Why The Goverment should repo Union Pacific!

[Anonymous]

"But if you insist, be our guest. Tell us which one you prefer: compulsory socialization of the economy and infrastructure, or $1-2 billion a year in taxpayer subsidies to the new SP"
Trainfinder-Well why is it everytime that the public wants to control things directly that are essetiol to our well being directly like health care and transportation someone always cries "SOCIALIASM"! COMUNNISIM! (BAD SPELLING!). Is the Ghost of Mcarthy Still around? To leave our transcontinentel railroads in the hands of a board of directors
(The Former Governer Of Montana is on the UP Board) who is basicaly self appointing
to squeeze out 6% of Profit a year no matter what the cost is to our nations productivity
is to spit on our Founding fathers graves..

[cpbloom]

Now I know why I railfan alone.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill

Split UP apart! You're serious?

SP could not possibly have lasted on its own in a deregulated environment. It was falling off a financial cliff when UP bought it. But if you insist, be our guest. Tell us which one you prefer: compulsory socialization of the economy and infrastructure, or $1-2 billion a year in taxpayer subsidies to the new SP. Who knows, we might all be wealthier and happier that way, and our current system may be doomed in that not-too-distant future, but you'll have to demonstrate that with a formal proof, plus demonstrate your method of convincing the voter to make a radical jump into the unknown.

Otherwise the whole discussion is idle.

Hey Mark have some fun!! Your to serious all the time. I understand that it is your life work, but we do like to have some fun here!![:)]

[Junctionfan]

I don't know how you do things in the U.S but in Canada public education work rather well. So does public health and some medicare. Ontario Northland isn't too bad and most of the hydro companies other than Ontario Hydro, are not bad either. There is alot of things over in Canada that run good or good enough by the government. In Ontario, liquor is distributed by the LCBO-Liquor Control Board of Ontario-so youths can't get easy access to alchol. We pay alot of taxes but it is worth it. You may pay alot of taxes in your life but heart surgury, children's education from Kindergarden to Grade 12, certain medicines are free. If it works for Canada who has a smaller population and less GDP than the U.S, why wouldn't work for a more wealthy country like the U.S?

[Anonymous]

Well let's put it this way,the way I look at it is,The UP "is in no way" better shape than the CSXT. At least the UP "is" trying to recooperate to be a strong Railroad again! No offence!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill

Split UP apart! You're serious?

SP could not possibly have lasted on its own in a deregulated environment. It was falling off a financial cliff when UP bought it. But if you insist, be our guest. Tell us which one you prefer: compulsory socialization of the economy and infrastructure, or $1-2 billion a year in taxpayer subsidies to the new SP. Who knows, we might all be wealthier and happier that way, and our current system may be doomed in that not-too-distant future, but you'll have to demonstrate that with a formal proof, plus demonstrate your method of convincing the voter to make a radical jump into the unknown.

Otherwise the whole discussion is idle.

Yes, split them all up!! At least to the paradigm of the early 1990's with 4 or 5 systems out West (U.S.) and 3 or 4 in the East. We didn't need to create such monsters just to give RR's the ability to cover their cost of capital (which by the way is still pathetic, maybe we should just allow one big Class I).

There are better ways of helping railroads have better ROR's than these mega mergers. Exempt RR right of ways from property taxation, allow faster depreciation of tracks (with the heavier cars they're probably deteriorating at a faster rate today anyway), add a few cents to the federal gas tax to aid in infrastructure maintenance and expansion.......

Why make cOmPEtitioN suffer unnecessarily when there are more proACtive CrEative wayS to improve the railroadS" bottom line?[;)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainfinder22

I dont think they ever paid back the money they stole[}:)][:(!]
Here is a document that proves it[}:)]
http://www.uprr.org/Museum/Reports/pictures/capture_00060.html

The document itself proves nothing. It is merely a speech and never shows that the Bill in question ever passed or was enacted into law.

LC

[Anonymous]

How about we just split it back into UP and SP and D&RGW [:)]?

[David3]

Repo UP. I'm sick of their boring yellow power anyway [|)]. Dave [:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainfinder22

I dont think they ever paid back the money they stole[}:)][:(!]
Here is a document that proves it[}:)]
http://www.uprr.org/Museum/Reports/pictures/capture_00060.html

No, Thomas Durant spent quite a few of the dollars in his attempt to buy the Adirondacks. He died down in North Creek, where a scenic railroad today runs over tracks he built into the wilderness and where, one assumes visitors might spit on his grave.

The UP wasn't directly involved in the scandal. The Credit Mobilier was the separate company Durant and his fellow conspirators set up to do the actual construction, for which they billed the UP for far more than the actual costs, pocketing the difference. Why didn't the government repo the RR then? Well, for one thing, it was nearly bankrupt as a result of the overcharges by the Credit Mobilier, for another, influential members of Congress were implicated, including the Republican Speaker of the House, future President James Garfield and a host of others. They all had been given stock or bought it at sweetheart rates. The resulting investigation if I recall correctly, led to the removal of only one member from Congress with the rest getting away with selling their votes involving expenditures.

It is probably a little late in the game to consider calling in the repo man but if you do, follow the money and see if we can get some land back from his heirs.

Wayne

[locomutt]

[#ditto] to Mark,I believe that one is full of hot air![:)]

As a matter of fact,everbody on this thread should read a
little history once in a while. Try it;you'll like it[:D]

[Anonymous]

I dont think they ever paid back the money they stole[}:)][:(!]
Here is a document that proves it[}:)]
http://www.uprr.org/Museum/Reports/pictures/capture_00060.html