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Putting aside the issues associated with getting started, I'm still not convinced most of the benefits stated for OA would actually occur. I feel like this is either a way to get lower rates for a select group of shippers or a back-door way to get federal funding for freight ralroads. Those shippers may get better more competitive rates and infrastructure investment may improve, but I see higher rates for everyone else and ultimately higher prices for consumers who always end up paying the bill. And there's no way I see the railroads to blame for imports from China, rather the number of containers entering the country is driving demand for transportation. The question is who gets that business. <br /> <br />On the infrastructure side, I'd be concerend that it would turn out more like the national power grid than the airlines or highways. Both are invisible to the public until a crisis occurs. In the case of the power grid, California rate payers were gouged for millions of dollars and the state treasury nearly went bankrupt buying power, while the FERC was asleep at the switch. Few people responsible are in jail, but despite that and a lot of hearings, Congress did little to solve the problems because of regional interests. The result was the Northeast meltdown and even that did little to move things along. What finally ended up in the energy bill is far too little and not nearly enough funding. I see many of the same regional issues with OA. Suppose Montana farmers get favorable rail rates, their transportation costs still won't be competitive with Midwestern farmers who have easy access to water transportation.
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