TALGO trains in Missouri?

[como]

Do you think Missouri politicos have any idea how to run a railroad? The Talgos are sleek and look good. Great for marketing how Representative or Senator Soandso bought them for his beloved constituents.

I don't think Missouri politicians have much to do with this. It is MoDOT, and as others have said they are being very aggressive in promoting the St. Louis - Kansas City corridor.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

You're new to this, aren't you?

The head of the MoDOT is appointed by.. politicians. He is a cronie of said politicians. MoDOT is being political. I spend my time fight my way through layers of politicans trying to get better service on NJ Transit, which is a subset of NJDOT. And NJ Transit is more forward thinking then MoDOT has ever been. NJ Transit has a larger budget then Amtrak and moves more trains through the Northeast Corridor alone in a day then MoDOT funds Amtrak to move in a month.

They are promoting rail- brand new Bi-Level coaches so short they can fit into Penn, all new German electric locomotives, a totall new design of dual mod locomotive, and a ten billion dollar rail tunnel under the Hudson river. And before Corzine appoints himself to take over Lautenberg's position in the senate (as I am pretty sure will happen before that slimeball Christie gets sworn in), I would say Richard Sarles is a pretty solid cronie of the people in power in New Jersey. I don't expect him to hold the job much longer- republican cronies need thier rewards.

 

[como]

You're new to this, aren't you?
The head of the MoDOT is appointed by.. politicians. He is a cronie of said politicians. MoDOT is being political. I spend my time fight my way through layers of politicans trying to get better service on NJ Transit, which is a subset of NJDOT. And NJ Transit is more forward thinking then MoDOT has ever been. NJ Transit has a larger budget then Amtrak and moves more trains through the Northeast Corridor alone in a day then MoDOT funds Amtrak to move in a month.

They are promoting rail- brand new Bi-Level coaches so short they can fit into Penn, all new German electric locomotives, a totall new design of dual mod locomotive, and a ten billion dollar rail tunnel under the Hudson river. And before Corzine appoints himself to take over Lautenberg's position in the senate (as I am pretty sure will happen before that slimeball Christie gets sworn in), I would say Richard Sarles is a pretty solid cronie of the people in power in New Jersey. I don't expect him to hold the job much longer- republican cronies need thier rewards.

GML,

Why can't you be civil in your responses? I'm not comparing New Jersey to Missouri. You don't understand the context of what I said, and you don't know anything about Missouri, MoDOT, or Missouri politics.

 

[the_traveler]

Maybe GML is wrong about MoDOT, but I think it is political too!

Every state agency head that I know of in every state in the country is appointed by the Governor, State Senate or other State Politicians. Thus, they are political! Do you actually think that you or I would have a chance of being a head of a state agency? :huh: (Even assuming we have worked for the same type of agency for 25-30 years.) And once there, do you think I could do something without the Governor's or other political official's OK? :huh: (Maybe once, but I doubt that you would be the head of the agency at the end of the year!)

I would certainly say it was political!

 

[como]

Maybe GML is wrong about MoDOT, but I think it is political too!
Every state agency head that I know of in every state in the country is appointed by the Governor, State Senate or other State Politicians. Thus, they are political! Do you actually think that you or I would have a chance of being a head of a state agency? :huh: (Even assuming we have worked for the same type of agency for 25-30 years.) And once there, do you think I could do something without the Governor's or other political official's OK? :huh: (Maybe once, but I doubt that you would be the head of the agency at the end of the year!)

I would certainly say it was political!

GML made a good point in his own way/ I guess I have a different point of view, and maybe a different view of what politics means. Obviously the MoDOT director is appointed by the governor as a political appointee, but the bureaucrats do most of the work. The department's efforts to improve rail service have gone on for a long time, at least 10 years and three governors (democrat, republican, democrat). Missouri's elected officials have a mixed record toward rail service, and I do think that MoDOT has been leading rather than following in the state.