"Republican Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico applauded defeat of the amendment, saying the Amtrak funding bill needs to get through "but not by ripping the rails out from under the long-distance routes that serve the West."Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000
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On the loss side, it should be noted that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) is not seeking re-election when her term expires during January '09.
Oh and let us note the popup Google decided I needed to see when preparing this posting:
Posts: 9980 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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I'm no expert in reading proposed legislation, but the bill cited by Mr. Toy (Passenger Rail Investment & Improvement Act) looks pretty good: a 6 year commitment for gov't financial support, a requirement for all parties to improve on-time performance, a concern for passenger satisfaction, etc. Am I being a pollyanna or is this an improvement? This is a summary:
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I understand that in Britain they only allow campaigning for 6 weeks before the elections. Is there anyone other than me who would absolutely love to see that here? No wonder there is so much apathy here for elections. We are all exhausted from years of hype. This is in response to Gil's note on Google
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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All points you note quite correct, Mr. Black. But without a permanent, as distinct from a commitment, source of funding (hey, even the Defense Department hasn't got that), such as a trust fund, words and blab are simply just that.
Lest we forget, "a lot of that" is floating around Wash.
Posts: 9980 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Train lady, Many, probably most US citizens would prefer the much storter campaigning but the television and newpaper interests certainly do not. They make too much money with the current system. Both from the advertising and the justification for all the 'reporters' who inundate us with the mundane and irrelevant; and also have neither the willingness nor the capability to ask tough questions.
Posts: 467 | From: Prescott, AZ USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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Re Kay Bailey Hutchinson: term expires in 2010, when she said she will retire, but rumor is she may run for governor of Texas then, so, if she did and won, she could still be an Amtrak advocate.
OTOH, you should know that Senator Domenici, mentioned in Mr Toy's original posting, is retiring in 2008! And Heather Wilson, one of the Republican Congresspersons who may run for his senate seat, is no fan of the Sunset Ltd, according to that letter she wrote to Charley here (as I remember). But it's possible a Dem will win this seat, and more likely an Amtrak advocate, just depends who runs. Right now Udall and Bill Richardson have both said they would not run, Richardson perhaps because he thinks he might get the VP nomination, but we'll see. . . .
Mr Toy, the terrible anti-Amtrak amendment that was thankfully defeated on the Amtrak bill in the Senate yesterday was put forward by Sununu, Republican New Hampshire senator (and son of former White House aid and some time TV pundit John Sununu). It is surprising that someone up for reelecton in 2008 would be so anti-Amtrak, but perhaps not so surprising if you check out the polls, according to which Sununu is almost assured of losing his seat to former governor Jean Shaheen, who will be running against him.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by TBlack: I'm no expert in reading proposed legislation, but the bill cited by Mr. Toy (Passenger Rail Investment & Improvement Act) looks pretty good: a 6 year commitment for gov't financial support, a requirement for all parties to improve on-time performance, a concern for passenger satisfaction, etc. Am I being a pollyanna or is this an improvement? This is a summary:
I agree---it's an improvement. Amtrak gets needed funding for capital improvements (equipment replacement, NEC infrastructure, etc.) as well as continued federal financial assistance for Amtrak's operations. Moreover, like any business, Amtrak has to make improvements to its financial reporting, operational efficiency, and customer service in order to continue receiving this money.
I also like the fact that the bill creates a capital grant program to encourage states to make improvements to their rail infrastructure and facilities. Hopefully, among other things, this will encourage the construction of a third track in heavily traveled areas like northern Indiana and the Washington, DC to Richmond, VA corridor.
Posts: 100 | From: Kernersville, NC | Registered: Oct 2007
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One of the real problems long-distance rail has is that there are a lot of federal financial incentives for states to build roads and airports, so when states makes transportation decisions, they often naturally choose those. This bill can change that at least a little bit.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by sojourner: [QB] Re Kay Bailey Hutchinson: term expires in 2010, when she said she will retire, but rumor is she may run for governor of Texas then, so, if she did and won, she could still be an Amtrak advocate.
Not to put too fine a point to it, but Kay Bailey's term expires in 01/2012. She said she will retire early, probably by 2009 or 2010 at the latest.
Posts: 2 | From: Humble, TX | Registered: Sep 2007
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218+51+1. If Senator Sununu thought he could get the LD subsidy eliminated, then he needs to confront my political reality:
LD service is the "cost of doing business" for me to advocate to my Congresscritters their support for Amtrak.
If the folks in the Northeast want a "corridors only" rail service, fine. Let the folks in the Corridors States create and fund an Interstate Compact, as allowed in the Constitution.
Then, keep my tax dollars out of the mix.
-------------------- The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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