Two nominations to Amtrak board WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Bush May 16 announced he intends to nominate R. Hunter Biden of Delaware and Donna R. McLean of the District of Columbia to five-year terms on the Amtrak Reform Board.
The president also said he would reappoint Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta to a five-year term.
If Biden and McLean are confirmed by the Senate – Mineta’s appointment is not subject to Senate confirmation -- there will remain one vacancy for a voting member on the Amtrak board. Current board members include David Laney, Floyd Hall and Enrique Sosa. Amtrak’s acting president, David Hughes, is a non-voting member of the board.
Biden, the youngest son of Sen. Jospeh Biden (D-Del.), is a founding partner of the D.C. law firm of Oldaker, Biden & Belair, which specializes in financial services. The younger Biden previously held a senior post at the Commerce Department.
McLean was chief financial officer of DOT during President Bush’s first term. Previously, she was assistant administrator for financial services at the Federal Aviation Administration and a professional staff member of the House Aviation Subcommittee. Currently, McLean heads the congressional lobbying firm of Donna McLean Associates, which specializes in transportation policy issues.
May 17, 2006
CG96 Member # 1408
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Mineta, again? I thnk Tommy Thompson would be a better selection.
rY. Member # 3528
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Hopefully the younger Biden has some of the same pro-Amtrak moxie as his father!
PaulB Member # 4258
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Who cares? The board doesn't do anything anyway-much like almost every government "board".
Amtrak207 Member # 1307
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Let's try to keep political views hidden for twenty seconds here and apply the Sosa test: Have either of these people ever set foot on an Amtrak train in their lives?
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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Isn't Mineta automatically a board member by virtue of his position as transportation secretary?
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Doesn't look good, Mr. Toy -- Ms. Mclean worked under Mineta, so she probably holds very similar opinions...........
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Please allow me to share thoughts here that are adapted from a posting I made at another Forum.
I must acknowledge that the Board is now substantially comprised of Administration loyalists (can't be sure what agenda Sen Biden's son will bring to the table), and this diverges far from the intent of RPSA '70.
The Amtrak Board of Directors was to consist of seats not only selected by the Administration, but also seats specifically to represent the interests of railroads, organized labor, and consumers. That last mentioned seat was once held by Joseph V. MacDonald, who had the honor of a 10-6 Sleeper being named in his behlf. Rogers EM (Frimbo) Wittaker, who I have had the pleasure to personally meet, was also considered for such; apparently he 'was not interested'.
However times change, and the charade of Amtrak being a for profit corporation has now been disposed of. I can only hope that the Corporation will be dissolved sometime in the future, and simply establish a Bureau (whatever) of intercity rail passenger service within the DOT - presumably continuing to use the trade name of Amtrak.
If there is to be some kind of advisory council, such as Conn DOT sponsors, so be it.
But Amtrak is simply another federally funded program, and as I have noted here in the past, "Congress funds, the Presidents runs". Secretary Mineta serves totally at the pleasure of President Bush and there is no "Board of Directors' for the DOT or any other cabinet level agency.
The "Board' comprised of loyalists simply represents an administration gaining the same degree of control over Amtrak affairs as they have over any other federally funded program. I sincerely believe that the reform initiative was overdue, and at this time I do not think it represents a "death watch' for intercity passenger rail - including the LD's even if they should be on "death watch".
Amtrak207 Member # 1307
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Your views on the LD trains could not be more clear, but the idea that some sort of magical reform solving everything is a flight of fancy. I believe it is better to concentrate on fixing the problems than re-re-re-reorganizing the management structure. The system is running trains as it is, the part that needs to be improved is the lack of mandate/direction, the lack of a stable funding source, and the lack of commitment by some elected officials to commit to doing what this country sorely needs: to execute a reliable, inter-linked transportation system that doesn't involve additional pavement. The companion sleeper, Beatrice Mac Donald (spelled as it was on the name plate) was made into dorm 2501, unfortunately it is out of service with fire damage. Good thing they don't use those as smoking lounges, no? Tommy Thompson is fairly Democratic IIRC, so don't count on him being appointed, but wasn't he holding a domestic affairs post for a while? At least his locomotive is doing well, but if they name my engine for anyone on the current board, I'm sneaking into the shops with a razor blade and removing it. Tommy did enough to help Amtrak that he deserved it.
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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Amen Amtrak207. There was a bill introduced recently in Congress by a Congressman Castle, I think, that would require the Amtrak board to have members from both political parties and from different regions of the country. I don't know if the bill has made any progress.
Filling the board with political loyalists may give a president short-term control, but only as long as he is in office. Subsequent administrations will do the same, And Amtrak will be more and more subject to the political winds du jour. Isn't that what the so-called reformers want to avoid? A balanced board of competent business people would do more to stabilize Amtrak for the long term.
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