Steam & Excursion > Bad funding news for Chama

From the Dead Goat Saloon website
"Agency: CUMBRES AND TOLTEC SCENIC RAILROAD COMMISSION

CTSRRC PASSENGER CAR UPGRADES $250,000 Multiple Co STB
CTSRRC TRACK/LOCOMOTIVE/BOILER UPGRADES $750,000 Multiple Co STB
CTSRRC LAND & BLDG FOR VISITOR GATEWAY CENTER $65,000 Chama Rio Arriba STB
CTSRRC SAND HOUSE REPAIR $50,000 Chama Rio Arriba STB
CUMBRES AND TOLTEC SCENIC RAILROAD COMMISSION $1,115,000 4 projects

This was before amendments to the Senate Finance Committee substitute were approved in the Senate that day and the bill with those amendments was passed still later that day. Those amendments deleted the passenger car upgrades, the track/locomotive/boiler upgrades and added water system upgrades (proposed in the original authorization request):

Agency: CUMBRES AND TOLTEC SCENIC RAILROAD COMMISSION

CTSRRC WATER TANK SUPPLY SYSTEM $30,000 Rio Arriba STB
CTSRRC LAND & BLDG FOR VISITOR GATEWAY CENTER $65,000 Chama Rio Arriba STB
CTSRRC SAND HOUSE REPAIR $50,000 Chama Rio Arriba STB

CUMBRES AND TOLTEC SCENIC RAILROAD COMMISSION $145,000 4 projects

Seems they got 1/10th of what they thought they would get for funding

Posted from iPhone

The amendments to strip C&TSRR track, locomotive and passenger car work from the bill did not come from the NM Senate. The NM Senate passed the capital outlay with the original $1,115,000 amount on a bi-partisan vote of 40-0. The deletions occurred in the NM House where money was stripped from this many other projects and diverted into highway projects. When the clock ran out, this revised bill was sent to the Senate where it was unlikely to receive approval.

The result, however, is the same: No funds this year for the capital projects shown above. With no money this coming winter for engine or car work, keeping employees working in Chama and Antonito could be at risk. And the fallout may reach further than NM. Colorado's legislature could look at the results and say why should we give the RR money for capital projects when NM didn't.

The governor has said there will be no special session, but there is a clamor for her to call one as the $264 million in construction and renovation would provide needed jobs in an economy which has once again taken a nose dive with the crashing price of crude oil (provides 31% of state revenue). So Jay's call for us to "blitz" the governor with letters is wholly appropriate.

Posted from iPhone

I hope this doesn't become a yearly thing since I really want to check that out and the Durango and Silverton as soon as I can!

Is Durango having problems too??? Am planning on 2016 to Chama  and probably also Durango in that order.

Durango is not a state agency nor does it rely on state money.

And Durango isn't looking for $400M to pay the upcoming Railrunner bonds.

Out

Finderskeepers Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The amendments to strip C&TSRR track, locomotive
> and passenger car work from the bill did not come
> from the NM Senate. The NM Senate passed the
> capital outlay with the original $1,115,000 amount
> on a bi-partisan vote of 40-0. The deletions
> occurred in the NM House where money was stripped
> from this many other projects and diverted into
> highway projects. When the clock ran out, this
> revised bill was sent to the Senate where it was
> unlikely to receive approval.
>
> The result, however, is the same: No funds this
> year for the capital projects shown above. With no
> money this coming winter for engine or car work,
> keeping employees working in Chama and Antonito
> could be at risk. And the fallout may reach
> further than NM. Colorado's legislature could look
> at the results and say why should we give the RR
> money for capital projects when NM didn't.
>
> The governor has said there will be no special
> session, but there is a clamor for her to call one
> as the $264 million in construction and renovation
> would provide needed jobs in an economy which has
> once again taken a nose dive with the crashing
> price of crude oil (provides 31% of state
> revenue). So Jay's call for us to "blitz" the
> governor with letters is wholly appropriate.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Thanks for posting the clarification. Nobody got anything. The proverbial BS hit the fan this time last week when full finding for capital outlay for C&TSRR and other agencies (senior centers, schools, courts, etc.) was slashed for highway projects. The 40-0 bipartisan vote in the NM senate showed support across the board. Too bad the NM House took a different tack.

[Edit: The governor's address and links to NM legislators are on the Goat. For those from other states, the NM constitution limits legislative sessions to 30 days in even-numbered years and 60 days in odd-numbered years. So unless a special session is called, the issue is dead until next January, 2016. With oil-patch in a price collapse and losing jobs, the NM economy is in a tailspin. The failed legislation, financed by severance tax bonds, would provide wide spread jobs throughout the state (including the RR). Because of this I believe the pressure to call a special session will be intense and if called it would only be held after the warring parties agree on a compromise.

BTW, not all blame can be passed on the House. In lieu of including road construction in the bill, the state senate wanted to increase the gasoline fuel tax to pay for the road construction, which the Republican governor said no way. The action in the House was the result.]



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/15 12:49 by Cumbresfan.

callum_out Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And Durango isn't looking for $400M to pay the
> upcoming Railrunner bonds.
>
> Out

BTW, there was no action to save Amtrak's Southwest Chief route either.