Call your Senators now about the nominations!!!

[amtrak_flyer]

I know is funny to make fun of President Bush's nominations to the Amtrak board (We almost have to laugh about it). All things considered though, this is as serious as things get. If these 3 nominations get by the Senate, Amtraks days are limited. Bush nominated them specifically to implement his breakup of Amtrak. Having an Anti-Amtrak (anti David Gunn also) board of directors, takes MOST of David Gunn's cards away.

A very possible scenerio this year: Amtrak is not funded properly say less then about 1.2-3 billion. Amtrak runs into a cash crunch around June-July 2004. The new Amtrak board will not allow David Gunn to shutdown the whole system and in all likelyhood will shutdown the long distance system.

Result: President Bush gets his wish to eliminate Long distance routes, and in the process comes out smelling like roses because neither he or any other politician killed Amtrak. Amtraks OWN BOARD DID!

I am asking everyone to call their Senators again. Two fold comment, urge them to vote for Full 1.8 billion funding for Amtrak in 2004 (its very much still up in the air) and also voice your OUTRAGE about President Bush's nominations to Amtraks Board.

I dont mean to bash Bush (I'm a republican), but he is truly clueless on this issue. I almost see this as a personal vendetta between Bush/Mineta VS David Gunn. Call, write, email your Senators now..and plan a train ride!

 

[Amfleet]

The way I thought it all worked was David Gunn can shut down the entire system no matter what the board wants to do? It's funny, I could more likely see Gunn shut down the NEC between WAS and BOS and keep everything else running. That'll show Bush that it is not the LDs that need the cash, but the crumbling NEC.

 

[AlanB]

The way I thought it all worked was David Gunn can shut down the entire system no matter what the board wants to do? It's funny, I could more likely see Gunn shut down the NEC between WAS and BOS and keep everything else running. That'll show Bush that it is not the LDs that need the cash, but the crumbling NEC.

Amfleet,

You are partially correct. If the board fires David first, then and only then can they prevent him from carrying out his threat to shut down the system. However if they can't get together fast enough to fire him, then he will carry out his threat if it comes to that.

Frankly I also suspect that if these guys somehow pass muster and get appointed to the board, then David will keep his cards very close to his chest. That means that unless the board preempts him by firing him far in advance, he won't say much of anything. David will just quietly line up his ducks in a row, and then suddenly and without warning he'll shut down everything.

 

[Guest_amtrak_flyer]

Didnt Mineta go to the Board last summer during the crisis and ask if they would cancel LD service in return for a $200 million loan , after Gunn refused to? The Board also refused it at the time???

 

[jccollins]

I did my part by e-mailing and calling Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) with my outrage about the nominations and support for the full $1.8 billion budget.

It is YOUR turn: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_info...enators_cfm.cfm

It won't do us any good to talk about Amtrak if it isn't here next year. Do YOUR part! You might not think one more e-mail or one more phone call is going to make a difference, but if every one of us on this discussion board does our part it's quite a few "one more"s.

 

[tp49]

What I find interesting and possibly disturbing is that usually presidential appointments for certain positions (especially the case with judges) come with recommendations fromt he senators from the states they most directly effect or in this case from senators on the committee that deals most directly with the issue.

The reason I mention this is that Kay Bailey Hutchinson is one of Amtrak's biggest supporters, yet, Bob Crandell most likely would have been recommended for the board by her as Texas' senior senator. While it is also possible President Bush made this decision on his own I find that to be somewhat unlikely. I would really love to know Sen. Hutchinson's view on the appointment of Bob Crandell to the Amtrak board.