Don’t forget most congresspeople are little shits who value power first, ideals second.

I think this argument can be settled via quantification of the effects of both things and what they prevented. I’ll zoom into Norfolk Southern specifically.

#Effect of 2018 deregulation. Part of the context is that this deregulation was done to “save American jobs” as part of a deregulatory package that saved businesses $160 billion during his presidency. The jury is still out on layoffs, but thanks to the rail workers’ unions we do know numbers in that industry already. It’s somewhat clear though, this saved money but not jobs. It didn’t even lower prices for buyers. Richer rich, poorer poor. In my opinion this is both causal and revealing to a solution. -industry broadly adopted in 2019 Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR). This in turn caused the effects below

• While having record profits, NS laid off 3,500 rail workers in 2019 and failed to upgrade its systems (20,000 rail workers laid off nationwide).
• They went to 60 seconds per cart inspections on much longer train length (now up to 3 miles), making inspections more of a sham
• brake systems were not required to be upgraded and worked sequentially on much longer trains
• tracks were not evaluated for their ability to handle such train lengths
• when Biden attempted to re-apply some regulations during his first year, rail had to keep operating but claimed they couldn’t hire qualified people (and are not broadly required, by government, to take on paid apprentices that they train on the job - some unions do require this, but it doesn’t help you hire 20,000 people)

#Effect of union busting Part of the context is how fed up the nation has been with covid supply chain issues. This is not an effect. From computer parts to toilet paper, it’s been 2 years of nonstop disruption to the transportation of goods. Whether or not congresspeople are industry shills, I know this fact brought chills down the spines of politicians, especially right before the Christmas holidays, when online shopping has grown exponentially. This, in my opinion, is both causal and revealing to a solution.

• Safety standards were not increased for train systems, PSR was not limited nor banned, the ability to stop the presses on a negative inspection finding remains limited, because scheduling tolerances are so tight and profits > safety
• reasonable standards of health and safety were not set for personnel nor train inspections. A healthy person can’t consistently do a demanding job (inspect an entire train cart’s systems in 60 seconds) - now throw in a fever or congestion and it’s absolutely ridiculous
• disillusioned union workers. Biden’s a union guy he says. Even the union guy betrays the union.

#Effects of other government decisions or inaction We look to blame one side. One party. Blame is on

• Vinyl Chloride should’ve been a properly classified hazmat decades ago. The fact it wasn’t in a car that more appropriately designed to handle flammable, toxic materials is the result of decades of EPA inaction and lobbying from two industries (not just rail!). We regulate after the bad thing happens even if academics have been sounding the alarm for decades. This is the case with vinyl chloride - every government since and including Reagan is complicit. Why aren’t the media asking or exposing “which other materials are being overlooked by the EPA?”
• civil war era tech on trains are not a new thing. Lengthening trains past civil era capabilities and carrying materials that were dreamt of yet without requiring these systems be upgraded is the new thing. We’ve been transporting materials that were not conceived of in that era - from fossil fuels at scale to modern manufacturing chemicals, but somehow for, what, the entire post WWII era, nobody did anything about it. Relying on that era’s tech is foolhardy. This shows either or both the dangers of lobbying and the limits of governmental knowledge.
• we allow self-policing of for profit companies. This was a disaster for Boeing and their customers not long ago, and for the financial industry broadly in 2007/8. Still, industry pushes for it and government keeps allowing it. Industry has a conflict of interest - even the Romans asked “qui custodiet ipsos custodes” (who watches the watchmen), so you can’t pretend it’s a new concept that this model will always fail.

#Possible solutions

• regulate for safety and dismantle self inspection mechanisms.
• Regulatory changes through executive action that can’t be reversed due to hiring constraints must require the hiring of paid apprentices. Industry can’t get a free pass on “oops, I went strong on the layoffs”
• “this deregulation will create jobs” and leads to layoffs should get someone in trouble. Financial penalty, fraud charges, something. How is lying to the public broadly not a crime
• unions need a voice in Congress as powerful as lobbies. They represent the interest of all Americans who are not rich. The people who live in towns like East Palestine and thousands of communities like it, the working class. The money of lobbies means this isn’t so today, but unions have the know-how.
• it’s about darned time we regulate life and safety jobs broadly. Everyone deemed essential workers during the pandemic (yes, including all grocery staff, EMTs, and many more) deserve paid time off, health benefits, and pay that goes with how they keep the rest of us a life, come rain or come shine

Stop the “it’s Biden’s fault” and “it’s Trump’s fault” - I think I showed it’s both their fault, and Reagan’s, even Jimmy Carter and Nixon’s fault. My life and yours are not a sport for partisan politics and rabid fanaticism. We’re never going to fix this shit if we think all our problems started in the past 5 years.

• we need an educated, engaged population that votes the shills out. Corporations should be able to make A profit, but people need to be able to make a living and breathe clean air in their homes too.
• Unions have the know how of what’s actually good and safe at the ground level. Lobbies only know what’s good for the rich. Lobbies are the death of the working class, for profit.

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Except that the head of the the NTSB is on record saying deregulation did not have an effect on this accident based on the train by type.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said…

“The ECP braking rule would've applied ONLY to HIGH HAZARD FLAMMABLE TRAINS. The train that derailed in East Palestine was a MIXED FREIGHT TRAIN containing only 3 placarded Class 3 flammable liquids cars," she tweeted. "This means even if the rule had gone into effect, this train wouldn't have had ECP brakes."

So, please check your politics and show some empathy for those Americans who are suffering.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ohio-train-derailment-ntsb-chair-issues-plea-to-those-spreading-misinformation/ar-AA17Ccxk