JamesSwidergal - All Comments

re: Jim Young on Nightly Business News

SweetG5918 — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:05:44 GMT

I don't think Jim Young reads these things, anyway and if he does I hope you get back on your feet Mr. Young, and beat that cancer thing, Gods' your only a year older than me....!

Nonetheless I'll keep you in my prayers, and if your looking for the patron saint of healing those with cancer, it's Saint Peregrine.

Good luck

a former UP conductor

re: Jim Young on Nightly Business News

Larry Kaufman — Sat, 22 May 2010 16:14:36 GMT

Thanks for a reply that was more courteous than my original query was to you, tonywane. And let's hope Jim Young does read this blog. He's a different kind of executive than UP is used to having. The railroad appears to be operating more efficiently than in the past and things like that don't happen by accident. Good luck to you in your reaching career.

re: Jim Young on Nightly Business News

tonywane — Fri, 21 May 2010 22:34:24 GMT

My perceived bitterness is really disappoinment with losing almost three years of my adult life waiting for an purported opportunity to be a part of a team that never came. I'm teaching now (what I should have done all along) and I see the rewards daily, and I do feel appreciated. I never got this with the UP and I doubt if I ever would have after seeing the "machine" in operation. This is a good way to vent my frustrations, and I do apoligize, but I knew that anything I had to say to the so called "Human Relations" folks would have fell on deaf ears. Thanks for listening...

Who knows, maybe Mr. Young really reads this??? LOL

re: Jim Young on Nightly Business News

Larry Kaufman — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:16:46 GMT

You claim to be much better off than when you worked for UP, tonywane, but yhour bitterness come roaring through your comment. You also don't tell us anything about this wonderful organization for which you now toil and where you, a rank-and-file employee, are seen as an integral part of the "team." All of this very well may be so; I certainly am not in any position to argue with you about it and wouldn't if I were. I'm sure others who post here regularly join me in wishing you well.

re: Jim Young on Nightly Business News

tonywane — Fri, 21 May 2010 01:22:57 GMT

I recently resigned my train crew position after being furloughed without any recall (pay, benefits, unemployment, etc.) for well over a full year and you couldn't pay me enough (literally) to ever go back to that relic of a company. Turns out it was really a blessing in disguise and I've found a really great career where upper management actually sees me as an itegral part of the team and not a way to cut costs "willy nilly" along with making trains longer and more dangerous to operate. NOT so progressive in my opinion... I hope others in my position see the light and get out before the lure of money draws them back (believe me - that's all they have to offer!)Anyway - LOL I'M OUT!

re: Welcome and let's hear from all Carriers employees in Chicago

proud2brrer — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 05:14:50 GMT

Sorry for the delay in responding to your question. Sorry, not in IL, stuck back in New England.

re: Welcome and let's hear from all Carriers employees in Chicago

James Swidergal — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:52:00 GMT

Proud

Are you in Illinois?

re: Way To Go Joe Szabo!

James Swidergal — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:48:35 GMT

Peace brother! Peace!

re: Way To Go Joe Szabo!

Larry Kaufman — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:26:11 GMT

Gee, James, did I say something that offended you? I thought I made it clear that any miscommunications was mine, not yours. Your inability to accept that with any grace whatsoever says far more about you than about me.

Let's deal with Joe Szabo first. I don't know the gentleman. I have run across him professionally in his role with UTU. To the best of my knowledge he always has represented the interests of his union's membership. I know nothing negative about him, and I'm fully prepared to have him be the most successful FRA Administrator in the 42 years the FRA has existed. I'm not sure anyone can achieve that status because the position has relatively little real authority. The Administrator, whomever he, she, or it may be, spends a lot of time with the FRA General Counsel who helps by clarifying what authority the Administrator has under the law. You seem not to understand the process. I've been there and I do, so no apology to you for this brief lesson in pragmatism and civics. Believe it or not, I do wish Joe Szabo all success because the railroads, companies and employees, will benefit if he is successful. Not to hard to figure, is it?

