All aboard, and hold the Mayo

For anyone who's ever complained about being "trained" (stuck at a crossing waiting for a slow freight) this story is for you. As for me, it's about a little arrogance, a little ignorance, and Tom Daschle.

The premier cancer treatment hospital in America, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has been battling a plan by the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern railroad to refurbish their rail line across North Dakota and Minnesota, which winds through Rochester. If the plan is approved, the trains would soon be carrying fresh loads of Powder River basin (PRB) coal from Wyoming.

For those who don't follow such things, the PRB is a huge source of coal power for this nation. It is currently served by two railroads, the Union Pacific and BNSF, who spew forth upwards of 100 mega-ton trains of coal a day from the mines, which fan out in all directions across the country providing us with cheap energy so we can produce harmful carbon emissions and enable Al Gore to make money in Hollywood. DM&E wants a piece of that coal pie, and has petitioned the govmint to let them have access.

Where does Mr. Daschle fit in? He's a recent addition to the Board of Directors of the Clinic, so naturally he's joining the fight. Add former Congressman Janklow, of motorcycle accident fame. The Mayo team is arguing that all them noisy coal trains will block city traffic and create a safety hazard. Of course, the DM&E is hundreds of miles long, so it remains to be seen if Daschle or others will be as concerned with the 'safety' of the other towns along the line as well.

To get a perspective of the problem I went to Mapquest. It appears the railroad is well north of the Clinic and wouldn't directly affect it, safety-wise. Yet somehow the media stories conjure up visions of 12,000 ton coal trains roaring across handicap ramps or blocking ambulance entrances. In other words, going through the front yard of the hospital. Any readers familiar with the area feel free to correct my impression. Here's the map:












But back to the former Congressmen. Here's what Mr. Janklow was quoted as saying:

Janklow, the former Republican governor and congressman from South Dakota, said an accident could be catastrophic, making it impossible for ambulances, fire trucks and law-enforcement vehicles to move

Hello? This is the case in every American city with rail transportation. Are they saying Rochester has some form of special immunity? Sounds like it:

Daschle suggested the railroad could go around or under the city instead of through it. "I don't think the Mayo clinic is asking for too much," he said.

Kevin Schieffer, DM&E president, disagrees. The idea of going around or under the city is "goofy" and would be difficult to pull off, he said. "You can't go around the city without going somewhere else," Schieffer said.

That's hillarious. Does Daschle realize how expensive it is to relocate a railroad? Does he know what a NIMBY is? He should--the Mayo has become one.

The accident argument is such a flimsy canard it belongs on Comedy Central. Buying such a proximity argument means ALL railroads in America would need to be relocated, since most of them come within a few miles of a hospital at some point. But I guess they really couldn't get away with using the "we just don't like those damn trains" argument.

I suspect it might also be about global warming, doctors in their Beemers getting delayed, noise, and of course politics. South Dakota Senator John Thune, who knocked out Daschle, is backing the railroad. And hey--the PRB is located in Cheney's home state.