Interest artcile in the washington post web site

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Amfleet said:
It seems like someone wrote 18 routes onto little pieces of paper and pulled them randomly out of a hat. I hope this doesn't go through.
Me too, losing those routes would be unfortunate. The only good thing is that its not the 18. I hope that this doesn't happen and if anything Congress would increase funding to help these routes improve service. :unsure:
 
We gave almost $15 billion to the airlines last year (still looking for more) and over $20 billion to the raods and hiways. AND YOU DON"T EVEN WANT TO FUND AMTRAK WITH A MEASLY 1.2 BILLION. Look some routes are unprofitable, most airlne flights don't make money either and don't even get men started with the roads and hiways. Also the Southwest Chief may loose $200 a passenger, but the train can at times be sold out. It seems that the government is only looking at the money (since it's all they care about) not how many passengers ride the train. Give Gunn 1.2 billion this year, give him a chance to turn the company around, but please don't cut routes. :angry:
 
There was a similar article in today's New York Times. Mica was on CNBC yesterday defending the airline industry's request for additional federal funding arguing that the federal government in essence aquired the security equipment at the airlines without paying market value (or anything) for it. If he's in such a tight race the potential loss of the Sunset could harm him politically. Does he want to take that risk? If it were me I would not.
 
Yes, we should get over 1.2 billion if anything. I don't think anyone would want to take that risk. What I want to know is why we don't have someone defending Amtrak's Request for funding on CNBC?
 
The context of the CNBC story was funding for the airline industry, rail never came up at all. However, when the Amtrak funding issue comes up, and it will sooner than they would like. One would hope the networks would show both sides of the story. From past performance I am inclined to think they won't.
 
tp49 said:
The context of the CNBC story was funding for the airline industry, rail never came up at all. However, when the Amtrak funding issue comes up, and it will sooner than they would like. One would hope the networks would show both sides of the story. From past performance I am inclined to think they won't.
Its unfortunate that the viewing public, whose opinion matters doesn't see both sides of the story.
 
tp49 said:
There was a similar article in today's New York Times. Mica was on CNBC yesterday defending the airline industry's request for additional federal funding arguing that the federal government in essence aquired the security equipment at the airlines without paying market value (or anything) for it. If he's in such a tight race the potential loss of the Sunset could harm him politically. Does he want to take that risk? If it were me I would not.
That could be one of the most ridiculous statements I've ever heard. Mica now wins the idiot of the year award, if he thinks that idea makes any sense. :huh: The airlines would have given that equipment away gladly and so fast that our heads would still be spinning. :eek:

They are so on the winning side of this, that not getting fully paid for the security equipment is a joke. The airlines have cut millions of dollars from their budgets, by not having to pay for airport security anymore. The federal government and our tax dollars now pay for that. So to say that we need to bail out the airlines because, we didn’t pay them enough money for the equipment, while assuming the privilege of taking over all security expenses from them is ridiculous.
 
As far as that bill coming out of the House, I kinda suspect that it will get changed long before it gets to the floor of the House. The Republican's have too much to loose if Amtrak cuts those trains.

Even if by some miracle it does get out of the House, when they reconcile the bill with the Senate version those provisions about the $200 per passenger will most likely get cut.

The more important thing here is the fact that anything less than 1.2 Billion is a non-starter as far as David Gunn is concerned. If they end up giving Amtrak less than that 1.2B, they won't have to worry about cutting trains that are pulling less than $200 per passenger, David will have shut down Amtrak long before then.

David has told Congress that if they want to cut routes they must tell him what routes to cut. He's also made it quite clear that cutting routes isn't going to save him any money. Without 1.2B, even if they did cut those six routes, Amtrak will still run out of money.
 
Alan,

When I saw him on television I laughed at his poor attempt at an eminent domain argument. If I were the airlines I would gladly fork over the equipment for free. Makes me ashamed to be of the same party as this guy.
 
tp49 said:
When I saw him on television I laughed at his poor attempt at an eminent domain argument. If I were the airlines I would gladly fork over the equipment for free.
TP49,

I'm sure that David would be happy to give up Amtrak's security, if the Federal Government wanted to pay for it. Even better then maybe he could get Congress to give him 10 Billion too, since Amtrak didn’t get properly compensated for turning over all those police cars.

