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Boardman, Szabo defend Amtrak spending before Congress
Let’s see, airlines pay gate fees which are used to maintain the airports. Bus and truck companies pay fuel taxes, which are supposed to go into the Highway Trust Fund, but instead are siphoned off making it the Highway Slush Fund, used for funding other transportation and non-transportation pork, such as bicycle paths, museums, parks, and of course, Amtrak. Meanwhile, Amtrak can’t even begin to cover any operating costs at the most basic level. What percentage of the traveling public uses Amtrak? Probably less than 1% when compared to the airports and highways. Especially when you consider almost all of Amtrak’s riders are repeat users.
Denham claimed that intercity buses and United Airlines, “don’t require a federal subsidy.” Really!!! Do these folks even listen to themselves when they speak.
JEFFERY, entirely incorrect. The opposite occurs, the highway trust fund is constantly replenished with non transportation tax sources due to our government’s inability to raise the gas tax or acquire any other meaningful revenue source. If you add up the gas tax, license plate fee’s and other taxes they cover about half of roadway maintenance. Amtrak covers 88% of its operating costs, beating every transit agency in the country. The pittance we spend on rail transport is just that, its not lowering anyones paycheck. Amtrak an attempt to provide some mobility where governmental/market forces make it impossible.
Jeffrey, are you aware that starting on June 15 many air traffic control towers nationwide will no longer be staffed overnight. Airlines will be forced to cancel late evening departures/arrivals, even at busy airports which made the cut list; like Chicago Midway. These FAA cuts are happening because of the sequester and is publicly visable proof of how airports are NOT economically self sufficient and need federal subsidies to mearly opperate around the clock as many airports do. The congressman from CA should know this. His blatantly false statement is a result of pure ignorance or an outright lie. It’s pretty sad either way.
It’s not that Congressman Denham doesn’t know what he’s talking about, it’s that doesn’t give a rat’s ass. He like other members of the GOP are getting their collective palms greased by BIG OIL. Other means of transportation use more oil products, therefore more profits. Too bad Goosie won’t see that.
Worldwide, government run railroads are not designed to make money. The government run railroads are a service to the citizens just like fire departments. How many fire departments make a profit?
Rep. Denham is evidence that some congressmen are blind to how heavily the government subsidizes public roadways and gasoline. Or maybe they would have us believe it’s not so.