Passenger Trains > Obama Supports Amtrak

Support Amtrak Funding: Barack Obama has been a strong supporter of federal financial support for
Amtrak. Obama believes we need to reform Amtrak to improve accountability. In many parts of the country,
Amtrak is the only form of reliable transportation. In the U.S. Senate, Obama is a cosponsor of the Passenger
Rail Investment and Innovation Act of 2007, a leading act to provide long-term federal investment to Amtrak.
As president, Barack Obama will continue to fight for Amtrak funding and reform so that individuals, families
and businesses throughout the country have safe and reliable transportation options.

Support Development of High-Speed Freight and Passenger Rail: Barack Obama supports development of
high-speed rail networks across the country. Providing passengers with safe high-speed rail will have
significant environmental and metropolitan planning advantages and help diversify our nation’s transportation
infrastructure. Our domestic rail freight capacity must also be strengthened because our demand for rail
transportation has never been greater, leaving many key transportation hubs stretched to capacity. Obama is
committed to renewing the federal government’s commitment to high speed rail so that our nation’s
transportation infrastructure continues to support, and not hinder, our nation’s long-term economic growth.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/additional/Obama_FactSheet_Transportation.pdf

While I'm not a fan of Obama, it's nice to FINALLY see someone.........ANYONE......running for national office mentioning Amtrak. And hey---they even spelled it correctly. Usually the politicos spell it as "Amtrack", since most of them don't have any idea what a train is.

Does anybody know what "reform Amtrak" means? Or even more important, when Obama promises to bring "change" to Washington, what "change" does he mean? Without definition, terms like this are just empty rhetoric.

wesroberts Wrote:
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> Without definition, terms like this are
> just empty rhetoric.

It's what politicians do best. :)

No matter who our future leaders are, Amtrak (or Passenger Rail) has a future--if this story about projected US population by 2050 is true:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-02-11-population-study_N.htm

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U.S. Hispanic population to triple by 2050

By Haya El Nasser, USA TODAY
The U.S. population will soar to 438 million by 2050 and the Hispanic population will triple, according to projections released Monday by the Pew Research Center.
The latest projections by the non-partisan research group are higher than government estimates to date and paint a portrait of an America dramatically different from today's.

The projected growth in the U.S. population — 303 million today — will be driven primarily by immigration among all groups except the elderly..... (snip)

-------------------------

Chico
http://www.heartlandrails.com

No one knows or sure what "reform" Obama would bring to Amtrak if elected, but the fact that he supports it is a positive sign.

Obama has been spelling out the kind of change he means since his speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. You may or may not agree with him or his views and maybe he would succeed and maybe he wouldn't, but his views are out there for anyone who wants to know what they are. They're on his Website, in his books and in many of his speeches.

I'm still not holding my breath! Talkin' and walkin' are two different things when it comes to stuff like this!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> I'm still not holding my breath! Talkin' and
> walkin' are two different things when it comes to
> stuff like this!

LOL. Dude, I love you and your passion, but I truly love your phrase, "I ain't holdin my breath!"

Classic proamtrak.

Typical campaign promises. Come budget time he'll red line Amtrak like his predecessors before him.

I say give the guy a chance... he promises CHANGE... lets see what happens. He cannot be ANY worse then what we have now. lol

All newcomers purport change.

But how well will he work with the "system" or really change it?

Obama supports everything.

From Time magazine, 1/14/08:

"$88 - Cost of a Montana flight from Lewiston to Billings and back on Big Sky Airlines.

$1343 - Federal subsidy paid to the airline for each Lewiston to Billings round trip. the route, which averaged two passengers a day in 2006, is among those covered by a $110 million small-airports subsidy passed by Congress for 2008."

Proof, as if we needed it, that airports/airlines are as heavily subsidized, if not more so, than Amtrak. And I doubt that Amtrak has any routes that average just two passengers per day.

