Sometimes the End Does Justify the Means
Posted by Eric on June 24, 2009
Daniel Strauss is bothered with using the DC Metro crash to push for more rail funding:
I’m for increased funding in rail, and I’m for rail safety. I also consider the Washington D.C. Red Line Metro collision to be a plain tragedy but I don’t have an opinion on what kind of tragedy it is because it’s still unclear what caused the crash. With that in mind I think it’s a bit rash and I daresay disrespectful for Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to quickly write a letter calling for more public transportation funding.
Not me though. In Rahm Emanuel’s words, “never let a crisis go to waste.” Transportation funding is important and if using train crashes as a tool to push for that important funding brings the money in, I don’t have a big problem with that.
Daniel said
See but motivation for that funding is potentially based on a lie. I believe they’re pretty close to concluding what went wrong but when Rockefeller and Boxer drafted this letter they didn’t know what the problem was. It couldve been lightening striking for all they knew at the time and these senators would be saying the more funding could stop freak lightening events from hitting trains.