In a previous posting, we discussed driving regulations (hours logged), today we see the White House announcing policies which are designed to allow us, the citizens; the taxpayers, to monitor the progress of various government projects. Politicians (on both sides of the aisle) are very good at crafting messages that sound good. And, actually, it is a good idea to give greater transparency to government workings. And these policies are designed to, “…require agencies to post project schedules, including all needed federal permits and reviews, as well as progress updates along the way.”
Again, this sounds great. Here’s the problem: “…has requested funding to upgrade the dashboard, but it says if the funds aren’t appropriated by Congress, the OMB and DOT have already dedicated a portion of existing resources to begin the enhancements.”
So basically, while these are all good ideas, they’ll likely result in additional regulatory fees or other tax increases which shippers will have to pass on their customers; you.