Carl

(I worry about anyone who would vote, or not vote, for a candidate based up on that candidate's middle name ... or first or last name, either! If you are that poorly informed, please do the country a favor and refrain from voting this year.)

The good news is that Obama probably will increase Amtrak funding and make the trains run faster. The bad news is that the trains will run faster because of the decrease in freight traffic after the national ban on coal fired electricity.

WAF Wrote:
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> Typical campaign promises. Come budget time he'll
> red line Amtrak like his predecessors before him.

What in Obama's record as a state legislator or US Senator causes you to make this prediction?

Dave

tburzio Wrote:
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> The good news is that Obama probably will increase
> Amtrak funding and make the trains run faster.
> The bad news is that the trains will run faster
> because of the decrease in freight traffic after
> the national ban on coal fired electricity.

Who's talking about banning coal? In the Energy & Environment element of the Issues section Obama's website, he talks about "clean" coal. The coal industry here in Western Pennsylvania talks about "clean" coal. While the coal industry and politicians may mean different things when they talk about "clean" coal, I don't think anyone is talking about an outright ban on coal for electricity generation.

Dave

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> tburzio Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The good news is that Obama probably will
> increase
> > Amtrak funding and make the trains run faster.
> > The bad news is that the trains will run faster
> > because of the decrease in freight traffic
> after
> > the national ban on coal fired electricity.
>
> Who's talking about banning coal? In the Energy &
> Environment element of the Issues section Obama's
> website, he talks about "clean" coal. The coal
> industry here in Western Pennsylvania talks about
> "clean" coal. While the coal industry and
> politicians may mean different things when they
> talk about "clean" coal, I don't think anyone is
> talking about an outright ban on coal for
> electricity generation.
>
> Dave

To even suggest banning coal burning power plants is foolish. Doing so would likely send electricity prices skyrocketing, as it would take away a massive chunk of the power supply. It would make the price of gas look like a bargain by comparison.

In terms of Obama and Amtrak...

Things he has supported/approved...

Midwest High-Speed Rail http://mwhsr.blogspot.com/2007/04/barack-obama-co-sponsors-pro-amtrak.html
S 294, 11.44 Billion for Amtrak through 2012 http://votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=16156&can_id=9490 but did not vote due to family issues according to CNN.

More on Obama's stance on Transportation, including Amtrak, Light-Rail, Metro, etc http://www.nwprogressive.org/vault/materials/obama/JAN08Transportation.pdf

Missed/Rejected

http://www.ontheissues.org/Economic/Barack_Obama_Technology.htm


Brian

TheOssman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RuleG Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > tburzio Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > The good news is that Obama probably will
> > increase
> > > Amtrak funding and make the trains run faster.
>
> > > The bad news is that the trains will run
> faster
> > > because of the decrease in freight traffic
> > after
> > > the national ban on coal fired electricity.
> >
> > Who's talking about banning coal? In the Energy
> &
> > Environment element of the Issues section
> Obama's
> > website, he talks about "clean" coal. The coal
> > industry here in Western Pennsylvania talks
> about
> > "clean" coal. While the coal industry and
> > politicians may mean different things when they
> > talk about "clean" coal, I don't think anyone
> is
> > talking about an outright ban on coal for
> > electricity generation.
> >
> > Dave
>
> To even suggest banning coal burning power plants
> is foolish. Doing so would likely send electricity
> prices skyrocketing, as it would take away a
> massive chunk of the power supply. It would make
> the price of gas look like a bargain by
> comparison.

Foolish?? Scope-out the following sites and tell me what's preferable!?
http://www.crmw.net
http://www.appvoices.org

I'll gladly cough-up an additional $100.00/month if doing so stops the destruction of Southern West Virginia. Yes, there is an America east of the Rocky Mountains.

If you want the real truth on Obama, here is a link that will set the record straight. I would not count on any help for Amtrak. Here is a link:http://www.freedomsenemies.com/_more/obama.htm