Gunn to be fired

[zardoz]

This is the beginning of the end of Amtrak as we know it.

Will "Amtrak:The Next Generation" be any better?

And if so, 'better' by what definition, what parameters?

[chad thomas]

From Progressive Railroading:

Amtrak fires Gunn, launches national search for new leader
Today, Amtrak’s board fired President and Chief Executive Officer David Gunn. The national intercity passenger railroad needs a new leader to “intensify the pace and broaden the scope of reforms,” board members said in a prepared statement.

The board named Amtrak Chief Engineer David Hughes acting president and chief executive officer while board members search for a new leader.

"David Gunn has helped Amtrak make important operational improvements over the past three years,” said board chair David Laney. “Amtrak's future now requires a different type of leader who will aggressively tackle the company's financial, management and operational challenges. The need to bring fundamental change to Amtrak is greater and more urgent than ever before. Now, we need a leader with vision and experience to get the job done."

The board is working to implement strategic reform initiatives introduced in April that would help the railroad improve service and financial performance. The initiatives call for shared federal-state financial responsibility for intercity passenger rail and predictable multi-year federal funding.

Last week, a report released by the Government Accountability Office determined Amtrak needs to strengthen its basic business procedures in order to achieve financial stability and meet future operating challenges.

In May 2002, Gunn came out of retirement to take the helm at Amtrak. He previously served as the chief of transit systems in New York and Washington, D.C.

[railroad65]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/09/business/main1028089.shtml

[SALfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

As far as I know GAO stands for Government Accounting Office, not ACCOUNTABILITY. They are a bunch of bean counters, not finger pointers. Politicians take the reports and do the finger pointing. Sounds like the old agenda is back, and Gunn is doing things right if he has them so pissed off.

The name changed recently. They do a lot of studies/audits/evaluations of various government entities and functions, along with a few oddball functions that don't fit any other place in the government.

Like another post, I wi***hey would get busy and expose some of the ridiculous pork barrel spending that goes on. However, they work for Congress, not the executive branch, so they aren't going to bite the hand that feeds them.

[CG9602]

Norm Mineta criticisng Dave Gunn? Please [:(!] Norm Mineta has done more damage to Amtrak than anything Dave Gunn has ever done. Dave Gunn, if anything, has had the guts to speak the truth regarding Amtrak, and has instituted significant changes, has re-started the Beech Grove repair lines (which his predecessor had shut down as a cost-cutting measure), and has been a lot more forthcoming in the atmosphere and circumstances which Amtrak has to function. What's Norm Mineta done? He's mislead people regarding Amtrak's profitability, which lines are profitable (hint: it isn't the short distance runs - they are the most expensive and LEAST profitable), he's lied about ridership regarding Amtrak's intercity trains (see examples: SW Cheif and Empire Builder), and demonstrated complete ignorance of the nature of long-distance trains being a different creature than short distance trains.

If anything, it is Norm Mineta who should be sacked - not Dave Gunn.
Contact your elected officials, everyone.

[eolafan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by artmark

I hear he's being replaced by Michael Brown.

Mitch

[#oops] Does this mean all Amtrak trains would run in the opposite direction from what was intended?

[Chernobyl]

CNN.com has this news also.
The board is firing him, though its not really clear why, except maybe because the board was appointed by Bush.

Chern

[Anonymous]

I hear he's being replaced by Michael Brown.

Mitch

[Big_Boy_4005]

Keep in mind that Congerssional member's pork projects are probably immune from GAO scrutiny. The GAO is more interested in finding things toilet seats and hammers that the taxpayers are being over charged for.[swg]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

They are a bunch of bean counters, not finger pointers. Politicians take the reports and do the finger pointing. Gunn is doing things right if he has them so pissed off.

Tool the words right out of my mouth...

People who understand balance sheets but not railroads are upset because he would not bow to pressure in the "cost containment" dept.

[vsmith]

Mineta and the republicans have had it out for Amtrack for a very long time now. Getting rid of Gunn sounds like a familiar tactic. Get rid of someone who knows what there doing, instead replace them with a political appointed lackey who knows nothing, then let them wreck it, so they can say, "look, its broken so we have to get rid of it"

This could be a first salvo in the dismantling of Amtrack

PS I didnt hear any headlines about reductions in subsidies to the airline industry. interesting.

[Big_Boy_4005]

As far as I know GAO stands for Government Accounting Office, not ACCOUNTABILITY. They are a bunch of bean counters, not finger pointers. Politicians take the reports and do the finger pointing. Sounds like the old agenda is back, and Gunn is doing things right if he has them so pissed off.

[daveklepper]

Well, if Mineta can get away with murder, and indeed he did murder the New Orleans victims, I suppose they can fire Gunn!

If one of Mineta or Bush's croneys was in New Orleans with or without family, and lacked a car or money for an airplane ticket, they probably would have sent Airforce One to pick the family up, and a police escort and a limousine to get the family to the airport.

Evacuation is a transportation matter. Mineta's non action was murder.

They should fire the Board and not Gunn

You can quote me and my email is [e-mail]

[chad thomas]

I found this on Progressive Railroading. Doesn't say anything about fireing Gunn though.

USDOT to tighten reins on Amtrak
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has taken a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on Amtrak to heart. The department plans to increase oversight of the national passenger railroad in light of the report’s criticism of Amtrak’s business procedures.

After reviewing Amtrak’s strategic planning, financial reporting and management practices, cost-containment strategies, acquisition management, and accountability and oversight, GAO concluded that the railroad needs to better measure and monitor performance, and improve financial controls.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta has called on Amtrak to implement the recommendations.

"For the past several years, I have been urging Amtrak to clean up its act and become more accountable to taxpayers and the traveling public," said Mineta in a prepared statement. "I hope this report will be a turning point for Amtrak."

Mineta has directed the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to obtain from Amtrak a plan to improve financial reporting and management practices. The FRA will monitor progress and issue an annual status report to Congress.

The USDOT also will require Amtrak to demonstrate how the railroad will improve acquisition practices before receiving federal grants, and develop clear measures of overall corporate performance. The USDOT will include the measures in annual reports issued to Congress, which also will note recommendations on how Congress can help the railroad reform.

[Anonymous]

This is new.

[chad thomas]

For what?

[Anonymous]

The Associated Press is repoortingt that the Amtrak board meets today to fire president David Gunn.