As for my role on this site, perhaps you are the one who should chill. I've never made any claims to any status here, either in public or privately to the PR editors and site monitors. Yes, I am highly opinionated. You and others are free to "play in the game" if you choose or simply to ignore me. I assure you, James, my feelings won't be hurt either way. If I wanted to be insulting, I might even point out that you need a new dictionary; your spelling and grammar leave something to be desired. But that would be churlish of me, so I won't.

You say you have an opinion. Great. Next time, try to have an opinion based on facts. Your opinion might be worth more then. One thing you don't seem to understand is that FRA is little more than an agency charged with enforcing the several safety laws passed by Congress over the years. FRA also administers the RIFF program and channels the money that Amtrak gets. All worthwhile activities, but not particularly significant when it comes to making national policy.

Finally, and I'm sure you and everyone else will be glad I've reached that point, you will just have to take my word for it that I've never written anything in any way just for a paycheck. My name is on my work. I find your comments to be insulting, but then I consider the source. Have a nice day.

re: Way To Go Joe Szabo!

James Swidergal — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:54:31 GMT

Larry,Larry,Larry, what gives? I honor your achievements as an author you ass-u-me otherwise. a) I can give a rats' ass if you think that anytime anyone disagrees with you we are on the attack. As far as I am concerned you are a well versed writer of sorts, and get paid to do so,Greattttttttt!

But being that professional doesn't give you total rein on this site or for that matter any other site, and I haven't seen anywhere on this site where The Great Larry Kaufman, is appointed Moderator or Censure,or King of the world of Opinion.

Back off,in other words take a chill pill, I haven't assumed that you were attacking me or vice a verse a.

And for a pro writer it behooves me why any topic conversed here always ends with Larry Kaufman swaying away from the facts or the topic at hand and compelling myself and others to have to waste time and words defending not our thought or contribution,or statement in the moment, but defending unwanton rhetoric by the Great Larry Kaufman.

The topic: Joe Szabo

He hasn't done anything but get appointed, hurrah!

Looking for comment on anything that may lie in his future

And if your wish is to release your venting on me than I accept it with a grain of salt, as far as being a malcontent railroader you are to willing and ready to accuse the wrong guy.

Unlike you, I don't get paid for what I state. I love the railroad,in all of its guises. Administration,management,agreement-non-agreement,etc. All of it. But because I don't get paid to sway my opinion I actually have an opinion, (unlike those who do get paid to write things for national publication,and have to be careful of what they say so as to not lose revenue for saying the wrong thing). And if that opinion stings some so be it, if it stings and it opens eyes and ears and moves mountains than so be it.

IT'S ONLY MY OPINION

re: Way To Go Joe Szabo!

Larry Kaufman — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:20:28 GMT

A thought or two about FRA Administrators of the past. I go back to A. Scheffer Lang, who was the first FRA Administrator when FRA was created. Schef, who died a few years ago, had a very varied background. He was on the faculty at MIT, at one time was the youngest division engineer of a Class 1, and was FRA Administrator. He did time at AAR and at the U. of Minnesota. A truth teller at all times, I don't think even James Swidergal would accuse him of having been a hack or corrupt or a management toady (my word, not James').

Then came Reg Whitman, John Ingram, Asaph Hall, John Reilly, John Sullivan, Jolene Molitoris, and a few who even I cannot recall. Ingram and Whitman came from management backgrounds in the industry. The others came off Capital Hill where they had been staff members to various members of Congress, or from a state agency. All had some political connection, just as Joe Szabo does - you don't get presidential appointments in Washington just on your brains or good looks. Some were reasonably successfull, depending on how you define the term. Others were eminently forgettable. James is right; Szabo is the first Administrator to come from the ranks of organized labor. I hope no one holds that against him.

re: Way To Go Joe Szabo!

Larry Kaufman — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:45:39 GMT

Mr. Swidergal: As I believe it is the obligation of the communicator to in fact communicate, this exchange is my fault. I didn't mean my post to be as hostile as you apparently saw it. As I said, my failure, not yours. Taking last things first, all of my writing is done under my by-line, including use of my name at this blogsite. I write regularly in Argus Media's Rail Business report, The Journal of Commerce, and Progressive Railroading's principal competitor. In short, I write for money, none but a blockhead ever did otherwise.

