Beginning of the end?

[rile42]

Just wondering how many of you knowledgeable posters think that the passage of the Bush Amtrak funding proposal out of subcommittee may look like the beginning of the end?

 

[Guest]

I would like to know also . I wonder how bush is going to pay for this war when you got all these people layoff ?

 

[Guest_Amtrak_flyer]

A better question is... Are the last 5 years the beginning of the end of the United States as we know it? I say that tongue in cheek but a part of me really belives its true. Keeping the issue here just on Amtrak, I have never seen goverment leaders so blantantly decieve, distort and flat out lie about issues to promote their agenda. Then again maybe I'm just naive.

As we've all said the fights not over yet, if somehow Amtrak can pull it out this year a new Congress will be seated in 2006 and I'm confident things will be better. Bush may bash Amtrak but its really the Congress that decides Amtraks fate. Right now the way I see it Amtraks only about 5 votes in the Senate and 10 or so in the house from having a long term, solid, bright future. With a little luck Amtrak will live to see that day.

On another note..

Wasnt it good to see David Gunn back to his old ways with that response to the House funding proposal yesterday. Keep the calls and letters coming and stay positive!!

http://www.utu.org/worksite/detail_news.cf...ArticleID=21792

 

[Guest_Amtrak OBS Employee]

Just wondering how many of you knowledgeable posters think that the passage of the Bush Amtrak funding proposal out of subcommittee may look like the beginning of the end?

Well it's like this! David Gunn has been quoted "it is all or nothing!" You get what you pay for! And not properly subsidizing the "National Railroad Passenger Corporation" will mean exactly what he says! No money, no trains!

In other words if the Senate (still have them to go through) doesn't make the necessary action to properly fund Amtrak this year, the company WILL shut down by Oct 1st (beginning of next fiscal year). And it will still cost a lot of money to do that! To be on the safe side, I believe Amtrak employees should have their homes in order! Better to be safe than sorry! OBS...

 

[Trogdor]

In other words if the Senate (still have them to go through) doesn't make the necessary action to properly fund Amtrak this year, the company WILL shut down by Oct 1st (beginning of next fiscal year). And it will still cost a lot of money to do that! To be on the safe side, I believe Amtrak employees should have their homes in order! Better to be safe than sorry! OBS...

Don't forget, there's still the House to go through, too.

This was just a subcommittee proposal. There are other House committees/subcommittees that could vote to restore funding. Then the full house has to vote on a budget.

There's still a long way to go.

 

[saxman]

Best thing to do...Call your representative today (Friday, 6/17) or early next week. I believe the full House may vote on this proposal next Tuesday. Everyone of you needs to. It's your civic duty!

 

[Midland Valley]

Is there a quick way to figure out just who was on that house panel?

 

[Guest_Amtrak OBS Employee]

This was just a subcommittee proposal. There are other House committees/subcommittees that could vote to restore funding. Then the full house has to vote on a budget.
There's still a long way to go.

Yeah, I missed that little word "subcommittee" in there. LOL... OBS..

On a serious note, let's just all hope and pray for the best case scenario.

 

[WICT106]

Also remember to write the state legislators. Many of them in the Midwest eat the anti-passenger rail propaganda up in part because nobody offers a rebuttal arguement. You need to write the elected officials and remind them that they work for all of us, not just special interests or campaign donors.

 

[Guest]

I am surprised not to see more advocacy for Amtrak from mayors of major metropolitan areas with current Amtrak service. I am taking a long-distance trip this summer and I could have chosen to fly or to drive. Had I taken a car trip, my objective would have been to go from point A to point B as quickly as possible, and the only local businesses that would have benefitted from my travel would have been gas stations and motels located close to highways. I would have avoided the traffic and congestion of urban areas at all costs. Instead, with Amtrak depositing me directly in the heart of cities, I am planning overnight stays in Philadelphia, Washington DC and Chicago. Local governments will be benefitting form my tourist dollars spent on hotels (think of the tax rate!), restaurants and incidental spending. Amtrak travelers, for business or for pleasure, are visiting the very parts of cities that will benefit the most from visitors, cash flow and renewal. So why am I not hearing more from the urban politicans? It's the folks from rural and small town areas that are making the most noise. Urban areas are major beneficiaries of Amtrak travel, and not only on the East Coast.