Amtrak Threatened With Shutdown Budget

[CHamilton]

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation & Housing proposed yesterday to slash funding for Amtrak to $1.1 billion—a reduction of more than $357 million from what Amtrak received in FY2011. Significantly, the operating grant would be cut 60%—from $563 million in 2010 and 2011, down to $227 million.

The bill also requires states to pay 100% of costs of operations of short corridors. Amtrak is warning that this provision would eliminate around 150 weekday state-supported trains. This would effectively strand more than nine million passengers, annually, in California, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

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I hope everyone who reads AU is a member of the National Association of Rail Passengers. It's at times like this that NARP can be an effective means of communicating our support for a strong, national rail system. Don't forget to join your state rail passenger association, too. And NARP members get a 10% discount on most rail fares.

 

[Steve4031]

Man!!! I am tired of raging ignorance of stupid politicians. These guys are just idiots. Why cant they figure out that any relevant countries in the world have more than cars and planes as transportation. End of rant. Sorry

 

[JeffW]

Yech, doesn't this come up every year? It's like we need to fight every year just to maintain a shred of sanity...

On a more positive note, this thread was the final nudge for me to join NARP. I had been meaning to do that for a while... I did the family membership, so now my wife and I need to travel enough to get our $45 back in discounts (that won't take long...).

Here we go!

 

[Anderson]

Remind me...Mica's committee, right?

 

[CHamilton]

Remind me...Mica's committee, right?

No. This is the transportation subcommittee of the appropriations committee. Here's the member list.

 

[Tumbleweed]

I am now a member of NARP, and e-mail sent to my state and adjacent state congress critters urging support of Rail Passenger service......

 

[gatelouse]

I've never been too impressed with NARP--it's always been "save the funding, the sky is falling," with very little emphasis on service improvements, accountability, etc. within Amtrak itself. And when's the last time there was a change of leadership?

I dropped my NARP membership years ago. Amtrak gets an extra 10% from me now.

 

[the_traveler]

I am sick and tired of politicians threatening to cut rail service every year!

I wish they would cut the budgets of roads (such as DOT, Highway Administration, etc,,,) and airlines (such as FAA, airports, etc...) by the SAME percentage, and I might support it! But I doubt the other millions of their "bosses" (yes, politicians need to report to those who elected them) would agree with those cuts!

 

[CHamilton]

I've never been too impressed with NARP--it's always been "save the funding, the sky is falling," with very little emphasis on service improvements, accountability, etc. within Amtrak itself. And when's the last time there was a change of leadership?

I dropped my NARP membership years ago. Amtrak gets an extra 10% from me now.

gatehouse, I understand where you're coming from. But I think that NARP is becoming much more responsive. They have recently had major changes in both their board and their staff. I encourage you to check them out again.

 

[henryj]

I've never been too impressed with NARP--it's always been "save the funding, the sky is falling," with very little emphasis on service improvements, accountability, etc. within Amtrak itself. And when's the last time there was a change of leadership?

I dropped my NARP membership years ago. Amtrak gets an extra 10% from me now.

Unfortunately, I have to agree. I also dropped my membership. I saw that Ross Capon get interviewed on CNBC I think it was and he just made a fool of himself. NARP reminds me of a bunch of nostalgic foamers with no foot in reality. I watched them make a mess of the Sunset Limited bunch that was trying to improve the train and restore service to Florida. If these people are all that is defending Amtrak, it's doomed.

 

[Misty.]

I've never been too impressed with NARP--it's always been "save the funding, the sky is falling," with very little emphasis on service improvements, accountability, etc. within Amtrak itself. And when's the last time there was a change of leadership?

I dropped my NARP membership years ago. Amtrak gets an extra 10% from me now.

gatehouse, I understand where you're coming from. But I think that NARP is becoming much more responsive. They have recently had major changes in both their board and their staff. I encourage you to check them out again.

I'll keep that in mind when I can afford NARP membership. In the meantime, I have sent the emails to my representatives.

 

[Shanghai]

I am sick and tired of politicians threatening to cut rail service every year!

I wish they would cut the budgets of roads (such as DOT, Highway Administration, etc,,,) and airlines (such as FAA, airports, etc...) by the SAME percentage, and I might support it! But I doubt the other millions of their "bosses" (yes, politicians need to report to those who elected them) would agree with those cuts!

I think I heard on the radio yesterday that $1.25 Billion of the appropiation for cancelled ARC tunnel project between NJ & NY

has been been reallocated to New Jersey for highway improvements in the state. What happened to the administrations talk of

improved rail??

 

[Anderson]

I am sick and tired of politicians threatening to cut rail service every year!

I wish they would cut the budgets of roads (such as DOT, Highway Administration, etc,,,) and airlines (such as FAA, airports, etc...) by the SAME percentage, and I might support it! But I doubt the other millions of their "bosses" (yes, politicians need to report to those who elected them) would agree with those cuts!

I think I heard on the radio yesterday that $1.25 Billion of the appropiation for cancelled ARC tunnel project between NJ & NY

has been been reallocated to New Jersey for highway improvements in the state. What happened to the administrations talk of

improved rail??

...I thought the appropriation went into a different rail tunnel project?

 

[eagle628]

I wish they would cut the budgets of roads (such as DOT, Highway Administration, etc,,,) and airlines (such as FAA, airports, etc...) by the SAME percentage, and I might support it! But I doubt the other millions of their "bosses" (yes, politicians need to report to those who elected them) would agree with those cuts!

Oh, but if those who elected them would support cutting Amtrak and not road/air, isn't it the politician's duty to carry out the wishes of their consituents?

