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Author Topic: Time to write your congress critters
Mike Smith
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With the major hassle of airline travel, now might be an ideal time to remind our Congress that they have forgotten about an alternative to air travel, IE Amtrak.

Here's the letter I sent yesterday to all 3 of my DC critters. Feel free to critique it, copy it, or use a part of it for your letter.

<begin letter>
Once again, the Islamo-fascists have threatened our air transportation. Right now, we need an alternative to air transportation. We need to fund and expand passenger rail to give us that alternative.

Air transportation receives a $14 billion a year subsidy, our roadways receive a $32 billion a year subsidy, our waterways receive a $6 billion subsidy each year, and our passenger rail system receives a paltry $1+ billion a year subsidy. It is time we expand and enhance passenger rail so the next time the islamo-fascists succeed in taking down our air transportation we have a viable alternative. They will keep trying. Hopefully, we will keep thwarting their attempts.

The travel restrictions on airplanes continue to get worse. Right now, water is prohibited. How far are we going to go with the air travel restrictions? How soon before we all have to fly naked? I find air travel to be oppressive and a violation of my private property rights. I cannot carry my pocketknife with me on a plane. When will that return to a pre 9-11 condition? Probably never.

Within the next 10 years, there will be 80 million retirees. Do we, as a Nation, want them clogging up our roadways and airports, or would it be more efficient for them to “take the train” to see their grandkids? Right now, there is not much of an alternative.

We need to do with rail what we did with the Interstate Highway System. We need the alternative and our Nation needs the option to use those rails to transport military vehicles across our Nation, so the next attack can be dealt with. Also, we could use the rails to transport heavy equipment to disaster areas.

Fully fund and expand Amtrak.

Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Gilbert B Norman
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Mr. Smith, here is another term "making the rounds" for those friendly folk you note:

EURAB and/or
EURABIAN

Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Mike Smith
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quote:
Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman:
Mr. Smith, here is another term "making the rounds" for those friendly folk you note:

EURAB and/or
EURABIAN

Mr Norman, those two terms are WAY too polite and nice. I much prefer islamo-fascists.

I will not try to sugar-coat the names of the scum that want to kill us. I will not "make nice" with them.

Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
train lady
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Mike, may I add my names for the scum as you so aptly put it. I call them power mad lunatics who hide behind religion to put forth their mad schemes
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
George Harris
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If someone thinks randomly killing people is a reasonable thing to do, I do not care what their political views or religion is. They are a danger to the entire human race and should be hunted to the ends of the earth and exterminated, along with those that teach that this should be done, regardless of their reasoning.
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train lady
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George I couldn't agree with you more.I am not Muslim but I do feel sorry for all the decent Muslims who catch fall out from what is going on today.
I noticed on today's news that Amtrak has beefed up security at Union Station in DC.

Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Mr. Toy
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Terrorists are bad. We all know that. So can we keep this topic related to trains?

I wrote my congresscritters last week when I learned that the Del Monte revival has now been pushed back to 2014 at the earliest. Four years ago it was 2006, two months ago it was 2009. I told them this wouldn't be happening if there was federal money available like there is for highways.

Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
train lady
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Mr. Toy, I began to think about your last posting and it occurrs to me that terrorists ARE related to trains. Perhaps not so much in your neck of the woods but definitely in mine. A few days ago Union Station in DC was shut down and evacuated because a suspicious package was spotted on the close in tracks. The metro cars were being inspected with bomb sniffing dogs the past few days. The police presense along with dogs is far more evident these days. This is something we live with on a daily basis whether it is the subway,commuter trains or Amtrak.
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Mr. Toy
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Yes, trains have been terrorist targets. But the discussion above had nothing to do with trains, just terrorists in general.
Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

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