Amtrak Funding Poll

[Prairietype]

The Website "Helium" is asking readers to vote Yes or No on the question "Should Amtrak receive more federal funding?" As of now, the No's are winning. Let's out vote the No's! Vote YES online at http://www.helium.com/debates/66211-should-amtrak-receive-more-federal-funding/side_by_side?page=1

If any are inclined to help the cause this is easy and doesn't even require registration in order to vote your opinion.

Even though the vote is 2/3rds against as mentioned above, the total numbers are not great and it will be very easy to close the gap. And this actually does make a difference in the mind of the public.

Thanks to all those who step up and help. Your vote is recorded instantly.

Thanks,

Mr. Prairietype

 

[amtrakwolverine]

I voted yes

 

[Guest]

I vote no until reasonably priced lay flat accommodations (slumbercoach or couchette) are available.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Public opinion polls are the bane of functional thinking. They are, inherently, inaccurate. The opinion of public opinion polls is the opinion of the kind of boring, droll, and negative individual who votes on public opinion polls. I know a lot of people like me, and the last thing I or those like me want is to have our opinion become a statistical recording of a dichotomous viewpoint.

I can't answer this question "yes" or "no". I can't answer that question in less than several paragraphs, and that would be a stripped summary of my opinion on the subject.

And that is just one group of people who are, in general, not represented in public opinion polls. So if anyone places any stock in them, they aren't thinking clearly. Because, let us remember, Dewey Defeated Truman.

 

[Tumbleweed]

Another yes vote......can't hurt anything.

 

[zepherdude]

I voted yes! Rather ride the train than stand in a TSA line. Trains to Europe, Hawaii and maybe beyond! Cant Hurt!

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

Yes as long as road and air get subsidies.

Honestly I think no form of transportation should be subsidized. Airlines should cover all cost, all roads should be paid for solely through fuel taxes and tolls, Amtrak should run trains where they can make a profit. Just take a moment to think how big Amtrak would be if we had to pay the full cost of driving, and flying. Amtrak would hold majority market share all across the US.

 

[Lamar]

I voted--it's fun! Can't hurt anything. Some people just have to have a "several paragraph" response to everything...

 

[MikefromCrete]

This is hardly a scientific poll, but I voted yes anyway. This is just like those polls on TV news shows. They don't mean anything since the polling numbers aren't a cross section of the public, just those who came across the poll and voted. What is Helium.com anyway?

 

[dlagrua]

This is just an unscientific poll and I voted yes. I would expect the poll to be against the train traveler as most travelers do not go by rail but depart from the Federally funded and maintained airports or travel on the federaly funded highways. Also train travel adds a benefit. It produces only a fraction of the pollution that the airlines and automobiles produce and helps get some trafffic off the crowded roads and highways.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

Yes as long as road and air get subsidies.

Honestly I think no form of transportation should be subsidized. Airlines should cover all cost, all roads should be paid for solely through fuel taxes and tolls, Amtrak should run trains where they can make a profit. Just take a moment to think how big Amtrak would be if we had to pay the full cost of driving, and flying. Amtrak would hold majority market share all across the US.

Public transit including roads, air, and trains is just that--PUBLIC! The wheels of commerce would become just like the ex-communist countries if no public funds were available. The Republican Eisenhower administration produced probably the largest and most ambitious public funded project of the 20th century - The Interstate Highway System. That one massive public funded project was majorly responsible for the prosperous growth of the American economy in the last fifty years of the 20th century. Please re-think your opinion that no form of PUBLIC transportation should be subsidized. Just think of the mess and inconsistency our road system would be from State to State.

 

[Guest]

The fallacy of the poll is that you can vote as many times as you want, if you just clear your browsers cookies in between votes. I voted yes 6 or 7 times from the same pc.

 

[Shanghai]

This is just an unscientific poll and I voted yes

 

[Dave O]

I vote Yes. I hope they bring more funds on train and cut funds on highway.