Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Amtrak
Dave at Garfield Ridge has the scoop on one cutback President Bush is set to propose: subsidies to Amtrak. He quotes the Reuters story for details.
Dave also correctly notes that it's not as though passenger rail will completely be eliminated.
The Bush administration will for the first time propose eliminating operating subsidies for passenger train operator Amtrak as part of a push to cut budget deficits, people close to the budget process said on Tuesday.Well, I say Amen! True, this a drop in the bucket for the feds, but a cutback is a cutback, and eliminating the ridiculous subsidy for the nation's trains is as good a place to start as any. Amtrak has not made a dime in 34 years, and other than its northeastern corridor, travel on it is practically non-existent. People have enjoyed the pleasures of autmobiles, airplanes, and even buses over the over-priced and not all that fast trains travelling across the nation.
President Bush (news - web sites)'s fiscal 2006 budget, which he will send to Congress on Monday, will allocate no subsidy for Amtrak to run its trains. But it will offer $360 million for maintenance on the flagship Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston -- which Amtrak owns -- and for commuter services.
Dave also correctly notes that it's not as though passenger rail will completely be eliminated.
Passenger rail will survive-- even flourish-- where this is a financial incentive to provide it. Where there isn't that incentive, then why should the government provide a service that competes directly with other forms of cheaper and more efficient commercial transportation? Using *our* tax dollars?Exactly. Now about that whole Department of Education . . .
# posted by Paul Zummo : 1:10 PM
