Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
[quote user="henry6"] Private sector businesses, road and railroad transportation companies and officers, planners from all levels of governements, even some money people, are looking at a transportation system that needs infrastructure and structure, coordination and integration, a purpose to provided service and not receive lip service in terms of money.  These Teatoadelers are pushing little pins at small balloons: making big bursting noises but accomplishing nothing else.  It appears that there is a sobering of the Right leadership in that they recognize there is a lot to the future if they plan for it now.  Taking money away from anything and everything is subtraction, not the addition or multiplication of efforts our economic future needs and leaders from both sides of the aisle are beginning to understand that. /quote] Amtraks supporters, including those with a take no prisoners perspectiive, i.e. don't give up anything, number in the thousands.  They are matched by a many times greater number of Americans who agree that we need to get our fiscal house in order.  But don't touch my interest, i.e. Amtrak, Essential Air Service Program, etc. or whatever benefits me is the mantra for most people.  In other words, every thing is on the table except what benefits me.   The federal government debt is nearly 100 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product.  This is serious.  If we don't figure out a way to manage it down, the international finance markets will do it for us.  And it won't be pretty, i.e. steep run-up in interest rates, slashing of government services, etc.  So it means taking a hard look at Amtrak, Essential Air Services Program, etc.  Everything needs to be on the table.  Not just the other guy's or gal's interests. I support passenger rail, with reasonable subsidies, in short, high density corridors where expanding the airways and highways is cost prohibitive.  I see no financial justification for the long distance trains, although I love to ride them.   Pretending that we don't have a fiscal crisis in the U.S. is a prescription for a financial disaster.  Accordingly, whether the government should continue to subsidize Amtrak is a legitimate question. The broader question is:  How much can the country afford to spend on passenger rail above what the market will support it?  The answer has nothing to do with how much we spend on defense or foreign aid or anything else.  Those who argue for a national transportation scheme need to say what it looks like, how it differs from where we are now, how much it will cost, and most importantly, who will pay for it.  Coordination, integration, etc. are nice terms.  But without specifics, including how to pay for them, they are not very helpful.
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