Dianne Feinstein’s husband owns part of the railroad industry. How does
that connection affect rail road safety issues.
- Do politicians stop train safety projects for political reasons, 60 Minutes says they do on their most recent episode.
- Dianne Feinstein arranged funding for Solyndra and Tesla. Her husband got the adjacent railroad property and construction contracts.
- She got funding for the new California train. His company got to build it.
- Over 40 suspicious conflicts of interest. Now, other suppliers are speaking out.
- A horrible series of train accidents gets people talking:
A Message from President and CEO Joe Boardman Regarding Restoration of
Service on the Northeast Corridor
“At Amtrak, the safety of our passengers and crew remains our number one
priority. Since the tragic derailment, Amtrak staff and crew have been
working around the clock to repair the infrastructure necessary to restore
service for all the passengers who travel along the Northeast Corridor.
Our repairs have been made with the utmost care and emphasis on safety,
including complete compliance with Federal Railroad Administration
directives.
Effective with departures from Philadelphia at 5:53 a.m. (Train 110) and
New York City at 5:30 a.m. (Train 111) on Monday, May 18, Amtrak will
restore normal service on the Northeast Corridor.
Although service along the Northeast Corridor will begin again tomorrow,
the derailment of Northeast Regional Train 188 is a tragedy that we at
Amtrak will continue to mourn and are dedicated to learning from.
Thank you for your support of America’s Railroad.
Sincerely,
Joe Boardman, President and Chief Executive Officer
—————————————————
Insular U.S. Rail Industry Impedes Innovative Outsiders
By Robert J. Ahern –
Small, innovative companies in the U.S. are coming up with answers to some
of the most pressing and persistent problems on America’s railways. But
they’re being stonewalled at every turn by a hidebound, insular rail
industry.
Rail travel, for both freight and passengers, is safer now than it has
ever been. Yet the industry has been unable — or unwilling — to fix some
issues. Failure of wheel bearings is one of them. Another is the
accidental uncoupling of cars.
In both of these cases, smart, independent companies have devised
solutions only to be rebuffed by a railroad industry that is protective of
its own suppliers and hostile to ideas that come from outside its closed
culture. This behavior puts lives and freight at unnecessary risk.
After years of being frustrated by the rail industry at every turn,
companies with new ideas have little choice but to turn to the federal
government. Legislation is pending in Congress that would require the
Federal Railroad Administration — the government agency that oversees the
rail industry — to adopt and enforce mandatory safety standards that
would ensure bearing failures, decoupling and other accidents do not
happen. This would permit railroads to use any technology, from inside or
outside the industry, that meets the standards.
Why is this needed? Consider the case of Columbus Castings, of Columbus,
Ohio.
In 2008, the railroad industry, acknowledging that trains still
accidentally uncouple, set a standard that any manufacturer must meet if
it designed a device that would fix the problem.
Columbus Castings invented the Z-Knuckle, which prevents uncoupling. It
met the industry’s new standard. But in a strange twist, the industry
refused to back the Z-Knuckle’s use because it was the only device that
met the standard. Instead, it simply chose not to enforce the standard.
Never mind that Columbus Castings is the country’s largest steel foundry
and a maker of steel for many uses.
Several companies, including Amsted Rail, Standard Truck Car, National
Railway Equipment and A. Stucki Co., have created advanced trucks — the
framework that holds a rail car’s four wheels — that are less likely to
derail and use less energy, due to enhanced suspension. But these have
been rejected by the railroad industry as well.
Likewise, the industry has shunned electronically controlled pneumatic
braking systems that not only stop a train in a much shorter distance in
an emergency, but give the engineer constant, real-time feedback on the
train’s braking system. Stage 8 Locking Fasteners of San Rafael, Calif.,
also a railroad industry outsider, has come up with an inexpensive
solution that would virtually eliminate bearing-failure derailments. And,
as with Columbus Castings, the railroad industry has stood in the way of
safety and technology improvements.