I realize you don't care whether I agree with you or not, nor should you. I simply was saying I don't know from your original post whether I agree or not - no value judgment. When I want to be hostile, I think I write well enough that readers will know that was my intent. I'm not nearly as cynical as you (although my friends would dispute that) and do not see the "corruption" that you do. I have written in one of my columns pretty much what I posted here. I do not expect Joe Szabo to be a blatantly pro-labor FRA administrator, just as I would hope that an administrator from the management side would not be blatantly pro-carrier. Neither philosophy really serves FRA or the railroad industry well. I assume until proven otherwise that Joe Szabo will be an honorable public servant. If he turns out not to be then that will be on Congress as much as it will be on him, as Congress confirmed his appointment.

Joe Szabo may be everything you say he is (I hope so, for the sake of all involved in railroading), but he only can deal with those things where federal law give him authority to do so. Perhaps it would be good to tie all C&S together along with PTC and RCO. I do not claim to be a C&S expert. I also am not persuaded that there is a problem that calls for all that tying together. Again, the Administrator will deal with those things that he can and not necessarily all the things that the rail constituency might like him to. I haven't noticed the unions being bashful when it comes to seeking safety legislation from Congress.

The rest of your comment appears to be an attempt to be insulting. So be it. You now come across like every malcontent railroader who is convinced that no one in management deserves to be. Sorry, but my belief system says otherwise. That includes your comments about CSX, by the way.

re: Way To Go Joe Szabo!

James Swidergal — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:30:39 GMT

Mr Kaufman: I'm not seeking whether you agree or not. But this is the first time that an Administrator (FRA) has been brought up from the trenches. That alone is cause for celebration, and if you we're paying attention in past archives I have gone out and stated to Mr. Szabo about serving with honor and not giving into what seems to be commonplace within our political appointments (corruption).

As far as interoperability yes,I read that somewhere too, but here's a chance to take signalling and communications,and RCO and all of the state-of-the-art bells and whistles to a new alltime high for safety, for everyone,including the general public. And, Joe Szabo's the guy who can be effective and get it done by creating standards and interoperability within the industry.

And,as far as the csx goes if they were anything like the Class1 that they wanna' be they would have policed themselves the way the other Class1's do. In other words their own hierarchy allowed for the problems that arose from the FRA stepping in, but that's only 1 in seven Class1's that drew that kinda' fire. And, now a days they seem to be doing better.

Now as far as enforcing the laws that already exist fine, but here too with Mr.Szabo's experience would you agree that if the regs aren't working properly that thru his guidance and expertise Congress would be willing to change it if it's broke coming from Mr. Szabo instead of simply relying on the words from the Carriers'.

By bringing in a Joe Szabo is like to me anyway like bringing in a real workin' stiff railroader instead of just some book learned political hack that knows about railroading because he had a toy layout when he was a kid.

By the way Mr Kaufman any more articles coming forth on your byline?

re: Way To Go Joe Szabo!

Larry Kaufman — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:27:55 GMT

Mr. Swidergal: I don't know whether I agree with you or not on Joe Szabo. I might agree, but you have provided only buzz-words and no substance. I don't think CSX, for example, would agree with you that FRA fails to look at carriers when it comes to safety enforcement. And, when it comes to PTC, within days of the legislation mandating its installation the Class 1 carriers reached agreement on protocols for interoperability which will make PTC usable on all railroads. I, too, wish Joe Szabo success. But remember, please, that as FRA Administrator who only can enforce the laws and regulations that exist. And, as FRA Administrator, he is charged with serving all Americans, not with being labor's FRA Administrator.

re: Welcome and let's hear from all Carriers employees in Chicago

proud2brrer — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:13:49 GMT

I hope this develops into an effective forum. I am a past union officer and a current T&E employee on a regional affiliate of Rail America. My hope would be to find an effective forum that would allow for nagging questions about things that ordinary folks like myself do not have knowledge of.