Romney and Perry's Attitudes on Passenger Rail

[Anderson]

Alright, I'm not thrilled about the choices in a certain party, but I'm really having trouble deciphering Rick Perry's attitude towards passenger rail, Amtrak, and HSR. On the one hand, he'd bopped Amtrak spending once or twice; on the other, there was the whole Trans-Texas Corridor thing that was a hallmark of his for years. Likewise, I haven't heard anything out of Mitt Romney, period, on the topic (which is, regrettably, not a bad sign). So, unlike Bachmann or Paul, I don't know the attitudes of either Romney or Perry on passenger rail at all (for the record, I consider Sarah Palin to be irrelevant to the discussion along with most of the third-tier candidates).

I'll go ahead and say that I'm using this as a litmus test for supporting anyone for President in the GOP primary. Barring one of them at least being decent on the issue (or someone else surprising me...or Chris Christie jumping in, unlikely though that may be), I'm probably going to be more or less neutral in the primary.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I guarantee Rick "The New Nixon" Perry will be against Amtrak and rail Funding unless its some scheme to make his corporate owners richer at the Governments expense! (see his Texas record on Transportation matters, except for toll roads and a priviate HSR scheme he doesnt really have a plan!)

Romney doesnt really believe in anything either, running for President is his Mission in Life now thats hes even more Super Rich! Hes the clown that said that Corporations are People! (as Ann Richards said about the Bushes, he was born with a silver Foot in his mouth!)

Im sure there is some policy paper that their policy wonks have written up detailing their Transportation ideas (not that theyd know any of it! ), but with the current Rightwing T-pub hate Rail/slash the budget witch hunt on, Id venture to say they feel the same way today! :help:

As to Sister Sarah, SarahLite (Michele Bachman)and the other members of the Seven Dwarfs, you are correct sir, it doesnt matter, they are "Scenery" for the Big Two Know Nothings!!

 

[the_traveler]

Maybe both Perry and Romney will say (as McCain said) that "Amtrak doesn't run thru my state"!

 

[jis]

Maybe both Perry and Romney will say (as McCain said) that "Amtrak doesn't run thru my state"!

And in case of Romney we will have to ask him which state is he talking about too. :lol: Unfortunately for him I don't think he has any links with Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska or Hawaii.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Maybe both Perry and Romney will say (as McCain said) that "Amtrak doesn't run thru my state"!

And in case of Romney we will have to ask him which state is he talking about too. :lol: Unfortunately for him I don't think he has any links with Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska or Hawaii.

Doesnt he own "Vacation" Homes in these states?? <_<

 

[Daze]

Mitt Romney is on record saying "Post Office and Amtrak subsidies should be eliminated". Of course, he's well known for changing his mind.

 

[Anderson]

Since we're on our fifth frontrunner this year...how much damage did Newt do to Amtrak when he was Speaker? I know the Desert Wind got cut on his watch, but I can't recall if the '95 cuts were the fault of the '94 GOPers or not.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Maybe both Perry and Romney will say (as McCain said) that "Amtrak doesn't run thru my state"!

And in case of Romney we will have to ask him which state is he talking about too. :lol: Unfortunately for him I don't think he has any links with Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska or Hawaii.

Doesnt he own "Vacation" Homes in these states?? <_<

Had to sell some of them, remember he's "Unemployed", just a regular guy like all of us! :help:

 

[The Davy Crockett]

"Trains" magazine reported on 11/8/11 that Romney wants to kill all funding for Amtrak and privitize it.

 

[Anderson]

Yeah, I heard that from another source. That's...basically when Romney went from being tolerable for me to being worthless. I know it's one of the sops he's tossing the hardliners in the party, but for me (and presumably us), it's definitely the wrong sop.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Moving beyond Mittens "The Flopper" Romney and Ricky "The Texas Miracle" Perry do any of the GOP candidates support passenger rail?

 

[Shawn Ryu]

I dont think Romney will kill Amtrak, its just a rhetoric to appease the tea partiers,.The man was a governor of one of the more rail friendly state in America.

 

[Ryan]

Objection Your Honor, relevance!

What they think doesn't really matter, because none of them are going to see the White House this time around.

(Sorry, been watching Law and Order all night)

 

[George Harris]

I dont think Romney will kill Amtrak, its just a rhetoric to appease the tea partiers,.The man was a governor of one of the more rail friendly state in America.

Which proves exactly nothing. Given that the days of the super-rich moving about the country in their own private railroad cars are long gone, Romney has probably not been on a train of any kind anywhere. As he is well into private jet land, he probably does not know much about roads beyond that run to the nearest airport, either.

He is probably on the same page as one of the California national level politicans who, after the Chatsworth collision, was shocked, simply shocked to learn that passenger trains and freight trains ran in opposite directions on the same track.

 

[dlagrua]

"Trains" magazine reported on 11/8/11 that Romney wants to kill all funding for Amtrak and privitize it.

If Romney has a plan to privatize the US Passenger rail systems let him present it but first tell us WHICH railroads want to get back in the rail passenger transportation business. This is an election year and the electorate gets excited when any candidiate gets enthusiastic about cutting spending. The enthusiasm level goes even higher and reaches a fever pitch when you stand for starting another foreign war but when it comes to Amtrak its like "nobody rides trains anymore!". We've got it backwards folks.

 

[DET63]

Perry's views are irrelevant, as he's dropping out of the race. Gingrich or Romney will most likely be the nominee; find out their views.

 

[George Harris]

I dont think Romney will kill Amtrak, its just a rhetoric to appease the tea partiers,.The man was a governor of one of the more rail friendly state in America.

However, don't forget the small mindedness of the part of the country, at lest geographically. His view of rail is probably limited to commuter service, or at best Northeast Corridor style short and medium distance service. This part of the country is the home of the push 30 plus years ago for the 55 mph national speed limit, the main effect of which was loss of respect of all speed limit laws throughout most of the country.

They are willing to spend and able to get out of Uncle Sugar money for rail regarless of relative value to transportation. Example, the almost complete rail replacement on the Vermonter Route, which is a low passenger count one train a day piece of railroad. Hence, their may be a willigness to spend money on rail service in the rest of the country should they become aware that there is a rest of the country beyond the northeast.

 

[Anderson]

Perry's views are irrelevant, as he's dropping out of the race. Gingrich or Romney will most likely be the nominee; find out their views.

The thread was started at a time when it looked like Gingrich would be out of the mix by now. What a season this has been.

Truth be told, my biggest problem with Romney is that he's a walking roulette wheel. I don't have any idea what he's going to do, be it on rail or otherwise. He seems utterly amoral when it comes to policy plans, which worries me. If I could be solidly convinced that some things he's done are simply red meat he intends to abandon, I'd be less jittery about him. Of course, on other fronts the reverse is true.

In all fairness, I would not be surprised if Romney has been on the Acela once or twice...but I tend to agree that he's more likely to be in the situation of Nelson Rockefeller (who the Secret Service had to basically beg to use Air Force Two instead of his own jet, and only succeeded when they showed him it was more expensive for the government to have to fly them around chasing his jet than to have him use a government jet).