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For the panelist, here's evidence of Wendall Cox's ignorance, absolute idiocy and twisting of facts. http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-cox020502.shtml "What, for example, could possess any rational human being to believe that a train from Meridian, Mississippi to Dallas was a high priority for expansion of passenger-train service? Why not Opelika to Cleveland? " What that ignoramus deliberately failed to mention in his diatribe against giant old Amtrak was that the route proposed wasn't an entirely new route just to serve Meridian. Instead, it was an EXPANSION of the Crescent. Instead of running only from New York to New Orleans, the train would split at Meridian with one section running through Jackson, Miss., Shreveport, La., and Dallas, Texas. If the train was run, one of the largest metropolitan areas of the coutnry, Dallas, would finally have direct rail access to Atlanta, DC, PHL, NY, etc. Kind of like the Empire Builder splits at Spokane for Seattle and Portland and the Lake Shore Limited's splitting at Albany for Boston and New York. Makes a lot of sense to me. Expand a train's route to serve more customers. But it never happened, thanks to Congress again stiffing Amtrak of the funds needed to buy new equipment and run more trains. If I recall correctly, the "honorable" Sen. John McCain attached an amendment to a senate bill striking Amtrak's request for something like $200-400 million to purchase more superliners and viewliners. Stabbed in the back again. Then the same windbag of a senator turns around and lashes out at Amtrak because it didn't turn a profit. Great. Control the funding. Make sure it fails. It fails. Then blame Amtrak, not the purse-keepers. The Meridian - Dallas train likely wouldn't have required a lot of subsidy - except for the upgrade of the KCS tracks - since additional passengers travelling directly from Texas to the south and northeast (including Atlanta) would likely have increased Amtrak's revenues. But wise old Wendall Cox can only bash Amtrak, not offer genuine solutions. His so-called analysis is awash in half-truths and misleading information. That kind of intellectual laziness and deceit makes him illegitimate and no source worthy of quoting on any topic.
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