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Boardman: Fund transportation fairly, effectively
It has taken since WW II for Americans hopefully realize that the post war policy of “out with the old, in with the new” regarding railroads vs highways was not one that could be sustained.
Granted, Europe and Japan, with dense populations and small spaces and high gasoline costs, was/is perfect for rail transportation. Whereas in the United States, the great distances, low gasoline costs, the indomitable American spirit of individual freedom buoyed by owning a car and a lingering resentment of abuses of the public trust by the railroads combined forces to make the post-war American passenger train a dead duck.
One of the greatest impediments to balanced transpiration was the fallacious call that the passenger train must make a profit. This disingenuous stance was postulated by people who would completely ignore the subsidies given to water, air and highway. (“$40 billion to highways? Certainly, of course.” “$1.6 billion to Amtrak? Never!”) Clinging to this outdated thinking has quashed HSR in the USA. Doing so while the Europeans and Asian advance their HSR to incredible heights, makes the USA appear provincial, backward and third world poor in money and spirit. The USA “can-do!” spirit has vanished and has been co-opted by the Chinese. This I find to be quite troubling for the future of this nation.
maybe the folks in cities without any service other than Amtrak can have the super truck driver pick them up.
Amtrak is the only mode of transportation which pays zero in taxes. Highway users pay fuel taxes and in the case of commercial operators, other taxes and fees. Airlines pay fuel taxes and gate fees. What does Amtrak contribute? Nothing. Instead it raids the highway trust fund and when that fund is emptied, quickly declare it obsolete and come up with the idea of a large pot with the airlines and commercial highway users contributing to the fund, but Amtrak still contributes zero.
To top it off, Amtrak isn’t even the same classification as highways and airports. If it was, it would be railroad track. It is a transportation vehicle, such as a bus, automobile, or airplane. Therefore, it should be treated the same way and taxed at the pump and the various states should be allowed to impose their own fuel taxes on Amtrak, as they do on every other mode. Then Amtrak will have the equality it deserves.
There is a reason why Amtrak continues to lose money. The freight railroads see it as well and will do whatever it takes to make sure Amtrak never gets sent back to them.
Amtrak was set up for little old ladies, long passed away for decades, because they were too old to get acclimated to using modes of transportation which are able to compete on a level playing field. That excuse, like the little old ladies, is dead.
Amtrak provides the only transportation to towns. OK. Name me a town that does not have a road but has Amtrak. Nobody can name one because there is no such place. Roads go into places where even railroads don’t dare go, unless the tracks in question are narrow gauge. Where there is a road, there is a motorized vehicle. If the commercial sector chooses to not serve that town, it is either because there is zero business to be had or no reason to go there and lose money because Amtrak gets subsidized by the taxpayer in order to cover its losses. The private sector in that instance can’t compete against something which cries continuous poverty to Congress an
Boardman: well put. Amtrak’s starvation diet has gone on four over 40 years. Fund the railroad appropriately.
This is about time. Highway centric transportation policy has had it’s place in the sun. Now it’s time to encompass all forms of transportation.
About time, the Gov’t needs to fund the 3 forms of transportation evenly. 1/3 for Highways 1/3 for Air and 1/3 for Rail. Create a balanced investment system that does not give more money to the Highways than Amtrak, but gives everyone an equal share!
if Amtrak cant be funded then we cant fund airports highway projects either. if the anti rail people had their way Amtrak would be gone. we need to start thinking what need to be funded and what doesn’t .the highway trust was being used to build airports with not roads which it was for. by the way the airlines got bailed out three times during the last 30 years.
Joe Boardman could not have put it any better. Keep up the good work Joe!
I don’t know if anyone could trust the “super” truck driver from Illinois, Greg. That would be awful dicey.
It must never be forgotten that if the airlines paid the full costs of traffic control and terminal construction/administration, plus now the TSA, none but the wealthy could afford to fly, thus driving a market for passenger raul.
Ditto the trucking industry and freight rail.
Those are the facts of the matter and the longer it takes to recognize them and change directions, the longer the transportation crisis will last.
Mr. Dodd
It doesn’t bother me the Guse is negative. It bothers me how he plays so fast an loose with facts. Like all ideologs, he starts with the conclusion and the either cherry-picks or makes up supporting facts.
Mr. Guse
Amtrak pays property taxes for the land it owes. Amtrak pays RR retirement taxes (~15% of payroll) over and above what other non-rail companies pay.
Just a little bit of research before you spout would be a welcome change. Fact SHOULD get in the way of a good rant.
Echoing others, well said Mr. Boardman. However, the shares do not have to be equal, but must be proportionate to need, use and connectivity of the system. That will mean varying amounts to different areas.
Now for Guse; I’m pretty sure AMTRAK pays taxes on the fuel it uses just as truckers and freight railroads do. Second, there are more “little old ladies” replacing those that you say have passed on. Then there are those of us who do not enjoy having our junk inspected by TSA.
Dear Mr. Guse,
I am speaking on behalf of almost all of the subscribers of Trains Magazine and the other commenters on this news wire. All you ever post is negativity. You post negatively about freight trains (both publicly and privately funded), negative comments about passenger trains (again, both public AND private), and you even post negatively about international trains. Trains are an integral part of a modern economy which lessen traffic off of our highways, reduce greenhouse emissions, and are incredibly cost effective - particularly freight trains. Other parts of the world including most countries in Europe, and even Russia (where distances are even more vast than in North America) have proven that freight and passenger trains can enormously benefit the economy. If you really dislike trains so much, please do us all a favor and unsubscribe to Trains Magazine, or at least quit commenting on the Trains News Wire. While everybody has the right to an opinion and I respect yours (even though I disagree with them for the most part), you are constantly ridiculing and insulting others’ opinions as well as stating things that are completely opposite of what the facts are. Please, get your facts straight and quit commenting on the Trains News Wire. Thank you.
Me (37), my 32 year old wife, and 4 year old son prefer the Texas Eagle to the awfully expensive and stressful flying from DFW to Bloomington, IL and the out of the question driving in our aging vehicles. We are not elderly or deceased…
I agree with JIM DODDS 100%!!! The Guse should be goosed once and for all!!!
Excuse me Goosie, There a lot more people other than deceased old ladies that prefer the train over flying and the god awful bus. Where do get off on criticizing people who favor the train? Why don’t you peddle your crap on Faux Noise? That would be a great venue for your flatulence.
Once again the angry little man Jeffery Guse from Illinios subjects us to a rant with no facts. Please Trains Magazine police anything he has to say. He uses no facts and is pushing an extreme political view. He contributes nothing to any story written here.
I agree with Mr. Dodds. The fact twister from Illinois needs to go. He has no idea what he is talking about, spews incorrect information, and is totally negative about railroads, which makes me wonder why he is a subscriber. But then I realized it, he doesn’t make sense so it makes sense to him to subscribe to a magazine about something he dislikes.