Failure of wheel bearings — the round, metal rods inside a rail car’s
wheel assembly that help the wheels roll smoothly — are the nation’s
third-largest cause of train derailments, according to a 2012 University
of Illinois study. Only broken rails and track irregularities cause more
accidents annually.
Bearing failure typically leads to derailments. In the worst cases,
derailments can cause injury, community disruption and death. These
derailments happen because the screws holding the bearing end caps (which
maintain proper tension in the bearing) vibrate loose after thousands of
miles of service. The rail industry has tried for half a century to devise
a reliable screw-locking technology of its own, but has not been able to
do so. The best system the rail industry has been able to come up with
allows a failure rate of 23 percent. That isn’t good enough.
A better system was devised in 2009. Stage 8 invented the Cap Screw
Locking System, which keeps rail or tank car wheel bearing end-cap screws
from vibrating loose. But as soon as the invention was unveiled, the rail
industry bureaucracy withheld approval of the product. The rail industry
then demanded a field test for the Stage 8 device. After 150,000 miles of
testing on the industry’s own cars, the locking device showed no failures
at all. And yet, the FRA and the Association of American Railroads
continues to withhold approval.
So, who’s really running our railroads? It’s time for Congress to step in.
Robert J. Ahern is director and executive vice president of Stage 8
Locking Fasteners Inc.
Read more:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/09/13/insular_us_rail_indus
try_impedes_innovative_outsiders_123912.html#ixzz3aSkfyA2I
Follow us: @RCP_Articles on Twitter
U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein’s husband Richard Blum, won the first phase construction contract for California’s high-speed rail. I’m shocked, shocked I tell you.
SENATOR DIANE FEINSTEIN – OPEN CORRUPTION AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT 05-31-2013 6:03 am … Senator Feinstein had been pushing for the high-speed rail plan unveiled by the Brown administration since 2012 that relies heavily on federal dollars, …
U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein’s husband Richard Blum won the first-phase construction contract for California’s high-speed rail. I’m shocked, shocked I tell you. If I didn’t witness the insanity and corruption in politics every day, I wouldn’t have believed this. “The Perini-Zachary …
That famous golden spike takes on a whole new meaning with the nearly 1 billion dollar rail to nowhere contract that clocks in at a truly golden 35 million dollars per mile. And its recipient, Mr. Diane Feinstein owner of Tutor Perini, just happens to sit in a warm position near the top of the state
California High Speed Rail Nepotism. … Naturally: California awards billion-dollar high speed rail contract to firm partly owned by Dianne Feinstein’s husband : … A question for Dianne Feinstein. DiFi and the culture of corruption
Naturally: California awards billion-dollar high speed rail contract to firm partly owned by Dianne Feinstein’s husband
Sen. Diane Feinstein’s husband Richard Blum won a construction contract for California’s high-speed rail project, reports the California Political Review.
This article has been updated with comment from Feinstein’s office. See UPDATE below. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and her husband are tied to questionable dealings between the world’s largest
Dianne Feinstein and her husband Richard Blum currently own a private jet, a Gulfstream G650, worth $55 million in 2008. Blum and Feinstein also own The Carlton hotel in San Francisco.
Dianne Feinstein, the Most Corrupt Individual in Congress, Routes Even More Government Money to Firm Owned by Her Husband Posted at 9:28 am on April 21, 2009
Mick Gregory Feinstein’s Corruption Hidden by the SF Chronicle, LA Times and NY Times Appropriations Committees Chairs control billions of dollars that pass through their hands. California U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) chairs the Senate Rules Committee, but she’s also a Cardinal.
Building a railroad across America was a remarkable engineering feat. However, the alliance between corporations and government that built the railroad set a precedent for the wasteful and corrupt mismanagement of taxpayer money that flourishes today.