Like I said the airlines gladly turned over that equipment and they were happy to see it go. Now of course they are laughing all the way to the bank. Not only do they no longer have to pay for all that security, they can get government grants for giving up that security. What a windfall for them.

How utterly ridiculous for Mica to even suggest it. Allow terrorists to take over your planes and kill thousands of people, yet the Federal Government will reward you for it. Time and time again.

If Congress would give Amtrak 1/10th of the money they’ve handed out to the airlines this past year since the disaster, plus the savings they’ve received by no longer paying for security, and David Gunn would have more money than he’s even asking Congress for. He’d be talking about expansions and new cars, if they gave him 1/10th what the airlines have received since September 11th of last year.
 
Given the state of things in the nation's transportation environment , if any of us have any opinions about the future of a rail passenger system, don't let the opportunity go by without saying something to those peole in your state, and in D.C. who have the responsibility to appropriate the dolllars.

Those folks back east are not going to give up the bucks unless they hear from somebody else besides the airplane groups, the guard rail and road stripe groups....let them know what you want. :)
 
As always, VIewliner...thanks for the neat things you find. I especially liked the one about Gunn personally ordering the firing of employees he found asleep on the job.....I could have found a few for him myself, ESPECIALLY my now worn-out complaint about the porter on the CZ who was literarlly catchhing up on his sleep becasue the westbound had arrive hours late) and did not greet us at door in Emeryville two years ago.
 
Viewliner said:
Click here for a good article which makes points in our favor that show how compitent David Gunn would be if he got funding.
Sadly, :( it would appear that the letter fell on deaf ears in the House appropriations committee. They voted yesterday and approved only 762M for Amtrak. In addition they added the ridiculous condition that only 150M can be used to support Long Distance trains. LD trains currently require over 350M in support annually just to keep running.

So what they have cleverly done, or so they think, is to not stick their necks out and tell Amtrak what routes to cut like they were doing in the original draft. They've put the ball back into Amtrak's court so that David will have to make the tough decisions and be the fall guy for cutting LD trains. Apparently they haven't been listening to David Gunn very carefully. He's told them time and time again, that he won't cut any LD trains unless Congress specifically tells him what trains to cut.

Should this bill make it through the whole House, something that could happen but still seems unlikely, it would then have to be reconciled with the Senate version. So that provision could still be taken out during the reconciliation process.

Regardless of the outcome over the LD provision, if the House does not up the total appropriation to the 1.2B, they won't have to worry about what LD trains get cut. There won't be an Amtrak, as David will have closed the doors. :( He’s also told Congress time and time again, that he can’t have anything less than 1.2B otherwise he will be forced to shutdown Amtrak.

He can't run Amtrak with anything less than 1.2B; and cutting 2, 3, or more LD trains isn't going to save him any money this year. So Amtrak will still run out of money before the end of the year, if they are only given 762M.

Stay tuned, it looks like it’s going to be another interesting ride!
 
It seem to me that who get money is done on a political party line.

They also seem to be pro raod and airline.

Guy
 
AlanB said:
Viewliner said:
Click here for a good article which makes points in our favor that show how compitent David Gunn would be if he got funding.
Sadly, :( it would appear that the letter fell on deaf ears in the House appropriations committee. They voted yesterday and approved only 762M for Amtrak. In addition they added the ridiculous condition that only 150M can be used to support Long Distance trains. LD trains currently require over 350M in support annually just to keep running.

So what they have cleverly done, or so they think, is to not stick their necks out and tell Amtrak what routes to cut like they were doing in the original draft. They've put the ball back into Amtrak's court so that David will have to make the tough decisions and be the fall guy for cutting LD trains. Apparently they haven't been listening to David Gunn very carefully. He's told them time and time again, that he won't cut any LD trains unless Congress specifically tells him what trains to cut.

