Nominees for Amtrak BOD

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The Trump administration has declared its intent to nominate Sara Feinberg, MTA Chief and Chris Koos, Mayor of Normal Ill to the Amtrak board of directors. From what I read Sara has experience with the New York City transit system, FRA, and MTA . She is a native of Charleston, WV.
Chris Koos is the mayor of Normal, Ill, and reportedly has advocated for common sense transportation policies, and understands the importance of passenger rail to communities in Illinois and across the country
The two nominees are Democrats and will join the split Amtrak board of directors. Are these two nominees good choices and what will their influence be on Amtrak?
The two nominees appear to be pro-rail but they are only two of the eight members. Anyone care to chime in?
 
The Trump administration has declared its intent to nominate Sara Feinberg, MTA Chief and Chris Koos, Mayor of Normal Ill to the Amtrak board of directors. From what I read Sara has experience with the New York City transit system, FRA, and MTA . She is a native of Charleston, WV.
Chris Koos is the mayor of Normal, Ill, and reportedly has advocated for common sense transportation policies, and understands the importance of passenger rail to communities in Illinois and across the country
The two nominees are Democrats and will join the split Amtrak board of directors. Are these two nominees good choices and what will their influence be on Amtrak?
The two nominees appear to be pro-rail but they are only two of the eight members. Anyone care to chime in?
I'm not familiar with either one but one first glance their qualifications seem ideal for the board.

Keep in mind all such appointments are Political, so it depends on who the politician that puts in their names is that gives one a clue as to their fitness for the job.
 
Appointments may be political, but what I see strange is that a Republican Administration nominations of 2 Democrat!
That is just following the rules governing Board appointments. Nothing strange about it.
 
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My only issue is with the word "common sense policies". That generally raises my eyebrows. Normally when that phrasing gets trotted out, the next step is usually privatization or funding cuts, at least in my experience.
 
Appointments may be political, but what I see strange is that a Republican Administration nominations of 2 Democrats!
The way I understand it there is some kind of rule that says the Amtrak 8 member board must be split between equal number of members of both parties. What the new appointments will mean no one can say until Koos, and Feinberg are confirmed ( which they will be) and make a public statement. Feinberg is involved managing inner city rail while Koos city of Normal has a heavily used station for inner city rail
 
Almost all Trump appointees are expected to be blindly loyal to Trump and all his nonsense. Those who disappoint are promised to be targets of tweets and other harassment. In the case of Amtrak's board, they will have a bit of tenure but wouldn't be immune to his administration's bullying if they step out of line.
 
The way I understand it there is some kind of rule that says the Amtrak 8 member board must be split between equal number of members of both parties. What the new appointments will mean no one can say until Koos, and Feinberg are confirmed ( which they will be) and make a public statement. Feinberg is involved managing inner city rail while Koos city of Normal has a heavily used station for inner city rail
Feinberg was the boss of FRA for a while. RPA appears to think that Feinberg and Koos are good nominations.
 
Almost all Trump appointees are expected to be blindly loyal to Trump and all his nonsense. Those who disappoint are promised to be targets of tweets and other harassment. In the case of Amtrak's board, they will have a bit of tenure but wouldn't be immune to his administration's bullying if they step out of line.
It's also possible that nominations to Amtrak's board are so far down the Presidents list of priorities right now that he's just letting his staff make the decision on these appointments. Even this administration occasionally does sensible things, especially if it's not a high-priority issue for the President's base. I don't think the President's rabid supporters are going to all of a sudden vote for Mr. Biden this November because the President didn't appoint a red-hot passenger train hater to the Amtrak board of directors.
 
I would like to see Jerry Seinfeld on the Board. He could bring some humor to the process. He would also be able to see what a joke some of Amtrak's decisions have been. Trump's friend, Kim Kardashian, would be another good choice. However I think that she now has a law degree so she might be overqualified.
 
It's also possible that nominations to Amtrak's board are so far down the Presidents list of priorities right now that he's just letting his staff make the decision on these appointments. Even this administration occasionally does sensible things, especially if it's not a high-priority issue for the President's base. I don't think the President's rabid supporters are going to all of a sudden vote for Mr. Biden this November because the President didn't appoint a red-hot passenger train hater to the Amtrak board of directors.


I wouldn't be so sure. Since Biden has always been known as an Amtrak supporter, and he actually rode the train consistently between Wilmington and DC, he might make a special effort to go all cray-cray on Amtrak this election. That could include attacks on both Amtrak Board members and those in Congress who get "out of line."
 
Koos has Illinois State University in his town (and the Amtrak station is adjacent to "Campustown"), so in normal times (non-COVID-19), the more students taking the train back and forth to campus instead of overwhelming parking and congesting local traffic with their cars, the happier he'd be. Illinois Wesleyan University is next door in Bloomington, IL, so those students would be using the Normal, IL Amtrak station also. (I've walked past the Normal, IL Amtrak station while shopping in downtown Normal, and I remember seeing in the Lincoln Service (and Texas Eagle) timetables that it's the first station S of Chicago on that route which is able to handle checked baggage - another plus for college students taking the train to and from campus.) I know nothing about Mayor Koos in particular, though, unfortunately, as he doesn't appear in the local newspaper headlines that often.
 
They're perfectly good nominees. DOT Secretary Chao is actually pretty professional when she isn't illegally steering contracts to her disgraceful husband.
Or receiving illegitimate payments from the CARES Act.
 
Trump also re-nominated Todd Rokita to the Amtrak Board. I have contacted my Senators (Rubio and Scott) asking them to oppose this nomination reaches Senate floor for confirmation.
 
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