High speed rail is indeed a boondoggle and the way the contract was awarded is dubious … On Feinstein, I think it’s just as likely the High Speed Rail Authority did it to curry Feinstein’s favor, although Feinstein certainly could have pushed them.
Dirty Business as Usual at California High Speed Rail Out of the entire universe of those who could have won the first phase construction contract for Cali
Feinstein Corruption Scandal Last week California Senator Diane Feinstein abruptly resigned her position as the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee (MILCON).
It noted further that at a Post Office website … Sen. Feinstein is not involved with and does not discuss any of her husband’s … Snopes often fails to dig deeply enough to discover the depth of corruption and deceit and denial in its efforts to “vet” a story like that from the …
Senator Dianne Feinstein’s husband, Richard Blum, created the investment firm, Blum Capital. Blum Capital is part owner of the construction firm, Perini-Za
Feinstein-Blum Corruption, War Profiteering & The cover-Up, An Interview with Peter Byrne … This systemic corruption by Feinstein and her husband has been a story covered up by the San Francisco Chronicle and the rest
Building a railroad across America was a remarkable engineering feat. However, the alliance between corporations and government that built the railroad set a precedent for the wasteful and corrupt mismanagement of taxpayer money that flourishes today.
Whatever happened to the notion of the “favorite son”? You know: the idea that a candidate’s home state rallies around him. When it comes to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the Boston Globe seems to be adopting a mirror-image attitude. Call it the “disfavored son” approach to politics.
High-Speed Rail: If it smells like corruption, looks like corruption, and feels like corruption, what is it? … Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, husband Richard Blum involved in organizations owning land through which the rail corridor passes.
Feinstein is consumed by corruption. Feinstein is consumed by corruption. #corruption #dianefeinstein #milcon. Home; Politics; News; Sports; Entertainment; Gear, Gadgets & Guns; Videos; Obama Secretly Bailing Out Chicago.
Why are they almost all at least millionaires and why is that fact ignored by the media? For example; Dianne Feinstein and her … As an example of corruption in the highest levels involving … 4 Responses to THE CALIFORNIA DESERT PROTECTION ACT AND A STORY OF POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM. …
Boards > The Vault > Outpost > Feinstein’s husband wins CA State rail project.. > … I think the important part was ” Feinstein’s husband wins $1b contract for state … It is only really news if there is evidence of corruption or if people were not aware that they would potentially benefit …
Feinstein Nepotism Bilking Citizens For Billions. … Whether it is the billion dollar contract for California’s High Speed Rail Project or the billion dollar commission that is expected from selling United States Post Offices no one … The word is also synonymous with corruption and …
Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s husband wins CA rail contract. News; Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s husband wins CA rail contract. By Jason Stapleton – Mar 11, 2015. … If I didn’t witness the insanity and corruption in politics every day, …
Senator Dianne Feinstein has long been accused of corruption and unethical behavior in Congress. From going after the Second Amendment to making tens of millions of dollars through her husband’s […]
Home > Corruption, democRATs > Dianne Feinstein’s husband gets billion dollar government rail contract Dianne Feinstein’s husband gets billion dollar government rail contract. March 21, 2015 darthdilbert Leave a comment Go to comments.
Dianne Feinstein’s Husband Wins Near-Billion Dollar California ‘High Speed Rail’ Contract
Feinstein’s Corruption Ignored. By Curt 1 Comment Wed, May, 2nd, 2007 63 views. Well, at least SOMEONE is writing about the corruption charges against Diane Feinstein.
Legislation authorizing the Alaska Railroad Corp. to issue up to $37 million in bonds to help pay for a federally mandated safety system has been signed into law by Gov.
Open Society Fellow and former ANC Member of Parliament Andrew Feinstein spoke at the Open Society Foundations about his work investigating a corrupt weapons deal involving senior members of…
The depths of Feinstein’s corruption and misgovernance are difficult for the average Californian voter to fathom. What distinguishes Feinstein is she has a voting record in Congress.