Should this bill make it through the whole House, something that could happen but still seems unlikely, it would then have to be reconciled with the Senate version. So that provision could still be taken out during the reconciliation process.

Regardless of the outcome over the LD provision, if the House does not up the total appropriation to the 1.2B, they won't have to worry about what LD trains get cut. There won't be an Amtrak, as David will have closed the doors. :( He’s also told Congress time and time again, that he can’t have anything less than 1.2B otherwise he will be forced to shutdown Amtrak.

He can't run Amtrak with anything less than 1.2B; and cutting 2, 3, or more LD trains isn't going to save him any money this year. So Amtrak will still run out of money before the end of the year, if they are only given 762M.

Stay tuned, it looks like it’s going to be another interesting ride!
I hope that whatever happens doesn't ruin Gunn's career and make him look like the bad guy. Bill, your complaint is an important one, and should be heard, that would be a good example of how a "secret shopper" program might have purpose. Think what would've happened if you couldn't board, you and your fellow passengers would have been pretty P/O'd and Amtrak might have lost more business. After all if that happened on every late train, you'd have some very empty trains. As for finding the article Railnews.net is a great site for rail related stories, also google now has a good news search, for example thats where I found the story on the minor Auto Train Derailment. Also, in Computer Applications, we get "I.I.R." (free time) on certain occasions, so I'm able to make posts in the middle of the day.

As for GWR's comments, he's right, you hear mainly about Democrats who are pro-Amtrak, and Republicans who are like minutemen for the Airlines, where "money is ready on a moments notice".
 
Viewliner....thanks for the mention of Railnews.net. .I will check it out.ALso you explained why you are able to sometimes make posts during the day. Seems a lot of people on this forum are in school during the day and post a night..I am just the opposite....at work during the day and do not have a computer at home at night. And, of course, being at work I can't be found using this too much!! Our forum here seems about the best around....do you have any suggestions for any others, aside from the one just mentioned?
 
The only good thing so far is that Amtrak will no longer be forced to cut routes. Click here for an article about that.

The committee instead approved an amendment that gives a flat $150 million to the long-distance routes, three-fourths of what Amtrak says it needs.
Rogers said that every long-distance train could continue if ridership and revenues increase, and if states and cities help fund them.

"The Congress, in essence, is saying, 'We're going to cut service,"' said Rep. David Obey, D-Minn. "All you're doing is drawing a veil over the action."

Other Democrats said passenger rail doesn't turn a profit anywhere in the world, and noted the airline industry received a much bigger subsidy -- $15 billion in loan guarantees and cash -- after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The full House will consider Amtrak funding as part of the overall transportation spending bill, which the committee has yet to approve. Any differences with the Senate will have to be negotiated.
 
Click here for a Google News Search on "Amtrak". I have access on certain days in school in my Computer Applications class, If the teacher gives us time after we finish our work. Its referred to as "Independant Internet Research." I make most posts at night like everyone, in fact I'm getting off to get started on my homework in 10 minutes, but then I'll be back. I'm doing the rest tomorrow, so that sunday is open for the NJ Transit Festival. :) I'll be taking pictures as part of my Creative Photography homework, and the teacher mentioned Hoboken as a nice place to take pictures.
 
Hoboken has great views of the NYC skyline, and Frank Sinatra is from there too :)

Does anyone know who does the lobbying work for Amtrak? Do they contract it out or is it an in-house operation?

While the house generously (extreme sarcasm) appropriated an extra 200 million over last year the 150 million stipulation is nuts.

I heard somewhere (tv, paper or someplace) that there are federally funded air corridors between cities that otherwise would not be served by the airlines. Why can't Amtrak get some of this action as I am sure there are city pairs that Amtrak serves which airlines don't or won't go. Especially considering the financial health of the airline industry the possibility is there that the unprofitible pairs would be dropped altogether it would behoove the House to keep the trains running in these areas so there is at least some form of intercity transportation.
 
Hi

Can't the mid term elections change this around get some more pro-amtrak in the house. Also put some extra money Amtrak way.

Guy
 
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