Passenger Trains > Flynn and Coscia tout $10.5 billion Amtrak appropriation

"Passenger rail investment offers non-stop service to a prosperous economy"

Flynn and Coscia make their case for $10.5 billion in bailout and stimulus funding.

https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/525884-passenger-rail-investment-offers-non-stop-service-to-a

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/20 08:06 by Dcmcrider.

Making requests of that magnitude guarantees they will get nothing. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Making requests of that magnitude guarantees they
> will get nothing. 

Not ture.  Making requests this size usually means they get about half of the oney requested.  Do you have any expierince with this comment or just talking for the sake of posting something?

And lots of corridor talk - not mentioning or stressing that current "long distance trains" are now down to 3x per week and potential there of expansion - only reference to trying to get new equipment. Otherwise, very corridor-centric. 

So much for those of us on here [and elsewhere] who contend Amtrak leadership cares only about the NEC.

bnsf6606 Wrote:
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> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Making requests of that magnitude guarantees
> they
> > will get nothing. 
>
> Not ture.  Making requests this size usually
> means they get about half of the oney requested. 
> Do you have any expierince with this comment or
> just talking for the sake of posting something?

That does not work anymore - request something and compromise half way. That is over 5 times their annual approriation, more than can be justified by 9 months of Covid. What they need is a CARES-II. They need $100 million to restore daily service to the 23 states where that is the only service they get. But their attuitude is hand us $10 billion for everywhere, or we'll shoot the dog. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/20 08:28 by joemvcnj.

Handing out trillion dollar Covid checks shows a few billion here and there are chump change.

Hoping for the best.  One thing a Biden presidency will assure is nothing getting worse for Amtrak, if not necessarily pie in the sky improvements.

Art House

aehouse Wrote:
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> Handing out trillion dollar Covid checks shows a
> few billion here and there are chump change.

Why not ask for a Trillion dollars?  I seem to recall
a certain member of congress suggesting the mint
"simply" stamp a couple of trillion dollar coins to 
cover any expense it desires.  You see - that way
we won't incur any additional debt!  Such a great
idea! 

/Mitch

I stand by my words:

"Death by a thousand cuts"

I think joemvcnj  is correct in both his posts.  (above)

I doubt any Congress would grant 10B for passenger trains -- simply because this figure is so ridiculously high.
Such a figure would fund Amtrak for something like 7 years  - given the Amtrak annual budget is about $1.4 B.

ronald321 Wrote:
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> I think joemvcnj  is correct in both his posts. 
> (above)
>
> I doubt any Congress would grant 10B for passenger
> trains -- simply because this figure is so
> ridiculously high.

No doubt a bargaining tactic - start ridiculously high
and then "concede" to a lower number.  Then again,
with the trillions being discussed lately, I no doubt
believe some in Congress think that $10 billion is
in fact petty cash.  We have a member in Congress
who even advocates printing trillion dollar coins to
help "pay" for such projects.

/Mitch

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And lots of corridor talk - not mentioning or
> stressing that current "long distance trains" are
> now down to 3x per week and potential there of
> expansion - only reference to trying to get new
> equipment. Otherwise, very corridor-centric.

Yup.

Same ol' "support us" bait narrative - jobs, environment, blah blah. Functioning rail networks in other parts of the world were built for convenience. Fund raising and political reasons were secondary.

I'm not against shoring up the corridors. As discussed many times here on TO, Amtrak needs do do much more to get the Class I railroads to allow their trains to run. I don't give much credit to Amtrak for successful corridor endeavors like the Capitol Corridor, and bye bye Hoosier State, if a state doesn't want the service, so Amtrak is not very useful. 

Excerpt:

And, because the U.S. has the world’s largest track network, already used primarily by freight trains, we have plenty of existing and former right of way to expand services without significantly impacting existing communities or our natural environment.

OK, but until Amtrak management shows us they can negotiate (or twist the arm) of the freight railroads to effectively expand their "corridors," I consider this as cheap fake optimism talk.

I'll stop here.

sums007 Wrote:
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> So much for those of us on here who contend
> Amtrak leadership cares only about the NEC.

Don't take it personally, but I believe you already fell for their narrative.

Most of $10.5 billion will go to NEC, based on Amtrak management's behavior pattern since Boardman left. All the talk in the article (which leans on propaganda) is to fool you into supporting it by making pipe dream promises. FYI, if you haven't given this food for thought already, the state of Delaware (part of the NEC) is somewhat over-represented within Amtrak?

cchan006 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sums007 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > So much for those of us on here who contend
> > Amtrak leadership cares only about the NEC.
>
> Don't take it personally, but I believe you
> already fell for their narrative.
>
> Most of $10.5 billion will go to NEC, based on
> Amtrak management's behavior pattern since
> Boardman left. All the talk in the article (which
> leans on propaganda) is to fool you into
> supporting it by making pipe dream promises. FYI,
> if you haven't given this food for thought
> already, the state of Delaware (part of the NEC)
> is somewhat over-represented within Amtrak?

But, but:  they want to do Atlanta to Nashville, LOL!

Corridors only? Flynn needs to wake up and not let Cosica and Gardner get their way!

Posted from Android

So is this 10.5 billion request for the FY2021 budget or for FY2022. Because the FY2021 authorization has not been passed yet and will probably end up as a CR that they need to pass in the next two weeks to avoid yet another shutdown.

Im glad they asked for 10.5B   You think the folks in DC know what a lot, or a little is for Amtk.   When they are passing out trillion dollar coins, 10B seems pretty modest.

pdt Wrote:
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> Im glad they asked for 10.5B   You think the
> folks in DC know what a lot, or a little is for
> Amtk.   When they are passing out trillion
> dollar coins, 10B seems pretty modest.

The request might get through the House, but will the Senate pass it, that's the question.

Mgoldman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why not ask for a Trillion dollars?  I seem to
> recall
> a certain member of congress suggesting the mint
> "simply" stamp a couple of trillion dollar coins
> to 
> cover any expense it desires.  You see - that
> way
> we won't incur any additional debt!  Such a
> great
> idea! 

This actually works.

Money is created by spending. The National debt isn't "borrowed" money, its created money.  The government spends money into existence and then it issues debt to balance out the credits and debits, said debt being purchased with the money that was created out of nothing by spending it.

Even gold and silver coins are created money, and the sovereign sets what they are worth in currency value and accepts the resulting pricing of everything that results from that.

sums007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> cchan006 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > sums007 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > So much for those of us on here who contend
> > > Amtrak leadership cares only about the NEC.
> >
> > Don't take it personally, but I believe you
> > already fell for their narrative.
> >
> > Most of $10.5 billion will go to NEC, based on
> > Amtrak management's behavior pattern since
> > Boardman left. All the talk in the article
> (which
> > leans on propaganda) is to fool you into
> > supporting it by making pipe dream promises.
> FYI,
> > if you haven't given this food for thought
> > already, the state of Delaware (part of the
> NEC)
> > is somewhat over-represented within Amtrak?
>
> But, but:  they want to do Atlanta to Nashville,
> LOL!

Absolutely! You need something to stir up in the Southeast during run-off season, especially in hot contentious GEORGIA!!!! Atlanta, Georgia to Nashville!!!! Where was that corridor on the priority list prior to November 1st???