doubt would happen from any sort of forced retirement.
At many large companies your prohibited via company policy from holding both the position of CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors which makes it necessary to resign from one to serve in the other. This is done because at those same companies the Board sets the CEO's compensation and supervises his job performance. At companies where the CEO is combined with Chairman I am not sure how those duties work out but stockholders generally do not like a combined CEO and Chairman of the Board position as they view it as eliminating a fundamental check and balance in good Corporate governance. Not an expert in the area by any means just mentioning it as probably also the reason the resignation took place if the guy assumed the role of Chairman of the Board.
Would be interesting to go over the railroads in the United States and see which ones had a combined CEO / Chairperson position (if any) and which had those positions seperate and independent. Just as an exercise in curiousity.
I have also seen it but rarely where CEO and Chairperson were seperate but the two were close personal friends and somewhat "chummy". Which kind of fails the part where they should be independent of one another.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
People keep talking about the DFW to San Antonio corridor and existing RR rights-of-way. But I remember reading that Amtrak's bigest problem operating over it was the directional freight running on the 2 lines between these end points that caused much of the delays. It sounds to me like it would still be a very major expense for something like Brightline to operate between the 2 end points due to this directional freight set-up.
alphas People keep talking about the DFW to San Antonio corridor and existing RR rights-of-way. But I remember reading that Amtrak's bigest problem operating over it was the directional freight running on the 2 lines between these end points that caused much of the delays. It sounds to me like it would still be a very major expense for something like Brightline to operate between the 2 end points due to this directional freight set-up.
The corridor would have to be upgraded. The best option would be to double track the former MKT line, which passes through Waco, a city of more than 135,000 people, for most of the route. It would be costly, but it probably would cost less than building a new railroad from scratch.
The I-35 corridor, especially between Georgetown and San Antonio, is one of the most congested in the U.S. So, where are we improving passenger rail in Texas? Between Dallas and Houston, which is an ideal air corridor. Why? Because it is suitable for the Japanese to export their high speed rail technology to North America.
In the 50 years since the Moon landing, the USA has morphed from a 'CAN DO' mind set to a 'NO F'N WAY' mind set. Pathetic!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.