I heard on CNN a few days ago that Amtrak's CEO will shut down the service if it does not get 40 million dollars from Congress.My opinion: That's great! Amtrak has been losing money ever since it started in 1970 and should just go into history right now. A few years ago, my grandma (she lives in Boise, ID) wanted to come down to our old house in Kansas City. My grandpa used to work on the Union Pacific railroad before he died and my grandma was used to riding trains so she decided to ride Amtrak. What did Amtrak want for a Boise-Kansas City run? 500 dollars! My grandma decided to fly on United Airlines which flew her to Kansas City for a much cheaper $250.
1. Stop listening to CNN, the deal to save Amtrak is done. 2. Quit listening to "conservatives" who want to kill Amtrak. Airlines, if you were to tally up all of the public $$$ to build airports are far richer subsidy wise than Amtrak. (Airlines build airports like Greyhound builds highways, THEY DON'T). 3. Bring back the Pioneer, you can't get from Boise Id. to Kansas City (or anywhere else for that matter) on Amtrak. 4. Please realize that Amtrak is a vital thread in this nations transportation fabric. Learn the lessons of 9/11/2001. Airlines shut down from coast to coast. They begged congress for BILLIONS and GOT IT. 5. If (god forbid) anything bad enough to disrupt air travel were to happen again what would you do? Put your Grandma on a bus? Have you ever ridden a bus? (For more than 10 miles?) I have(1300 miles and change). I wouldn't put my dog on a bus!Jeff
The Bush Administration has thought of something but I haven't read the article yet. Check it out at www.trains.comPersonally, I don't really care about Amtrak, them borrowing more and more money from Congress is making the U.S.A. go in more and more debt and making us look worse! That's my opinion of the situation.Adam
Just to set the record straight here...Amtrak has indeed been borrowing money from Congress. That is a shock or surprise to some? Amtrak was FOUNDED by Congress. Obviously they will get subsidies from Congress!Hope all you Amtrak critics don't live in the US... Why?Simple. If not for Amtrak, there would be NO intercity passenger trains in the US. Amtrak was founded under the Railpax act in 1970 because nearly every US railroad running passenger service at the time wanted to discontinue those money-losing trains. To relieve the burden of financial losses from running passenger trains, Congress formed Amtrak. The private railroads no longer had to lose money running passenger trains, and thus the US was able to keep passenger service running.So that, in a nutshell, is why the taxpayer funds Amtrak. I must say i am a bit shocked with this post - with all the garbage our government wastes billions on, i'm surprised any rail fans would be against spending for Amtrak! In my opionion, Amtrak is one of the BETTER things we in the US pay taxes for!------- BUZZ (Serious AmFoamer!!)
And now you see why Buzz has earned the nickname of "Jack Ryan" from me. One word: NASA. Do you know how much money comes out of our pockets so they can send a shuttle up to find out that *gasp* tomatoes grow in microgravity? (It's techically not zero-G, but hey whatever floats your boat)Ever hear the story about the United States spending millions to develop a pen that would write in space? The Russians solved the problem by using a pencil. Could be an urban legend but it captures the essence of what I'm saying. Anyway...I'll get off my soapbox. Amtrak has survived yet again so until next year....no worries!
Blake Harris Vice Dean, Limbaugh Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies
I have rode a bus about that long and I know I wouldn't Probably do it again. EVER! We NEED Amtrak!!!!!Chris Love MSTS TA Rocks TA, Please Do 611 & 1218 Wanting 4005 Big Boy , GS4, 1522, ETC.
