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Amtrak under a President Obama?
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by irishchieftain: [QB] [QUOTE]Originally posted by Mr. Toy: [i] An underlying assumption that seems prevalent here is that "politics as usual" will prevail. Given that this country has elected a president that doesn't fit any previous mold, I wouldn't bet the farm on it. Consider, Obama is from the city that is Amtrak's largest hub that extends routes out to more than 30 other states. And unlike most other candidates from either party, Obama actually published a [URL=http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/FactSheetTransportation.pdf]transportation policy[/URL] in his campaign documents. It included funding Amtrak and developing high speed rail. The incoming VP rides Amtrak regularly, and his son currently serves on the [URL=http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Copy/Title_Image_Copy_Page&c=am2Copy&cid=1081442674231&ssid=166]Amtrak board of directors.[/URL] And Obama has stated on many occasions that rebuilding our transportation infrastructure is essential to rebuilding the economy. Thus I'm thinking BHO is going to look like a hybrid of FDR and JFK, though it is as yet an open question as to whether he can put together anything as grand as a WPA or TVA. However, the last thing I expect is a repeat of either JEC or W(B)JC, and certainly nothing like GWB. [/i][/QUOTE]There's a few things missing in that assessment:[list] [*]This country has never been as badly off in terms of lack of heavy industry and condition of remaining infrastructure. We're highly dependent on other countries for most of what is needed not only to rebuild a passenger rail network, but just about everything else related to transportation. [/list] [list] [*]Financially, the USA is utterly broke. This is a uniquely bad situation in that respect. Not even in 1929 had we faced a similar crossroads. Not only no manufacturing and rotting infrastructure, but also a dearth of raw materials, a fiat currency based on faith and nothing else, a national debt in fourteen figures, and again the goodwill of nations that are not necessarily our allies to rely on. (One such "ally", the European Union, is leaning on Obama [i]already[/i] to induce him to agree to a "new Bretton Woods"; and if such results in a shift of the world's reserve currency away from the dollar and into the euro, that would not serve our country well.) [/list] [list] [*]As for the Chicago rail services (there are a lot of them, sure, but not with the same frequency per line or average speed as the northeast), I haven't been made aware of instances where BHO has been particularly involved in the welfare of the CTA, Metra, Amtrak or other transportation feeding into [i]Urbs Ventosum.[/i] His history is more that of a community organizer; his focus is more populistic. [/list] [list] [*]We've never had someone with politics so far left attain the highest office in the land. BHO would not be like any other chief executive, especially if the legislature follows him in the same capacity. Ultimately, going far left has the concern of social program pandering (such as delving deeper into Great Society-like programs) and the like. If we deviate from "politics as usual" in such a direction, then there are indeed greater priorities than a national rail service on the agenda. [/list] [list] [*]As for Biden, all he does (seemingly) is ride the train. That perhaps serves Amtrak well, but what about MARC? There's an outstanding demand to extend MARC commuter service beyond Perryville MD into the state of Delaware; this would mean cheaper and high-capacity rail service for DE passengers bound for BAL and WAS. (And again, what of his birthplace?) [/list] [/QB][/QUOTE]
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