Amtrak Board, NE Corridor

[amtrak_flyer]

See if you guys can shoot a hole in my theory.

As we all know now Amtrak's board run by Bush appointee's has proposed to spin off the NE corridor in a direct contradiction of what Amtrak chairman David Laney said before congress this past summer.

The "secret" meeting to spin off the NE corridor took place September 22. I think what triggered the spin-off proposal was the Lott-Lautenburg bill. With the introduction of the pro Amtrak bill the board realized or was prompted by the Whitehouse to excelerate its ultimate goal for Amtrak, its privatization. If the Lott-Lautenburg bill was somehow able to get through congress it would effectively end the Whitehouses ability to kill Amtrak. That bill would put Amtrak "truly" under congress's control with a steady stream of funding for SIX years.

Just my jaded opinion.

As far as the board though, I wouldnt trust them as far as I could throw them. I'm thinking all the good PR shots of Laney with the Empire Builder a few months ago and his sympathetic Amtrak speeches before congress are only a farce. Those speeches will only support his point "we tried, but just cant make Amtrak work in the 21st century" when he decides to make that point public.

 

[PRR 60]

If the Lott-Lautenburg bill was somehow able to get through congress it would effectively end the Whitehouses ability to kill Amtrak. That bill would put Amtrak "truly" under congress's control with a steady stream of funding for SIX years.

Two problems:

First. the Lott - Lautenberg bill must be signed by the President to become law. If the President vetoes the bill, it can only become law by a congressional override vote with a 2/3 majority. The phrase "slim and none" comes to mind for both possibilities.

Second, this bill does not appropriate one dime for Amtrak. This is bill is an "authorization": kind of a promise but with no enforcement. Each year the appropriation of the real money must be passed through Congress and sign into law by the President. There is no legal requirement that the appropriation match the authorization. Good thing for Amtrak. Right now there is no authorization for any Amtrak funding and there has not been for some time (2002?).