Thursday, April 27, 2006

It's The Corporations, Stupid!

The Independent Online - News: "Not in recent memory has a Montana governor had the guts to step up and face a major corporation head on for its irresponsible record of toxic pollution and decades-long evasion of cleanups. But Gov. Brian Schweitzer did just that when he made the decision to end the obfuscation and legal weaseling of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BN) over its hazardous waste sites scattered across the magnificent landscape of Montana.

And when they fought back'as corporations always do, Schweitzer let 'em have it right between the eyes.
Back when Schweitzer was still on the campaign trail, and well before he had set foot in the governor's office, he was blasting BN not for its toxic waste, but for the outrageous rates the railroad was charging Montana farmers to ship their grain out of state. Because BN has a total monopoly over rail lines coming into and leaving the state, the company could basically charge whatever the market would bear, and that turned out to be about double what Canadians and other states are paying. And just in case you thought this might be simple politics, Schweitzer's sentiments were echoed by Sen. Conrad Burns, who likewise chided the nation's second-largest railroad for ripping off Montana's farmers. "

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