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This is a rather interesting article about 2 democrats sending a letter to Bush so he can reconsider his plans that would reduce Amtrak funding.
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I think there are two critical comments in the article about the letter from NJ. 1) that Amtrak has wide support in Congress, who ultimately decided where the money is spent. 2) That Bush supported Amtrak while governor of TX. I think this is a typical case of the president trying to appease his base by supporting an issue that has no hope of actually passing (like his campaign platform of the gay marriage ammendment etc). Amtrak might be cut, but I doubt it will be gutted. -Mike
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Who Governor. Schwarzenegger called the 'grilie men", President Reagan called the "drunken sailors", the White House budget initiative will simply enable President Bush to dream up a similar 'less than flattering' term for the 109-1st Congress after they vote on the Omnibus Spending Bill (baring some kind of "impeachment wish", no President would even THINK of vetoing such) that will appropriate Amtrak "a B+" and God knows what for every "catfish mating study" (that's for real, folks; hey, don't they "just do it"?)and Cowgirl Museum (also for real) out there.
You can be sure that Sen. Ted Stevens (REPUBLICAN-AK) already has his copious wish list ready to go. He has quite a reputation for "he wants it, you get it' - and pay for it when you file that 1040.
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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I wonder if anybody told Bush that shutting down Amtrak would result in the loss of up to 22,000 jobs.
MOKSRail Member # 3163
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Mr. Toy,
Regarding the loss of 22k jobs, I doubt the administration really cares.
After all, didn't one of its officers say outsourcing "was good for the economy."
If that's the case, let's OUTSOURCE HIM!
Bush never renounced nor apologized for that irrational statement. Fire your customers. Makes a lot of sense to me.
That's my two-cents.
Michael Christiansen Member # 3604
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well, not to get picky.. it IS good for the economy (like everything else in the long term). Cheaper costs of productions lead to cheaper costs of living which allows those still having jobs to buy more useless junk that they don't need. Also, more importantly, it drives innovation and new company startups. I realize though, this argument holds no sway with someone who is out of work because their job was outsourced. -Mike
MOKSRail Member # 3163
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Not to be picky as well, but some ideas that may look good on paper, like outsourcing, can actually backfire and hurt more than help.
Sure, it may help a company's investors, since all they care about is the bottom line: raise the stock price. I've got mine.
Yes, America sells and buys products from overseas.
But to have the Republican party outsource its telemarketing to India, to have local governments give clerical jobs to India, to move everything overseas only makes the pie in the U.S. much smaller and transform the economy into a service economy where people do other people's laundry.
It also makes the job market much tighter when the professionals lose their jobs, they find less opportunities for non-skilled work.
Those that are most vocal supporting outsourcing seem to be the ones that have their jobs protected - like tenured professors and CEOs- members of that class of people that take all they can and then rob their companies before running their companies into the ground.
Tell people in the computer software design industry that outsourcing is good for them. There are far fewer opportunities for them now that major U.S. companies pay comparatively peasant wages to their overseas workers while stiffing educated professionals.
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sbalax Member # 2801
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I rarely comment on things on this board that are not directly connected to rail travel and Amtrak but feel I need to put my two cents in here.
I believe companies that have outsourced are starting to feel consumer backlash.
I recently bought a new HP 4-in-1 printer and had a simple technical problem that the manual and online help didn't resolve. My first call was answered by a very pleasant young woman who was no help at all. I asked her where she was and she would only admit to "South Asia". She tried to transfer the call to someone who could help and the call was dropped. The second person I spoke with was an equally personable young man who was also "in Asia" but, after taking all of the information that I had given to the first agent, was also not able to help me. He gave me another number to call which turned out to be in Sunnyvale, CA. The problem was resolved in less than two minutes. When I mentioned my unhappy experience this agent gave me a number to call. He said that they get "thousands" of complaints and management is aware of the problem.
At least when I call GuestRewards I get those nice folks somewhere in the Midwest. Wisconsin, perhaps?
I'll now step down from my soap box and say how good it was to hear the 6:49AM Surfliner horn this morning!
Frank in SBA
Mike Smith Member # 447
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HP blew it with me, too. I had a software problem wiht one of their fax/printers and couldn't get an answer, after deleting and re0installing 4 times.
Now, we don't buy any HP products. I know. I'm in charge of buying computers & printers for our company in Texas. {Hint: Canon is pretty good}
Grandma Judy Member # 3278
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Thanks, Frank, for suggesting that those "nice people at Guest Rewards" might be in Wisconsin. In fact I think they are in Minnesota, but then lots of people confuse us with them anyway!
[This message has been edited by Grandma Judy (edited 02-08-2005).]
Rob Dehlinger Member # 3700
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Hi!
I have put my .02 in alot on the different posts, but, I am gonna do it here too!
I believe the administartion does care about jobs, but their methods show a lack of understanding.
Nothing exists in a vaccuum and I think that many of the congressman and senators know that if Amtrak was cut that their constituency would rise up in righteous anger.
Hang in there!
Rob
Robert L Member # 3144
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I too, must add my 2 cents worth, and I know this is the wrong place, but, here it is. I have used customer services lines that have been outhoused (excuse me, outsourced?) and what gets me the most is there is an undercurrent of dishonesty about the process. Why can not corporation that outhouse (oops, I did it again) jobs train the people not to lie or coverup. The people you contact are very nice and have been trained to speak as if a US citizen, but is not that part of the deception? When they say their name, it is Bill, Thomas or Amy, not Rasharwa or something similar for India. And then when the call ends (if a holiday is near), they say have a nice Thanksgiving or Christmas. Well, I admit I do not know the Indian holidays so what do I say back? Now, I could have got this all wrong. I mean I could have called a Stateside operator who was born/raised in India, and has adopted a English first name, and is now a US citizen and who happens to be Christian, but what are odds. I just think there is a lot, not all, policy making in corporate US culture that works on a dishonest level and infects customer service, with these little lies, and how it relates to US customers.
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