Passenger Trains > US Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) to meet with Richard Anderson

According to the following Wellington Daily News 05/04/2019 article, Anderson has agreed to meet with the Senator on May 22 (3rd paragraph):
https://www.wellingtondailynews.com/news/20190504/us-sen-moran-playing-hardball-to-preserve-amtrak-service-in-kansas

This will be a VERY interesting encounter and would seem to have added significance since Mr. Moran has been one of 10 other senators to send a recent letter to Mr. Anderson requesting answers. To date of course there has been no record (to my knowledge) that Anderson has been heard from to address these questions nor the ones directed to him by Representative DeFazio's subcommittee. It will be hard to conceive of this upcoming meeting taking place without face-to-face direct questions on that which has not yet been answered. 

Moran and Anderson - 2 lawyers at each other. Should be interesting. Moran still has a hold on 3 Amtrak Board appointments.I do hope Moran is onto all of Anderson's hidden antics against the national network, beyond the Bus Bridge. 

This years's ploy is ""targeted areas for growth: millennials and aging populations are changing the overall travel landscape". In 2018, it was "experiential" .

Moran is a real fiscal conservative, but still sees the purpose of Amtrak to produce a service, particularly a LD train service, as a rural access issue to populated places, even though the benefits do not show as a conventional profit. 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/19 16:17 by joemvcnj.

What happens if Amtrak board positions aren't filled? Mr Moran has a hold on new appointments.

When President Trump decided to let some agencies wither, he left them without a board quorum to make decisions.

Posted from Android

If the Hold remains in effect, Chairman Coscia will have to decide if the liability of Anderson is worth it.  Dissing 23 states/46 senators of train service will not be politically beneficial for NEC or Gateway funding, which is mostly what Coscia is concerned about. 

I trust Evan Stair's team is keeping Moran posted of all shenanigans to date and hope Coscia is clever enough to see that he has to make WV, KS, and MT among others happy. 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/19 16:39 by joemvcnj.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Moran and Anderson - 2 lawyers at each other.
> Should be interesting. Moran still has a hold on 3
> Amtrak Board appointments.I do hope Moran is onto
> all of Anderson's hidden antics against the
> national network, beyond the Bus Bridge. 
>

I tend to think he probably is to most issues based on the letter he signed. Also you can tell that this senator has the interest. He gives every appearance of being engaged.
As you are concerned I also do hope he is up-to-date on all of Anderson's latest Southern Pacific tactics especially under the infamous B F Biaggini. 

I hope Moran keeps Anderson's feet in the fire and keep heating it up if he avoids any serious questions being asked, ever since he took over as CEO his reputation has almost reached the 10TH Level of Hell!

I wonder of either was ever a courtroom attorney ? 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> I wonder of either was ever a courtroom attorney
> ? 

Mr Moran was in private practice or about 20 years, and later served as an assistant state's attorney.  Don't know if he was a barrister, solicitor, or rain maker.  In Kansas, a rain maker might pay well...

Great!  it seems some in Congress are finally catching on to the downgrading of Amtrak being done by Anderson and the Delta group.

There is nothing more powerful than an upset Congressman - hoping to be elected - hearing from upset Amtrak riders in his State  
Upset enough for 10 of them to wright Anderson a letter.  

And,  upset enough to insert specific funding for the SW Chief in Amtrak's 2019 budget.  Never been done before to my knowledge.

I doubt Anderson will be able to get away with much more downgrading (calling it contemporary, or cost cutting, etc.)

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hope Moran keeps Anderson's feet in the fire and
> keep heating it up if he avoids any serious
> questions being asked, ever since he took over as
> CEO his reputation has almost reached the 10TH
> Level of Hell!

I'm a bit suspicious as to why Anderson agreed to meet Moran. Moran, being a fellow lawyer might have used to his secret handshake to reach Anderson. However, Anderson might have agreed to meet, feeling confident that he can push his agenda on Moran using the same secret handshake.

No wishing or hoping from me. Result is the only thing that counts, and we won't know for some time.

We know from last summer's Kill The SW Chief Powerpoint Road Show that Moran knows how to push Anderson's buttons, and Anderson has a short fuse when he's crossed. Get out the popcorn on May 22nd. Moran has a safe Senate seat, and does not run for re-election until 2022. Senator Gardener in Colorado has a problem in 2020. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/19 17:45 by joemvcnj.

If Jerry Moran’s letter is anything to go by, he’s very well informed on Amtrak’s tricks, and if I were Anderson, I would be very worried. Moran might be a conservative of reddest nature, but the medium sized communities across Kansas that are served by Amtrak have serious interest in those trains continuing to roll. Those communities can make or break statewide elections, and Moran should be concerned as since the last election Kansas has been showing a newer and bluer side of itself. Gardner is in for tough re-election run, and keeping trains rolling is one of those things that costs him virtually no political capital what so ever, but will be something tangible he can point to as having done good for Colorado. It’s a nice slow low and outside pitch he be stupid not to swing at. This is about to get interesting.
Nick

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/19 23:29 by NGotwalt.

Another theory is Coscia wants the Board replacement process done, and told Anderson to make nice to release the Hold. He could make nice, but lie between his teeth. I hope Moran can see right through him.  

Moran can see benefits of rail service beyond the traditional corporate bottom line. Profit/Loss of the service provider doesn't determine neccessity of the customer, and he has said as much.

Perhaps he'll tell them it's his company and he'll run it as he sees fit. Do I guess we need to polish our tin foil hats and invent more secret agenda conspiracy theories.

Posted from Android



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/19 04:58 by ALCO630.

If he bites the hand that feeds him, then the Hold remains in effect. He may think he is Alexander Cassatt, but he is not.

I think Anderson probably thinks he's the greatest hero Amtrak has ever seen.

Worst case these 3 Heritage/Cato guys get in? IF we get a new Administration in 2020 can and how how hard would it be for the new President to fire the board or most of its members? Assuming these guys do get in the Board would be almost all political hacks with known anti Amtrak rhetoric in their past.
Legally what’s involved in replacing board members before their terms expire?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/19 07:33 by Flyer92122.

I would actually love to see these guys get into a good, unscripted conversation.  The reality is that Anderson will show up with a big, fat briefing book from his staff (well, will have reviewed it before heading in the room) and Senator Moran has plenty of scripted questions from his staff and lobbyists.  Been there, done it.  As long as the conversation remains at the "I appreciate what my colleague just stated, but I beg to differ on the following points..." this is just another useless exercise in what I call "Shakespearian language."  

I suspect both of these gentlemen could learn a lot from each other.  Yes, I know so many on this board will accept nothing less than a long distance network funded beyond belief so a handful (in the overall numbers scheme) of people have the option to ride a train, but there are stark, cold realities in play.  And I believe Mr. Anderson knows this.  And Senator Moran knows what he is hearing from his constituents.  So, let's hope there is a productive conversation.


PRSL-recall Wrote:
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> I think Anderson probably thinks he's the greatest
> hero Amtrak has ever seen.

Moran also has another ace in his pocket, Wichita has a whole lot of Boeing subcontractors that are there.   Lots of stuff going on right now with a certain model of their airplane and lots of airlines are wondering when things get back to normal.   He does have a back channel to Anderson with his friends still in the airlines.  Might be intersting if any leverage comes from that direction.

PRSL-recall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Moran and Anderson - 2 lawyers at each other.
> > Should be interesting. Moran still has a hold on
> 3
> > Amtrak Board appointments.I do hope Moran is
> onto
> > all of Anderson's hidden antics against the
> > national network, beyond the Bus Bridge. 
> >
>
> I tend to think he probably is to most issues
> based on the letter he signed. Also you can tell
> that this senator has the interest. He gives every
> appearance of being engaged.
> As you are concerned I also do hope he is
> up-to-date on all of Anderson's latest Southern
> Pacific tactics especially under the infamous B F
> Biaggini. 

Don't conflate what Russel and Biaggini did with SP passenger service, and what Anderson is doing with Amtrak. The two are not the same. Russell and Biaggini were dealing with a travelling public that was deserting the trains.....SP was responding to the changing face of passenger rail service and addressing it in a fiscally responsible way for their stockholders. Remember, SP had spent wads of stockholder cash trying unsuccessfully to retain patronage following the War. By the 1960's, SP was faced with mounting losses which were eating away at their ability to enhance and improve freight operatiions. Unlike Amtrak, SP did not have taxpayers to prop up a service that was increasingly becoming irrevelant in the US transportion market. Other railroads may have kept up service standards, but even they knew it was unsustainable. UP's passenger losses were on a path that would eventually exceed it's net profits from freight services, even after serious cuts were made following the loss of mail and express revenue in 1967. This despite extreme efforts and continual upgrading of it's passenger fleet up to the mid-1960's. It was a no-win situation. Russel and Biaggini were realists. 

SP "tactics" or good business sense. I'll go with the latter.