Trains through Tulsa...

[Onlyserious]

Letter to the editor, rejected by Tulsa World.

Setting aside the fact that the Palestine, Ohio train derailment seems to be centered around a train-specific initial cause, finger pointing quickly ensued. Let’s start our look at with rather big finger from a conservative publication: Fortune Magazine 9/24/2018: "Trains that carry oil and other flammable material won't have to install electronically controlled brakes that reduce the risk of train derailments and explosions after the reversal by Trump officials of an Obama-era safety rule."

While this accident is not specifically tied to infrastructure, this should be a reminder of our need to upgrade infrastructure across many fronts. Oklahoma’s train-wreck of a delegation has repeatedly voted against infrastructure bills in favor of skewed-toward the wealthy tax cuts for the corporations that rely on efficient bridges, roads, ports, the electrical grid, communication networks, etc. Of course, all of them have been quick to take credit in the capital improvement spending that does comes our way.

Perhaps a “thought experiment” might illustrate a need for safety upgrades: Imagination a train pulling tanker cars derails on the tracks going down the middle of the Broken Arrow Expressway in Midtown Tulsa, at say, 21st and Lewis Ave. Not only would a crash be dangerous to this densely populated area, it might even disrupt the seemingly monthly gun shows at the fairgrounds. Maybe the thought of this potential catastrophe will jar folks into thinking that upgrading safety might be a good thing.