Whatever makes you think that Amtrak is seriously interested in capturing the New York - Philadelphia market from Megabus or NJT/SEPTA? Their fare setting policies have made it amply clear that they are more interested in longer distance passengers. They used to have a class of trains called Clockers that exclusively served the NYP - PHL market, which they got rid of as fast as they could convince NJT to take them over and the slots used by them at Penn Station.
I just wonder what's happened to the concept of "for the greater good"? There was the original Federal Highway Act (late 1920s) - because getting the Model Ts out of the mud was for the greater good. And there was the Rural Electrification Act to bring electricity to those for whom it would be prohibitive - again, deemed to be for the greater good. Then we had the Interstate Highway Act (wrapped in DoW goodness) - but again, for the greater good. It seems now the federal government only has money for corporate pork, but the concept of for the greater good has disappeared. The Federal highway funding runs $40b/yr (beyond the HTF) - to build/upgrade what isn't practical for those small locales to do such. Why don't trains, and engendering a FlyAmtrak vs drive your Japanese Iron, not count as for the greater good? What would it really cost short term to fund Amtrak so that it could get the rolling stock that it needs to really run a schedule... I suspect a small subset of what gets spent on highways per year, and a very small fraction that goes into corporate welfare. Maybe if Amtrak was of sufficient size, then it could charge lesser fares simply due to economy of scale... but funding it as now where it is barely staying alive, and basically incapable of growing... not for the greater good.
I agree with your position, but remember that Congress makes the laws impacting taxes, tariffs and foreign practices.
This is false. Fares are up systemwide.
There is a big difference between what is legal and what is ethical. It'd be great if the two were more closely aligned, but as long as the folks with money get to write the laws, that ain't going to happen.
This simply isn't true. The prices on the Empire Builder were increased at the same time. My 2011 $54 low-bucket coach ticket from St. Paul to Minot is now $70. The roomette that was $84 is now somewhere in the nineties. Plus it's now terribly difficult to get anything in the lowest bucket (that's why I don't know how much the roomette costs), so the real price of coach seat is often $91 or $119, and the roomette is pretty much always $144. It's reduced the frequency of my trips to see my aged mother, but that's the way things work. I don't even have the cheap options (Megabus, etc.) you do, so it's difficult for me to muster much sympathy.
This is what fuel tax, Federal and State income tax is supposed to cover. Though if those rates are low enough, then I don't disagree with pay-to-use.
Yeah, but you actually provided data.
Gold star for you.We just raised the fuel tax for the first time in 20 years or so here too (to the same chorus of complaining). Certainly a mixture of the two is appropriate. The problem boils down to people wanting nice stuff and not wanting to pay for it.
Or, maybe people feel they're already paying enough, just those monies are being subverted to things they don't want, but are politically convenient for the politicos.... currently 56 cents of every tax dollar taken in (read that carefully - it doesn't say 56% of the budget, and it doesn't say anything about SS or Medicare monies) are going to the bomb builders... wonder how many tax payers really want that? No, I think the correct statement is: the tax payers feel they're paying more than enough, yet they don't see the benefits they'd expect/desire. What would it take - 0.2% of the total federal budget to ENTIRELY fund Amtrak, never mind just making up the differences btwn revenue and costs which is currently done?Yeah, but you actually provided data.
We just raised the fuel tax for the first time in 20 years or so here too (to the same chorus of complaining). Certainly a mixture of the two is appropriate. The problem boils down to people wanting nice stuff and not wanting to pay for it.
Who is the "they" that you speak of. Amtrak has zero control over what NJT or SEPTA does, and in principle those two are quite free to run whatever service they want provided they pay appropriate trackage charges for them. Amtrak's exclusivity has been removed from the relevant regulations quite a while back.
Yet people want stuff from the Government without paying for it! :blink: Down here in Texas TEMPO sets the Fares and Prices for the Texas Eagle and they have Increased Substantially in the past 2 years due to Increased Demand! (Example, 2 years ago the Coach Rail Fare AUS-CHI was $95/ Low Bucket and now it is $133! Roomettes Low Bucket used to be $122, now they are $164 and go up to $365!!! Southwest Airlines has Flights as low as $99 from Austin to CHI Midway if Booked Early yet the Eagle Ridership continues to Increase and on Many Days, especially the 3 times a Week #421/#422 LAX-CHI , the Rooms are High Bucket or SOLD OUT!!!Unfortunately this is also not a realistic goal. While subsidy per pax/mile can be a very useful metric, in this case it's not giving one the full picture. Amtrak actually gets fewer total dollars than highways does, yet it has a higher subsidy per passenger mile because the amount of miles driven is huge. It's like comparing the amount of grains of sand in a sand box in your backyard to the Jersey shore. They're not even in the same ball park.
Don't forget they used to give you a free drinking glass with a fill-up from time to time too.
And free maps!Don't forget they used to give you a free drinking glass with a fill-up from time to time too.
I think he was part of a larger Hanna Barbera series. I seem to remember having the Scooby Gang too. Oh! And we had glasses with the "B.C." characters... and Beetle Bailey...For the younger people.... kind of like what Google now does, over Garmin.
Or, at least let those that are in office, know what you think and how you feel - short of that, and maybe independent of that, they'll continue to behave as part of the best government money can buy. :-(
