Isn't it wonderful how if you're a lobbyist, it's not called a BRIBE?
This is why campaign reform REALLY needs to be done, and NO company or group should ever be able to make a monetary payment to any individual candidate, representative, or party. Until that happens, our government representatives will continue to belong to the highest bidder, and will not be responsive to the electorate. That's why the tax bill just passed is a giant giveaway to corporations. There IS a corporate Santa Claus. His name is Uncle Sam. And not only do we NOT receive anything from Uncle Sam, WE have to pay the bill for the credit card the presents were purchased with.
Why should the freight railroads bother with safety as long as Amtrak is responsible for paying for the damages and deaths the freight railroads cause? And as long as they have the cash to buy the votes with it ain't gonna change. And, even better, that money is well spend because it comes back to them anyway, in the form of indemnification payments from the government, by draining it from Amtrak's already anemic budget. This TRULY is insane.
