So the house GOP has officially proposed their budget today and our worst fears have been relieved. They only propose to cut 224 million $ from amtrak's budget. That is still a higher appropriation that what Amtrak has had in budgets past, so the outlook seems ok for Amtrak.
Amtrak funding cut
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It made no sense at all to defund Amtrak and the correct thing was done. Some congress people and their support staffs even take the train to go to their job in Washington and could you imagine all Amtrak pasengers being forced onto the highways? Rt 95 is already a parking lot on weekends and during rush hour. We've got to look towards solutions that lessen the highway traffic not increase it.
I think this is the first sign that most of the harsh words about Amtrak where just political posturing. Out of a 1.5 billion $ budget, Amtrak got 224$ million cut, which was on par with the FAA and below other programs. So Amtrak will survive and keep rolling along, like it always does.
The traditional art of Amtrak Budget Kabuki continues...
henryj
Conductor
Good news.
Tumbleweed
OBS Chief
Great news!
ALC Rail Writer
Engineer
They are searching in the wrong places for money... Illinois has the right idea. A modest tax increase on the top five percent would relieve a lot of stress in the coffers.
So how does this impact the viewliner order?
Keep in mind that this was the proposed budget numbers coming out of the House Appropriations committee. The revised FY2011 budget still has to be passed by the committees and the House - and a fight could erupt between the newly elected hardcore tea party members and the Republican leadership & more mainstream Republicans. The Senate has to pass their own FY2011 appropriations bill, which had, if I recall, around $1.9 billion for Amtrak in the bill that did got hung up in the Senate at the end of the lame duck session in December. There is a lot of horse trading to be done and this time, with an Administration that has placed significant political capital in favor of passenger rail. If I was to bet, it would be on Amtrak FY2011 funding matching the FY2010 levels. Not what Amtrak was hoping for, but enough to keep the trains running.
As I said, 35 years of Amtrak Funding Kabuki continues...
NorthCoastHiawatha
OBS Chief
So that leaves the Amtrak budget at what now?
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
I'm glad to see that idiots in the HAC didn't posture their way down to zero. But frankly, this means nothing. Lets wait until the bill passes before we make guesses. AND KEEP WRITING LETTERS!
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
Staff member
Administator
Moderator
AU Supporting Member
Gathering Team Member
Not known. Also, this is just the first proposal of a budget. The number could get bumped up in negotiations with the Senate in conference. One has to wait and watch. I think Amtrak advocates should take the position that Amtrak should be fully funded at the level the President is asking. And then let the cards fall where they may.
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Agreed.
1) If a fight breaks out on the House floor over this particular item, the hardliners are going to have a lot of trouble making deeper cuts stick because, on balance, there are enough GOPers from areas that train service is at least somewhat important to that their ambitions will likely get contained. I think this is probably the "bad" proposal, so to speak.
2) Funding will probably get restored in the conference process. I will say that for all of the huffing and puffing, this is an easy issue for them to back down on. As loud as the tea party folks are, this is really an ancillary issue to most of them: Easy to beat up on when they want to look tough, easy to discard. There's a reason that Dubya's attempts to defund Amtrak were killed off so easily...not only pro-rail Republicans, but the ease of dropping this cut. While there's a market for "kill Amtrak" rhetoric, I really don't see anybody getting kicked out of Congress just over rail spending, but there are enough GOPers within a close distance of decent rail service to get in trouble if their local trains get killed in the process to give us good pushback behind the scenes.
2) Funding will probably get restored in the conference process. I will say that for all of the huffing and puffing, this is an easy issue for them to back down on. As loud as the tea party folks are, this is really an ancillary issue to most of them: Easy to beat up on when they want to look tough, easy to discard. There's a reason that Dubya's attempts to defund Amtrak were killed off so easily...not only pro-rail Republicans, but the ease of dropping this cut. While there's a market for "kill Amtrak" rhetoric, I really don't see anybody getting kicked out of Congress just over rail spending, but there are enough GOPers within a close distance of decent rail service to get in trouble if their local trains get killed in the process to give us good pushback behind the scenes.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that we are out of the woods regarding rail funding. Continue to contact your elected officials, and work and advocate folks. We need to promote rail as an option, and expansion of choice & expansion of mobility. Don't talk about Climate change, as there are many who think that that topic was invented by Al Gore and others to enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of us. Support rail as an expansion of choice. and continue to support all of our train services.
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Let us remember, in 1997 Mexico's fairly extensive long distance train services operated by NdeM were shut down in their entirety. Do not start getting opimistic. This is how we will lose Amtrak. Complete defunding is not an impossibility. It can happen. I say it is unlikely, but it CAN happen. Don't make the mistakes NARP made in '79 that resulted in the Carter Cuts.
J
JJJ
Guest
Please. If amtrak could survive Bush and republican majorities in both houses, amtrak can survive some freshmen tea partiers.
Remember, they can huff and puff as much as they want, but the democrat senate and the democrat president still have to sign off on it.
And contrary to what the republican party wants you to believe, the majority of the country supports the Obama agenda. Remember, the 2010 election results werent because the masses turned out to vote republican, it's because the masses stayed home.
Remember, they can huff and puff as much as they want, but the democrat senate and the democrat president still have to sign off on it.
And contrary to what the republican party wants you to believe, the majority of the country supports the Obama agenda. Remember, the 2010 election results werent because the masses turned out to vote republican, it's because the masses stayed home.
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Plan and expect the worst while hoping for the best.
A
ACVitale
Guest
I believe that Amtrak is having a record year in terms of passengers carried. While I am on the "dark" side politically I do believe in infrastructure and consider HSR and Amtrak to be good for the country (Provided HSR has its own corridors and does not use the freight rail tracks and infrastructure as is done in Europe and SE Asia)
What are the chances that the increased ridership will benefit Amtrak finances to "make up" some of the cuts?
With the number of $300-400 roomette sleepers on the Silver Service I have purchased this year I must be making some contribution.
What are the chances that the increased ridership will benefit Amtrak finances to "make up" some of the cuts?
With the number of $300-400 roomette sleepers on the Silver Service I have purchased this year I must be making some contribution.
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