12 replies to this topic

[EvergreenRailfan]

On our dime, too. I read the column, they have a point. They are a full-service railroad, the only one of their kind in America, and should not be compared to any lower 48 railroad, neither Amtrak, or say for example, Union Pacific.

[ICGsteve]

That the adminstration has to stretch so far as Alaska Railroad to find an example of the type of change that the administration is looking for in AMtrak proves how far removed the theory of Amtrak reform is from reality. Everyone admitts that the reform movement is the product of conservative think tanks, and it is clear to me that they have become too far removed from reality to be taken seriously. The best example of the direction they want to take transit is what was done to British Rail, of which in the near unversal oppinion of Brits was a complete failure, solving almost none of the problems the reform was intended to address, while creating new ones. I am all for brainstorming, thinking, daring to try the outlandish, but at the end of the day the theories need to work. If the reformers can not convince us that they know what the critical mistakes made in Britian are, and that they have fixes for them, the Amtrak reform idea should be tossed in the wastebasket. The refomers ignore Britain, which can only mean that they don't have a clue. The Administration can and has repeated the line "Amtrak does not work" but the only idea they have is one that has already failed when tried. I am not too concerned, the authors of the Amtrak reform movement are one and the same as of the social security reform movement. The public instantly realized that the whole concept was unworkable. For the most part people have a nose for "thinkers" who lay out a lot of fancy words and complicated concepts who are also full of crap. Sometimes there are none so ignorant as those who spend their days spinning ideas and theories in their heads.

Edited by ICGsteve, 08 July 2005 - 02:25 PM.

[AmtrakFan]

Kevin, If you don't want to register a good site is www.bugmenot.com Mr. Mineta needs to get a good lecture about how not tell lies.