Amtrak president loses job [Democrats say: "It's Bush's fault"]

Associated Press via The Billings Gazette ^ | November 10, 2005 | Associated Press

[Sam Cree]

No argument from me on those points. I remember when Amtrak first took over, though I don't particularly remember whether it had a mandate to be profitable in a certain amount of time. I'm not an accountant, but I have a feeling that running the numbers would prove that Amtrak could never be profitable (unless perhaps it was de unionized). Therefore, that fact should be recognized and a decision made to either bear with it or end it. Looks like we're heading toward the ending it solution, but by piecemeal.

I love trains and will regret greatly the ending of the intercity overnighters, if that happens, but will not exactly mourn Amtrak.

[VeniVidiVici]

I recently tried to book passage on a train from Ft Walton Beach to Orlando. I know the train runs the route, it's part of the Sunset Limited that goes to Los Angeles.

Anyhow, the Amtrack online reservation system kept telling me that I had to pick a different date and time. No matter what I chose.

Exasperated I searched the internet and found that Amtrak had decided that since the tracks were torn up in MS and Louisiana, thereby preventing the Sunset Limited from going all the way to Los Angeles, they just canceled the whole damn train altogether east of the Texas.

Of course they couldn't be bothered to put that on THEIR OWN WEBSITE!!

[dr_who_2]

A-men!

[p[adre29]

Maybe Gunn was political payback for the dumping of pbs's
Thomassen? Can we say "intercine"?

[okie01]

Did I mention withdrawing from the worthless UN as a policy goal?

One more reason to
GO ALL THE WAY WITH AAC.

[papasmurf]

I only have two things to say about that... :O) P

[upchuck]

You left out the Commerce Dept.

And you have my vote :)

[tcrlaf]

<<< Just give them an increased budget and one more year, they will get it right!><>

And THAT is exactly the problem...
Year to year not knowing what the funding will be, while infrastructure built in the 1910's and 20's falls apart...

The sad reality is that for Amtrack to survive, it NEEDS to die, but going without a national rail service IS NOT an option.....
It's unfortunate, but we NEED a national system that connects small and large. Between Bus cuts, rail cuts, and massive cuts in rural air service,(Almost all of that money now goes to Alaska), we now have HUGE swaths of the country without ANY public transport...

[Fruitbat]

I think the Dems should narrow things down and tell us what ISN'T Bush's fault.

Yeah, that would definitely make things much easier.

[operation clinton cleanup]

It's unfortunate, but we NEED a national system that connects small and large. Between Bus cuts, rail cuts, and massive cuts in rural air service,(Almost all of that money now goes to Alaska), we now have HUGE swaths of the country without ANY public transport...

I took an Amtrack train once in my life.. from Fort Wayne Indiana to Chicago and back with my family when I was about 10 years old. It was fun and interesting, but we could have easily made the trip in the Country Esquire. The only heavily used service is in the North Eastern seaboard, which could easily be provided by a private company... even with some minor subsidies to get them up and running. You will never convince me of the need for a national Federal rail system.