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In NY, of course, it would be damn near impossible to remove a committee chairman, because of our "special" legislative procedure rules, but everything I remember about Minnesota legislative procedure says it's not really that hard.
 
Nathanael said:
Ispolkom said:
Who did it tick off? What did they do about it?
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It ticked off the other DFL legislators south of the Twin Cities.
They passed a repeal in the Senate, and they introduced one in the House, which was sunk specifically by the jackass Edina chair of the House transportation committee. They intend to get it passed this year, and are collecting support.

The House transportation committee chair is making *enemies* in the legislature. He's not going to last forever. Eventually the conference is going to figure out how to toss him, and there is an active caucus organizing to do exactly that. It may take a few years.
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Who are these enemies? What are their names? Who is in this caucus of which you speak? Where are the legislative advocates for passenger rail?
 
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Google it yourself, I was digging up articles for several hours and I didn't archive them all. It may not be many people yet.
 
Nathanael said:
Google it yourself, I was digging up articles for several hours and I didn't archive them all. It may not be many people yet.
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The person making the claim should prove it. I've provided cites for my claims, and I don't need to google the Minnesota Legislature. I live here, and I know what goes on.

In any case, your last sentence indicates that you agree that there isn't any significant pro-rail caucus in the Minnesota Legislature. I wish it were otherwise, but I prefer to see things the way they are. Facts, as the saying goes, are stubborn things.
 
The Dan Patch anti-discussion bill was definitely perceived as an unreasonable overreach by legislators from south of the Twin Cities, they're organizing support in the legislature for that perception, and they're determined to get it repealed. And they've already passed the repeal through the State Senate. That's what comes out very clearly from the articles I found. Find 'em yourself, you can Google.

What this means, long term, is that the transportation committee chair is a marked man -- marked as unreasonable, and therefore prone to being isolated -- unless he agrees to repeal it. I wouldn't call this a strong pro-rail caucus, but everything I've seen of legislatures (and I've been following them for decades) says that unless the chair has a more powerful patron (a governor, for instance) he'll either acquiesce or be maneuvered out of position eventually.

At which point cheap rail improvements will start to be built just like they are in all other states which aren't run by crazy people. I'm not expecting anything grand.
 
Guest said:
What a disappointment how much this has been delayed.
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Most recent reason for delays is BNSF moving all its crews out to deal with the mess on the tracks through North Dakota. :-( I can't be sure, but it looks like UP and CP have done their portion of the work and everyone is just waiting for BNSF to finish its portion.
 
I stopped by the Midway depot today to pay for a ticket (I had a travel certificate from last November's no-working-toilet Lakeshore Limited debacle). I asked the agent if he knew when Amtrak was moving to SPUD. "Every month they push it back. I have no idea," was his answer.

I've gone back to betting that the Green Line will open first. In June. For those keeping score at home, that will be more than a year and a half after St. Paul Union Depot "opened."
 
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Looks like Denver won this round, and it's a knock-out. Maybe SPUD can beat out the opening of the Denver commuter lines still?
 
I'm still betting we'll see action at the end of March or start of April, though largely because RCRRA has a contract with "first quarter" in it. From what we can tell all that's left is for BNSF to do its part of the signalling work. Which BNSF has little excuse for delaying after the snow melts. And which should only take a couple of weeks once they actually *start* it. BNSF is paying dearly in customer and government dissatisfaction right now for its meltdown, so it has an incentive not to tick off another local government.

If anyone sees BNSF signal maintainers in the area, then we'll know stuff is happening...
 
I'm looking forward to using SPUD when I travel to see my niece graduate from the University, but only time will tell.
 
trainman74 said:
WICT106 said:
I'm looking forward to using SPUD when I travel to see my niece graduate from the University, but only time will tell.
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Assuming she's in kindergarten now, you just might have a chance! :)
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Nah, she can graduate now. Just need to arrive on Jefferson Lines or Megabus! :eek:

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
 
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