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Paul, I don't agree that the gas tax is only a feel good measure. It is a real tax. And it really pays to build the roads. How do I know? Whenever fuel sales drop off, road construction projects are delayed or cancelled. The auto and truck drivers are paying for road construction. Now if you want to debate whether the trucks pay their fair share, then you have something to talk about. But it is not accurate to say the fuel taxes are not paying for the construction of the nation's highways. In my opinion, Amtrak is not essential to the country outside of the NEC. Also, the NEC states have the means to operate that portion of Amtrak without the rest of the nation pitching in. I think it would be best for everyone to allow Amtrak to sink or swim. I predict the outcome would be that Amtrak would stop running in the rest of the country and the NEC states would subsidize the NEC. That would be a reasonable outcome given the apparent situation Amtrak and the nation are in today. If you want the level of passenger rail service they have in Europe and Japan, raise the fuel tax so fuel costs $4 a gallon and tear up the interstates and primary highways in the country. That would probably get you what you want. It would also get a lot of people to move back into our decaying downtown areas, but I digress . . . Just because the government gives one industry, the airlines, a subsidy doesn't make it right for them to give another industry one, Amtrak, as well. I think the government should stop giving the airlines a subsidy as well. Aren't these publicly held companies? If that is the way it works, I want the government to start subsidizing NS and Microsoft because I have stock in those companies. - Ed
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