I'd be here all night if I listed every accomplishment of Pete since his tenure at DOT began, but I'll keep it to some that I can recall off the top of my head. This is a very incomplete list. I'll save BIL for last:
-reorganization and change of focus of DOT policies and priorities after the disastrous tenure of Sec. Elaine Chao
Which policies are those exactly and what changes made the department more efficient?
--safety, jobs, equity, climate, and innovation
-reimplementation of a policy from the Obama years giving precedence to hiring local workers for public works projects
Again, how does this help if the only local workers are charging double market value? Additionally, this stifles competitiveness in the market
--you don't think there would be local workers charging less than the double market value you posit to acquire work? That isn't how competitive local bidding on projects works...
-enactment of the Airlines Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights
Have you read what it does or even know it's been illegal since 1986 to discriminate against passengers with disabilities?
--yes, but how is this a bad thing? From your posted article above: While the bill of rights doesn’t provide new rights for disabled travelers, Morris said it does make the ACAA more accessible to passengers. It condenses lengthy regulations into a more easily digestible format — “one that disabled people can print out and reference during a trip,” he said.
And moving on...
-reduction in canceled flights to pre-Covid levels
This has nothing to do with him and more to do with the market as well as airlines outright cancelling the routes they were on. Furthermore, he is responsible for the 25% increase in airline tickets over the past year. And what do you have to say to that?
--if you aren't going to give the DOT and Pete credit for reduction in canceled flights over the last year, then you don't get to drag him for airline ticket increases over the last year either. So this is a wash on our part, since I can't claim the same without accepting the other, either.
-National Roadway Safety Strategy to reduce deaths and injuries to motorists and pedestrians
Guess you missed this little thing
--hence the launch of the NRSS in January 2022...
-supply chain issues relief, including reduction in long-term storage of goods at ports by 50% (Pete was big on getting "inland ports" up to capacity to alleviate the burden on international seaports)
Yeah except we're still in a global supply chain problem where goods aren't even available... hence, they'll have less items in ports. Plus you have idiots in California that demand unions move the items instead of using what's immediately available
--nothing I said was false. And the global supply chain crunch will continue into earlier next year, as Pete has said multiple times, until countries get back to pre-Covid levels and the surge in demand for goods is met. We can't do much about what is going down in China with their insane Covid protocols. Also, you want Pete to step in on what California demands its unions do? That is quite the bold take from a libertarian, state's rights guy...
-drastic drop in price to ship goods to American ports
no, he hasn't
--let's go with a more up to date article, shall we? Freight rates on the primary ocean trade channels are sinking during a time typically identified as the peak season in the industry after cargo owners reportedly shipped their holiday goods early and inflation dented consumer demands. The cost incurred to ship a 40-foot container to the West Coast in the US from China is now about $5,400 per box, a drop of 60% from January 2022, per Freightos Baltic Index. Each container shipped to Europe from Asia now costs $9,000, which is about 42% lower than observed early in 2022. At the same time, above pre-pandemic levels, the rate for both routes peaked at over $20,000 in September 2021. Ocean Shipping Rates Plunged 60% In 2022.
-launch of a comprehensive website to compare airlines on hidden fees, etc.
Yeah, the government just created Expedia... great job, government. Way to keep up with the times!
--this is a dashboard that shows you what you are owed and how to receive reimbursement for canceled or delayed flights. I don's see how this is a bad thing?
-increase in addressing customer complaints related to airlines
And what role exactly does the government... or rather should the government have in this?
--see above
-implementation of RAISE grants
lol, they renamed an existing program and focused on "green"
--and the Trump admin renamed TIGER grants from the Obama Admin to BUILD grants, which the Biden Admin and Pete renamed to RAISE grants. What is wrong with focusing on "green" infrastructure while also focusing on traditional infrastructure? From what I can tell, not much has changed over the three Admins.
-helped out in the first round of negotiations between rail unions and corporations, which resulted in no nationwide strikes or disruptions to freight or passenger rail
haven't checked the news lately, have we?
--I did say first round, didn't I? Negotiations are ongoing between freight unions and corporations. Would you have rather the talks fallen apart last month and a strike occurred?
-so, so much more I am forgetting
All things he had nothing to do with.
--Well that is just a silly argument. I think the Secretary of the DOT probably has a little bit to do with determining which states and cities receive funding for projects from the BIL, but maybe that is just me.
See you next comment. Go Vols!
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