 

[afigg]

I think I heard on the radio yesterday that $1.25 Billion of the appropiation for cancelled ARC tunnel project between NJ & NY

has been been reallocated to New Jersey for highway improvements in the state. What happened to the administrations talk of

improved rail??

As far as I know, none of the federal funding for the ARC project has been reallocated. I believe the federal FY11 funding share for ARC was mostly rescinded in the budget turmoil in the spring. The $1.25 billion is probably the NJ state funding set aside for the ARC project that is being used by the Christie administration for road and highway projects, although the budget and bond funding reshuffling is likely more complicated than that. NJ has a serious transportation funding problem because the state has the 3rd lowest gasoline tax in the US at 10.5 cents which has been unchanged since 1988 and no longer comes close to covering the costs of maintaining and building roads and highways. Re-using the state ARC funds for roads was unquestionably a major factor in Gov. Christie's decision to cancel ARC, regardless of whether ARC was flawed or not, because he is more of a roads & highway guy than he is in favor of transit spending.

 

[Shanghai]

Thank you. I have contacted my Congressman for more information.

 

[Tumbleweed]

From NARP...... The House Subcommittee on Transportation & Housing passed the FY 2012 draft budget last night with its anti-passenger rail provisions.....

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.......Contact your congress people....

 

[Shanghai]

I am a member of NARP and I sent an Action Alert to my Congressman.

I it very easy to send an e-mail from their website. Just enter your

zip code and your representative pops up. You can add, change or delete

the message then send. Takes about 3 minutes.

 

[jis]

I am sick and tired of politicians threatening to cut rail service every year!

I wish they would cut the budgets of roads (such as DOT, Highway Administration, etc,,,) and airlines (such as FAA, airports, etc...) by the SAME percentage, and I might support it! But I doubt the other millions of their "bosses" (yes, politicians need to report to those who elected them) would agree with those cuts!

I think I heard on the radio yesterday that $1.25 Billion of the appropiation for cancelled ARC tunnel project between NJ & NY

has been been reallocated to New Jersey for highway improvements in the state. What happened to the administrations talk of

improved rail??

...I thought the appropriation went into a different rail tunnel project?

AFAIK the original Federal grant was never signed off on since there was no final commitment. It was simply part of the FedDOT New Starts Grant money, and it has been reallocated to other new starts. Since it was never allocated to NJ absent any grant signature, there is no way to trace where that specific money went. The $1.25 Billion being talked about is an entirely within NJ matter..... It is from what the State of NJ was supposed to contribute including some contribution from PA. No Federal money involved in that.

Ask our favorite Governor why he won't spend any money on NJT and wants to spend jillions on highways. Apparently his transport commish is an ex trucking man. It is the same repeated theme that we see, that more often than not Republicans given a choice are more likely to choose roads over rail.

 

[jis]

I've never been too impressed with NARP--it's always been "save the funding, the sky is falling," with very little emphasis on service improvements, accountability, etc. within Amtrak itself. And when's the last time there was a change of leadership?

I dropped my NARP membership years ago. Amtrak gets an extra 10% from me now.

gatehouse, I understand where you're coming from. But I think that NARP is becoming much more responsive. They have recently had major changes in both their board and their staff. I encourage you to check them out again.

I'll keep that in mind when I can afford NARP membership. In the meantime, I have sent the emails to my representatives.

One does not have to be a member of NARP or even like NARP, to be able to use the pointer provided by them to send an email to your representative. Simply go to the article on the subject at:

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6487/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8076

Near the bottom of the page you will be given an opportunity to formulate and send an email to your representative. It will even help you to figure out who your representative is, in case you don;t know.

Maybe Misty used that facility or possibly she knows the email address of her representative otherwise.

 

[stntylr]

I used the NARP website to send an email to my representative.

 

[jis]

I am sick and tired of politicians threatening to cut rail service every year!

I wish they would cut the budgets of roads (such as DOT, Highway Administration, etc,,,) and airlines (such as FAA, airports, etc...) by the SAME percentage, and I might support it! But I doubt the other millions of their "bosses" (yes, politicians need to report to those who elected them) would agree with those cuts!

Amtrak is being cut by ~24%. More damaging is the stricture against using any funds for state supported trains.

What is proposed in the House Committee bill is to cut Highway to $27.7 billion which is $14.1 billion less than last year and $42.6 billion less than the President requested. That is north of 30%. I think both are stupid ideas - sacrifices to the alter of demagoguery - and not particularly meant to help either create jobs or solve any real economic problem.

 

[Shanghai]

I am sick and tired of politicians threatening to cut rail service every year!

I wish they would cut the budgets of roads (such as DOT, Highway Administration, etc,,,) and airlines (such as FAA, airports, etc...) by the SAME percentage, and I might support it! But I doubt the other millions of their "bosses" (yes, politicians need to report to those who elected them) would agree with those cuts!

Amtrak is being cut by ~24%. More damaging is the stricture against using any funds for state supported trains.

What is proposed in the House Committee bill is to cut Highway to $27.7 billion which is $14.1 billion less than last year and $42.6 billion less than the President requested. That is north of 30%. I think both are stupid ideas - sacrifices to the alter of demagoguery - and not particularly meant to help either create jobs or solve any real economic problem.

How much was the FAA cut? Percent cut?

 

[bretton88]

Amtrak could survive with this cut. They have had much worse. I don't understand the prohibition against using federal funds for state supported trains. Isn't that the case already, that these trains are subsidized by the states already? I understand the idea behind it is to create more competition by forcing the states to lower operating costs by putting their corridors out to bid. Or more likely, they'll drop a few trains (not the 150 mentioned).

 

[Trogdor]

As of now, state-subsidized trains are not 100% subsidized by the states. So, Amtrak still kicks in some subsidy.