Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Morning Joe today

[Amtrakfflyer]

Just watched the interview. The hosts wanted to talk about the airlines and the bailout. Buttigieg immediately and unprovoked by anyone diverted the conversation to Amtrak. Talked about how trains and bookings are already being added back. Talked about how we deserve the rail other nations have. Talked about how red states like Texas could really use expanded rail if they would accept it. Breath of fresh air to say the least.

I’ll post the clip here today or tomorrow when it is archived.

 

[TheMalahat]

 

[Dakota 400]

This is a Senior government official who knows what he is talking about. He's aware of the challenges and the problems. Yet, there was a "tone" in what he was saying that "we can do this; we will get it done". His message mirrors the "tone" of his boss. But, for me, it is a welcome "tone" to hear.

 

[iliketrains]

I am not 100% sure what Secretary Buttigieg means by Texas not accepting. Texas will have the first bullet train in the nation as construction is set to begin this year on the Houston-Dallas bullet train line. I think he means Amtrak building and maintaining the line is what he wants Texas to accept? BTW It so refreshing to have Amtrak support among the leadership.

 

[MikefromCrete]

I am not 100% sure what Secretary Buttigieg means by Texas not accepting. Texas will have the first bullet train in the nation as construction is set to begin this year on the Houston-Dallas bullet train line. I think he means Amtrak building and maintaining the line is what he wants Texas to accept? BTW It so refreshing to have Amtrak support among the leadership.

Texas isn't building the Dallas-Houston HSR, a private company is. And the state legislature has put many obstacles in its path, thanks to complaints from land owners along the way.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Texas isn't building the Dallas-Houston HSR, a private company is. And the state legislature has put many obstacles in its path, thanks to complaints from land owners along the way.

Why would a land owner be upset that a private company was taking their land?

At least brightline and California HSR are under construction.

 

[iliketrains]

Texas isn't building the Dallas-Houston HSR, a private company is. And the state legislature has put many obstacles in its path, thanks to complaints from land owners along the way.

Ok, I have misunderstood. I knew a private company was building the line but I thought the state legislature was supportive. I thought they were supportive because it was a private venture. I know they would not support a government-funded venture. I didn't know they were not supporting the private venture too. For landowners, they are more for than against. However, it depends on who has more influence and power than counts.

 

[MARC Rider]

Ok, I have misunderstood. I knew a private company was building the line but I thought the state legislature was supportive. I thought they were supportive because it was a private venture. I know they would not support a government-funded venture. I didn't know they were not supporting the private venture too. For landowners, they are more for than against. However, it depends on who has more influence and power than counts.

Even a private company has to buy the land for the right of way, and what do they do if one crucial property owner doesn't want to sell? If it's a government project, they can force a sale through the use of eminent domain, but I am led to believe that the current population of rural and exurban Texan quasi-libertarian rugged individualist pseudo-cowboys looks at the concept of eminent domain on principle with a certain amount of hostility. Then there's the reasonable opposition to a government expropriation on the basis of the property owner thinking that the price being offered for is property is unreasonably low. Frankly, based on the opposition to the "NAFTA" highway I heard about some years ago, I'm surprised that they were even able to build interstate highways in Texas, but they have, in fact built some new toll roads (like TX130 to bypass Austin). Add that to the fact that many of these people now view passenger rail as a partisan cause of effete quiche-eating bicoastal elites, and much of the opposition to passenger rail in Texas is explained. (Of course, there's a lot of Texans who do use the passenger rail available, as I saw from riding the Texas Eagle, and, at least in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, they're willing to pay for extensive rail transport, but in between, there's a lot of opposition.)

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

As the country transforms so will rail, some states will take longer than others unfortunately. I have a feeling we have finally turned a corner though.

 

[tonys96]

Whether the HSR is an entity that has eminent domain or not is in the courts. One court has ruled they do, and the appeals are ongoing.

 

[me_little_me]

Even a private company has to buy the land for the right of way, and what do they do if one crucial property owner doesn't want to sell? If it's a government project, they can force a sale through the use of eminent domain, but I am led to believe that the current population of rural and exurban Texan quasi-libertarian rugged individualist pseudo-cowboys looks at the concept of eminent domain on principle with a certain amount of hostility. Then there's the reasonable opposition to a government expropriation on the basis of the property owner thinking that the price being offered for is property is unreasonably low. Frankly, based on the opposition to the "NAFTA" highway I heard about some years ago, I'm surprised that they were even able to build interstate highways in Texas, but they have, in fact built some new toll roads (like TX130 to bypass Austin). Add that to the fact that many of these people now view passenger rail as a partisan cause of effete quiche-eating bicoastal elites, and much of the opposition to passenger rail in Texas is explained. (Of course, there's a lot of Texans who do use the passenger rail available, as I saw from riding the Texas Eagle, and, at least in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, they're willing to pay for extensive rail transport, but in between, there's a lot of opposition.)

Note that of a government agency or other entity is permitted to take property by eminent domain, they can do so but if the owner doesn't like the price, they can go to court and the court will determine what price is reasonable.

When I was in the service, we needed private land for a high explosive test. The owner refused to negotiate so the government used eminent domain but allowed the owner to have full use of the land (it was grazing land) until it was close to test time. Nevertheless, the owner stopped military people with a rifle so the government had the local sheriff kick the owner off and denied him access for grazing (he was an idiot) along with a threat of criminal trespassing prosecution if he came back. The court ended up deciding how much he was entitled to for the one-year use of his land plus restoration afterwards. He lost out big time because it would have cost him nothing to give up the land because of the full-use allowance yet ended up with the same final price and no use of the land.

 

[railiner]

He lost out big time because it would have cost him nothing to give up the land because of the full-use allowance yet ended up with the same final price and no use of the land.

Sort of defines "cutting off your nose, to spite your face"...