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Guest_mlanoue
Guest
This is Sen. Barak Obama's response to my e-mail to him about Amtrak. I think he had some glitches with his apostrophes, but I wanted to leave it unaltered for this posting:
Dear Matthew:
Thank you for writing me about the President’s Amtrak funding cuts. I share your opposition to this provision of the President’s FY 2006 budget proposal.
I understand the importance of Amtrak service in Illinois, and finding ways to restore Amtrak funding is a high priority of mine. It is my understanding that Amtrak ridership has been steadily increasing in parts of Illinois, as well as the entire country, and that the proposed funding cuts would eliminate hundreds of local jobs. Amtrak’s gains over the past year should warrant continued funding and certainly not the President’s proposed funding elimination. I am interested in further exploring your proposal to establish a rail "trust fund" as I think it establishes the high importance that rail infrastructure has in America.
You’re right that a strong national rail system is not just a convenience for travelers. It also serves other important national objectives, such as reducing our dangerous dependence on imported oil, improving air quality, and ensuring that we have a diversified transportation system in the case of a regional or national emergency. It is also for that reason why I strongly support efforts to create a high-speed rail network throughout the country, especially in Illinois and the Midwest. I do not believe that funding valuable domestic priorities, like maintaining and improving our nation’s rail infrastructure, and restoring fiscal discipline to federal spending are mutually exclusive propositions.
Again, thank you for contacting me with your concerns. I look forward to addressing this issue during the upcoming budget debates in Congress. Please feel free to stay in touch on this or any other issue of concern.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator
Dear Matthew:
Thank you for writing me about the President’s Amtrak funding cuts. I share your opposition to this provision of the President’s FY 2006 budget proposal.
I understand the importance of Amtrak service in Illinois, and finding ways to restore Amtrak funding is a high priority of mine. It is my understanding that Amtrak ridership has been steadily increasing in parts of Illinois, as well as the entire country, and that the proposed funding cuts would eliminate hundreds of local jobs. Amtrak’s gains over the past year should warrant continued funding and certainly not the President’s proposed funding elimination. I am interested in further exploring your proposal to establish a rail "trust fund" as I think it establishes the high importance that rail infrastructure has in America.
You’re right that a strong national rail system is not just a convenience for travelers. It also serves other important national objectives, such as reducing our dangerous dependence on imported oil, improving air quality, and ensuring that we have a diversified transportation system in the case of a regional or national emergency. It is also for that reason why I strongly support efforts to create a high-speed rail network throughout the country, especially in Illinois and the Midwest. I do not believe that funding valuable domestic priorities, like maintaining and improving our nation’s rail infrastructure, and restoring fiscal discipline to federal spending are mutually exclusive propositions.
Again, thank you for contacting me with your concerns. I look forward to addressing this issue during the upcoming budget debates in Congress. Please feel free to stay in touch on this or any other issue of concern.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator
