Home
»
Trains Magazine
»
Forums
»
General Discussion
»
2005 Amtrak Funding-Bad News and Good News

Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by halifaxcn Remember it was only three years ago that the airlines went to Capitol Hill and said bail us out after the 9-11 attacks, who picked up the slack for frequent travelers? It was Amtrak the public turned to. Its an election year and public transportation is a key domestic issue. What are we to do with the airlines that keep filing chapter 11? [/quote] Good points. But airlines didn't just receive the 9-11 funding. They're gotten billions in tax dollars, in infrastructure costs, the FAA, screening, etc. ($15 billion a year normally). The highways, however, have been the biggest porkers, in terms of subsidies. This link gives a history lesson of how many billions this country has invested in highways and air. Yet suggest investments in passenger rail, and you're somehow considered a nut. http://www.trainweb.org/moksrail/advocacy/resources/essays/subsidies.htm http://www.trainweb.org/moksrail/advocacy/resources/subsidies/transport.htm According to the New York Times, et. al., $1.8 TRILLION has been spent building airways and highways, 1971-2001. Over that same time frame, tiny Amtrak has received $30 billion and its funding has been reduced yearly, while aviation and highway funding has steadily increased. You get what you pay for.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag