Passenger Trains > Amtrak Chicago Town Hall Meetings this week

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/07/19 17:36 by GenePoon.

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The ELT is missing their Chief Executive?

Posted from iPhone

Did the ELT enjoy the train ride, meals, amenities?

Does the entire ELT attend the meetings, or do they draw straws to who gets to do the unpleasant task?

If I were there, I would go at Gardner with both barrels.  What an arrogant jerk.  He does not know his passengers, his equipment, his employees, his facilities, etc.  It is likely that half of those people on that list have never even been to a car shop floor!

What they all need to learn is their product: SERVICE.  Yes, it is transportation, but people have many alternatives.  Amtrak has to bring people back again and again, with reliable, clean, pleasant service.  Sure it would be nice to have comfortable safe stations, but passengers are savvy; they know what Amtrak controls (service, equipment, personnel, price, etc.).  

If Gardner does not paint a bright future for the long distance trains, his audience should carve him up.  

 

Blue circle: "Do the right thing."
Blue/green circle: "Put customers first."
Red circle: "Excel together."

All Amtrak has to do is plant some strategic "attendees" among the audience, and only call on them for (prearranged) questions.

How about a town hall for tax paying passengers. My first question would be...why did you authorize purchase of new dining cars with state of the art kitchens....you know. the place where food is actually cooked...and not use any of them for their intended purpose. 

With the name list included...

You just gotta think the axe is getting ready to fall!

Heads will roll: someone misspelled the General Counsel's name.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

I see that now they spelled Eldie's first name without the A... Good Catch!

Eldie served as director of public policy and government affairs for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force prior to her Amtrak Gig.

Granddaughter of Dean Acheson, Trueman's Secretary of State, accused during anti-Communist investigations by Senator Joseph McCarthy and others, and over Truman's policy toward China. Also, college roommate to Hillary Rodham (Clinton). She is married to Emily Hewitt, a former Judge and Chief Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Real Railroad Material!

PC1974 Wrote:
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> With the name list included...
>
> You just gotta think the axe is getting ready to
> fall!

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NAH!   They'll be promoting more Vice Presidents to Executive Vice Presidents.

Reminds me of AT&T back office staff thrugh the 1990's. Everyone above Janitor was a Manager. 

PC1974 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I see that now they spelled Eldie's first name
> without the A... Good Catch!
>
> Eldie served as director of public policy and
> government affairs for the National Gay and
> Lesbian Task Force prior to her Amtrak Gig.
>
> Granddaughter of Dean Acheson, Trueman's Secretary
> of State, accused during anti-Communist
> investigations by Senator Joseph McCarthy and
> others, and over Truman's policy toward China.
> Also, college roommate to Hillary Rodham
> (Clinton). She is married to Emily Hewitt, a
> former Judge and Chief Judge of the United States
> Court of Federal Claims.
>
> Real Railroad Material!

How does any of this make her unsuitable to serve as Amtrak General Counsel? 

Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer for the Illinois Central Railroad.  Given that railroads in Illinois were non-existent/in their infancy during Lincoln's early years, he had no chance to become "Real Railroad Material."  However, according to the following link, Lincoln was considered one of the most successful practitioners of railroad law:

http://www.abraham-lincoln-history.org/abraham-lincoln-the-railroad-lawyer/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/08/19 15:36 by RuleG.

With Amtrak being a social welfare program more than a transportation entity, somebody must have thought her eminently qualified.

Posted from Android

PC1974 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I see that now they spelled Eldie's first name
> without the A... Good Catch!
>
> Eldie served as director of public policy and
> government affairs for the National Gay and
> Lesbian Task Force prior to her Amtrak Gig.
>
> Granddaughter of Dean Acheson, Trueman's Secretary
> of State, accused during anti-Communist
> investigations by Senator Joseph McCarthy and
> others, and over Truman's policy toward China.
> Also, college roommate to Hillary Rodham
> (Clinton). She is married to Emily Hewitt, a
> former Judge and Chief Judge of the United States
> Court of Federal Claims.
>
> Real Railroad Material!

You forgot the parts of her career where she earned a degree in law from George Washington University, practiced law for almost twenty years, and was Assistant US Attorney General.  Clearly unqualified for the role of general counsel.

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> With Amtrak being a social welfare program more
> than a transportation entity, somebody must have
> thought her eminently qualified.
>
> Posted from Android

Transportation welfare for sure!

-John

I would like to know how many of them are using the train (not office car) to travel to Chicago.

Most of their time at trackside will be spent looking for the catenary.
Other available time will be spent explaining how they do things on the NEC.

Correct you are that she was Assistant Attorney General... So let's clarify the rest of that story...

That job of Assistant Attorney General is appointed by the President of the United States. And that appointment happened after William (Bill) J. Clinton was elected to office in 1993. Prior the the appointment, she worked for the Bill's president's election team and then the Clinton transition team.

Eldie reported to Attorney General Janet Reno. She ran the the Justice Department's office of policy development. Her job was to screen candidates for federal judgeship's and United States attorney posts. Eldie said some though the ``job is to put liberal judges on courts,''. She denies the claim.

It helped that she was a Wellesley College classmate of Hillary Rodham (Clinton). That put her ``on the Clintons' radar screen,'' she acknowledges.

PC1974:

In her capacity as Amtrak's General Counsel, what actions has Eleanor Acheson undertaken which have been detrimental to intercity passenger rail?

Your two posts say plenty about your political views, but nothing as to why Eleanor Acheson is not qualified to be a General Counsel for Amtrak.