Trump and Amtrak/Budget cutting funding

[TinCan782]

End of the Empire? Amtrak's 15 long-distance rail lines face elimination

http://lacrossetribune.com/tomahjournal/news/local/end-of-the-empire-amtrak-s-long-distance-rail-lines/article_6687fc2f-e612-58a0-9ed8-afb8bd280a8a.html

President Donald Trump’s proposed 2018 budget would reduce Amtrak’s funding from $1.5 billion to $760 million, part of a larger package of cuts that trims $2.4 billion from federal transportation in all. That would end all of Amtrak’s long-distance routes — 15 of them — including the Empire Builder, which stretches 2,200 miles from Chicago to Seattle with Wisconsin stops in Milwaukee, Columbus, Portage, Wisconsin Dells, Tomah and La Crosse.

It's a long article, so go and read it for yourself...

Moderator Note: edited to reduce content of quote to comply with copyright rules.

Re-hash (to make local) of not-so-recent news.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Like this??

An interesting possible direction for Amtrak's café cars.

 

[TinCan782]

Like this??

An interesting possible direction for Amtrak's café cars.

As long as the "wrap" doesn't cover the windows and obscure the view!

Actually, this (second) round of save Amtrak long distance has been going on for what, two months now? Mid-June saw the "Rally for Trains.

We've been seeing many articles which are localized (which is fine) versions of the main story from a couple months ago. Drive the story home to rally the population!

 

[jis]

End of the Empire? Amtrak's 15 long-distance rail lines face elimination

http://lacrossetribune.com/tomahjournal/news/local/end-of-the-empire-amtrak-s-long-distance-rail-lines/article_6687fc2f-e612-58a0-9ed8-afb8bd280a8a.html

President Donald Trump’s proposed 2018 budget would reduce Amtrak’s funding from $1.5 billion to $760 million, part of a larger package of cuts that trims $2.4 billion from federal transportation in all. That would end all of Amtrak’s long-distance routes — 15 of them — including the Empire Builder, which stretches 2,200 miles from Chicago to Seattle with Wisconsin stops in Milwaukee, Columbus, Portage, Wisconsin Dells, Tomah and La Crosse.

It's a long article, so go and read it for yourself...

Moderator Note: edited to reduce content of quote to comply with copyright rules.

Re-hash (to make local) of not-so-recent news.

Yup old story being rehashed and getting stale specially now that both House and Senate appropriations folks have spoken.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

End of the Empire? Amtrak's 15 long-distance rail lines face elimination

http://lacrossetribune.com/tomahjournal/news/local/end-of-the-empire-amtrak-s-long-distance-rail-lines/article_6687fc2f-e612-58a0-9ed8-afb8bd280a8a.html

President Donald Trump’s proposed 2018 budget would reduce Amtrak’s funding from $1.5 billion to $760 million, part of a larger package of cuts that trims $2.4 billion from federal transportation in all. That would end all of Amtrak’s long-distance routes — 15 of them — including the Empire Builder, which stretches 2,200 miles from Chicago to Seattle with Wisconsin stops in Milwaukee, Columbus, Portage, Wisconsin Dells, Tomah and La Crosse.

It's a long article, so go and read it for yourself...

Moderator Note: edited to reduce content of quote to comply with copyright rules.

Re-hash (to make local) of not-so-recent news.

Yup old story being rehashed and getting stale specially now that both House and Senate appropriations folks have spoken.

I agree; it is extremely unlikely the Empire Builder will be discontinued. However, it's still good for the story to spread so more supporters can be gained.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

How is spreading overblown debunked stories different than fear mongering?

 

[jis]

The consequences of endlessly crying wolf comes to mind.... People just tune out after a while and become desensitized, and come next time they just have a tendency to say "Meh". Be careful not to lose the trust of those that you need. Very important to be factually accurate to maintain trust.

 

[Ryan]

Precisely. We’ve already seen a fair bit of that this time around.

 

[Poindexter118]

I was relieved to see Amtrak was taken off the chopping block. I have written my senator, and said I was worried that long distance trains could be taken away. In my letter, I said we need a balanced transit system. A few weeks ago, I also wrote a letter to President Trump asking him to reconsider gutting Amtrak. I haven't heard back, but I'm assuming with thousands of people calling, writing, or Emailing, that maybe the message may have gotten through.

MODERATOR NOTE: A new topic, which was created by OP entitled "saved again," was merged into this existing thread on the same topic.

 

[zephyr17]

Well, this is a replay of something that has been happening more years than not since Amtrak started in 1971. I don't want to sound dismissive, and I, too, have made letters and calls. But Amtrak long distance service has been a target since I can remember. Bush zeroed out the budget, too, for instance. But I was far from panicked about it, and the result was actually better than I thought, so far not even major cutbacks.

The dance continues as it has for decades. Amtrak gets enough to survive, but never enough to thrive.

Silver lining: John Mica (R-FL) is gone!

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I don't think any message got through to anyone. The truth is, at this moment, real problems are publically obvious, such as Harvey, Irma, and FEMA running out of funds. This they have real fights to distract the public from the hidden underlying ones like our collapsing infrastructure and unsustainably low taxes.

When those go back to being the issues of concern, the old punching bags will be dragged out again, and the teapot tempest machine will be switched on once again.

 

[zephyr17]

At least the diners don't have Mica around to punch them anymore.

 

[neroden]

In the last few days, a specific, grandstanding attempt to kill all Amtrak funding in the House was defeated 293-128. Attempts to remove Gateway funding were defeated 260-159. Essentially unanimous Democratic support for Amtrak and about 1/3 of the Republicans, with additional Republican support if it didn't mean supporting the Northeast Corridor. :sigh:

This is actually better than in previous decades when the votes were tighter.