Why de-funding Amtrak is a terrible idea.

[benburch]

De-funding Amtrak is among the worst of the terrible ideas in the current Bush budget, and here is why;

On 9/11, there was a ground stop of all air traffic. Nothing moved by air for days, and when it did start moving, aircraft were out of place, crews had reached their time limits, and the system took weeks to be right.

But Amtrak still moved passengers.

What are we going to fall back on if the unthinkable occurs again, as the Bush Administration assures us it will?

Amtrak is a national security issue, and MUST be spun that way.

[bryant69]

1. Good argument--and you are right on.

It is a national security issue.

Bryant
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[Inland]

2. Amtrak: Used by big city folk, poor people. Not their type.

Facilitating travel, particularly cheap travel to some extent is accepted as reasons for subsidizing everything else.

My guess is: Amtrak is used for city to city travel, or poor people, and this adminstration could give a crap about big cities or the poor.

[IrateCitizen]

5. Actually, that's more bus travel. Amtrak ain't cheap.

I think more poor people use bus lines to travel between cities. Amtrak is cheaper than flying, but bus travel is still cheaper.

[WLKjr]

6. What??? I can get from Ohio to DC on $59 bux

I'm sort of poor, and I can afford that

[IrateCitizen]

10. NYC to Philly costs me almost as much! (nt)

[WLKjr]

11. What type of service? Are you on the local or the Acela?

Acela is expensive but pretty damn fast

[benburch]

7. Have you looked at the state of the bus lines lately?

They are dying faster than you imagine, and a MUCH less safe than rail travel.

[Zenlitened]

3. Excellent angle. I also like to point out that the whole argument...

... about "not subsidizing Amtrak with taxpayer money" is just completely bogus, too.

Look at the cash poured into the airlines over the years, particularly after 9-11. As a society, we have a common interest in maintaining our transportation infrastructure. (Now if we could only get some control over airline executive pay... )

And the roads and highways... puh-leeze. Should we withhold taxpayer dollars from roads and highways, too? If so, I'm investing my rainy-day money in the hiking boot industry!

[On the Road]

4. That's the Ticket

Lump it under Homeland Security. Get Halliburton to bid on some of those contracts. They'll pour billions into it.

[Skidmore]

8. AND it is also a national security risk from an economic

standpoint. Where is the infrastructure to handle all those cars that those Amtrack those suburban commuters will eventually start using. Not enough roads or parking places in the universe.

[benburch]

9. In terms of fuel per passenger-mile, nothing beats a loaded train.

And most Amtrak trains run near capacity.