RAILforum: White House Support for Amtrak

This is topic White House Support for Amtrak in forum Railroad News at RAILforum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.railforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/6/91.html

Posted by Trainsandmore (Member # 896) on :

An article in Friday's New Orleans Times Picayume quotes Transportation Secretary Norm Minetta as saying the Bush administration supports Amtrak's reauthorization and want Congress to provide $521 million in operating support. Here's the link: http://www.nola.com/archives/t-p/index.ssf?/newsstory/mayors25.html.

Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :

I found the story, but I had to do a bit of detective work on the site to find it. For some reason your link just took me to the home page. I found it under the archives for 1/25/02.

I'm not sure if this is good news or bad news. The administration wants to give Amtrak another $521 million next year, the same as this year, which means Amtrak will keep limping along.... But that's certainly better than the $0 million we thought it might get in 2003.

But where's the vision? Where's the long-term planning? Any one of us on this board could come up with something better than the status quo. You'd think someone with actual clout could do better than us amateurs. Sigh.

------------------
Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy

The Del Monte Club Car

[This message has been edited by Mr. Toy (edited 01-31-2002).]

Posted by TALKrr (Member # 683) on :

I totally agree with the last post. Well said.

An actual rail summit is required where the best minds in railroad could sit down and plan a sensible solution to passenger-rails woes.

Like Mr. Toy said , 500 million is just a "drop in the bucket" related to the amount of funding passenger-rail really needs.

But budget money is so "tight" now, I for one do not know where fundings ( as REALLY required by Amtrak) could come from. I read today where , surprisingly , the amount federal highways will receive has been "cut" to ONLY about $30 BILLION. What a shame !!

Congress expects many states to step forward and assume MOST of the future funding for Amtrak. I don't see how this can happen , either. Most state budgets are as tight as a drum. I suppose new tax money could be generated, though , somehow.

Who knows what the future will bring ? My main concern , although I suppose it is "selfish" in a way , is that long-distance rail will become the first "victim" of Amtrak service cuts. Think of the THOUSANDS of passengers who will be without any type of passenger-rail service !!

I know Amtrak DOES have SOME support in Congress , but I fear it is simply not enough.

Since Amtrak runs through most EVERY state , one would think that ALL elected officials (at whatever level) would be greatly concerned about losing any or all Amtrak service. But this evidently is NOT the case.

Lastly, if I see Amtrak spelled A-M-T-R-A-C-K one more time in newsprint , I am going to SCREAM !!!! Does Greyhound get GRAYHOUND ? NO. Does USAir get USAire ? NO.

Is it Minetta , or Mineta ?????????????