Editorial: 'Don't railroad Amtrak'

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

The following editorial, "Don't railroad Amtrak," appeared Aug. 8, 2005, in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.)

There's little disagreement that Amtrak is broken and needs to be fixed. But a Bush administration plan to starve the national railway to death and auction its remains to the highest bidder is short-sighted and wrong.

Despite carrying a record 25 million passengers last year and a national poll showing Amtrak has widespread support, the railroad continues to be bad-mouthed by the administration and others who complain that it's a waste of taxpayers' money.

After Amtrak officials requested $1.8 billion in federal funding this year, the White House countered with a $360 million "drop dead" proposal that would have essentially shut down the railroad's 15 long-distance routes except for portions of the popular service between Washington, New York and Boston.

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[Midland Valley]

If Bush's "drop dead amtrak" attitude were adopted by congress, and the assets were auctioned off, do they realize what they (we) would be losing?

Property wise, non-replaceable entities such as CUS, Phil 30th, Washington US etc. They will be gone-forever. Put the NE Corridor in the hands of the 7 or 8 states it runs through and see how long that remains intact. I am still a Republican, but this is sheer stupidity on the Bush Administrations part. We have a lone ranger president and his sidekick Sec. of Trans.

Maybe they are waiting for everything to go down the tubes and then Haliburton and the Vice President can run things and siphon off billions from the federal government to run it.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

The President doesn't need Amtrak, and neither do his rich friends. None of his big business lobby folks need it either. They all fly (first class or on board their own airplanes, or -for the administration - U.S. Air Force jets and helicopters, which the taxpayers pay for), or they have limos with drivers. Since they don't need to ride Amtrak, they are incensed that some of their tax money is used to fund it. Kill it, and they can lower taxes some more. Other people need Amtrak? Not their problem.

 

[Sam Damon]

I know of at least two senators who use Amtrak on a regular basis: Senators Biden and Byrd.

I have been told Sen. Biden commutes from Delaware to WAS using Amtrak. A staffer from Senator Byrd's office told me "the Senator uses Amtrak when his schedule permits." The staffer could not elaborate further, but implied Sen. Byrd uses the Cardinal when he can.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that same staffer told me a number of Sen. Byrd's DC office staff commute via Amtrak to and from work. This confused me until I read about Amtrak honoring MARC tickets on certain early trains.

 

[saxman]

I know of at least two senators who use Amtrak on a regular basis: Senators Biden and Byrd.
I have been told Sen. Biden commutes from Delaware to WAS using Amtrak. A staffer from Senator Byrd's office told me "the Senator uses Amtrak when his schedule permits." The staffer could not elaborate further, but implied Sen. Byrd uses the Cardinal when he can.

I saw somewhere, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) is a member of either NARP or at least TxARP. Maybe both.

Chris

 

[Guest]

Bush could care less. He rather fund the airlines(in which they are slowly cutting back to nothing ) because he doesnt affect him. I wonder if he ever took trip on Amtrak ?