Passenger Trains > Boost funding for Amtrak, or else

The NY Daily News reports that the Democratic National Campaign Committee intends to target Republican legislators in swing districts for their party's decision to cut funding to Amtrak. The specific issue is the vote over a proposed $750 million increase in PTC funding.  The eight people are among the 241 Republicans who voted against the funding.

I'm concerned that making Amtrak a "Democratic issue" will play into the hands of those in the majority who can then point to the issue as Democrats playing politics on an "untested and still experimental" safety system.


The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee told the Daily News it will target Republicans from districts Democrats hope to win in 2016 with online ads highlighting their opposition to increasing spending for a safety system that experts would have prevented the Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia this month that killed eight people and injured more than 200.

Amtrak
 

I, for one, am delighted that someone in Congress (even if it is the Democrats)  after all these years, is finally making an issue out of the Republicans historic anti-Amtrak, anti-public transportation stance. Properly exploited the Democrats could go far with this strategy. It appears that, at least some, of the Democrats have awakened to the fact that opinion poll after opinion poll, for the entire Amtrak life span, has shown wide spread voter support for funding Amtrak and public transit. Now we will see if the Republicans will learn that lesson as well. The hard way.

John Webb
Trinidad, CA

I was reading the Reason website the other day and they were talking about the call for more funding for Amtrak after the Philli wreck.  They were not in favor of more funding.  One of the comments compared Amtrak, a government agency, killing a bunch of people = needs more money.  Private corp. BP blows up oil rig in gulf, kills people, pays billions in fines.  Both companies safety culture challenged.

OliveHeights Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was reading the Reason website the other day and
> they were talking about the call for more funding
> for Amtrak after the Philli wreck.  They were not
> in favor of more funding.  One of the comments
> compared Amtrak, a government agency, killing a
> bunch of people = needs more money.  Private
> corp. BP blows up oil rig in gulf, kills people,
> pays billions in fines.  Both companies safety
> culture challenged.

Many companies look at the risk profile, and decide what needs to be fixed or changed right now, and what can wait.  They prioritize. Most people do that with their household repairs, auto repairs, etc on a regular basis. Including things with serious safety consequences like replacing the brakes now or next month, etc.

BP made a conscious decision not to replace its old blow out protector. They knew that newer equipment was available, and would lower their risk from low to extremely low. Railroads make that decision when they decide to operate with radios that fail or have many dead zones. You could add more antennae, or you can wait for better technology to come along.  Fire departments, police agencies etc face the same issues.

In Amtrak's case, sure people can sue for damages. And, Amtrak goes to whoever reinsures their basic insurance coverage and gets money. And they go to Congress. And they squeeze their workers a little. And they pay higher insurance premiums next year.

Winnemucca Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I, for one, am delighted that someone in
> Congress (even if it is the Democrats)  after
> all these years, is finally making an issue out
> of the Republicans historic anti-Amtrak,
> anti-public transportation stance.
> Properly exploited the Democrats could go far
> with this strategy. It appears that, at least
> some, of the Democrats have awakened to the fact
> that opinion poll after opinion poll, for the
> entire Amtrak life span, has shown wide spread
> voter support for funding Amtrak and public
> transit.

so, it is a FACT that there is wide spread voter support for funding amtrak?    

there are a LOT of people that either do NOT use amtrak, do NOT live near amtrak, or are unemployed/underemployed.  are they part of this wide spread voter support that will be demanding that their politicians increase funding for amtrak and public transit in the next elections?

>Now we will see if the Republicans will
> learn that lesson as well. The hard way.

well, in the last mid-term elections, the republicans did very well.

i am waiting for any politician from ANY party running in 2016 to make spending BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars on amtrak a priority........

66


 

I would presume that Bernie Sanders would be very pro Amtrak spending?

Actually winnumucca is correct 

http://www.gallup.com/poll/4312/public-strongly-supports-continuing-government-subsidies-amtrak.aspx
the public supports all spending with the exception of foreign aid.

the problem is the public also wants the debt reduced, continue to strongly support spending, really do not want to see programs cut, and above all do not increase taxes unless you increase taxes on the other guy.  So far, that is exactly what has happened which is why we have an 18 trillion dollar debt.

And this country nationally still has the worse transportation sysetm out of everwhere else in the world and they leaders in DC still haven't figured that out yet!