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California’s San Joaquin corridor sets annual ridership record
Of course it set a ridership record. We the taxpayers are paying for the welfare railroad so the recipient class is able to use it at a much lower cost than would normally happen if the recipients had to pay the full cost. In a normal economic system, this is failure. But the country is now in an abnormal socialist economic system, where the recipient class makes the demands and the provider class, the taxpayers, provide.
Kind of like my tax money subsidizing airport and runway construction, say at some airport that I dont use? Only its not called a subsidy so it doesnt sound as bad. How much do you think an airline ticket would cost if the airlines had to pay for the construction?
Or my money going to highway construction on a highway that I do not drive on? Once again, a subsidy even though the political wags do not call it that.
With that kind of succuss, Guse still believes that Amtrak should be abolished???
The “recipient class” gets no benefits from the government. There are no tax subsidies for roads, airports, and waterways. The Federal Government had absolutely no involvement with the building of the Union Pacific railroad or of any railroad at all. All entities must be private: railroads, police, the Army. Beware of the Marxists hiding everywhere!
excuse me, Mr. Guse but the last time I checked we the taxpayers were also paying for the welfare airlines’ use of our air traffic controll systems. Oops, I forgot to mention that we the taxpayers also pay for other various expenses for the benefit of welfare airlines. You know, The National Weather service and and airport improvemnts. Now, Mr. Guse, let’s not forget about our welfare highway system. How convenient that you overlook all of that.
REDD TURNER III, you need to do some reading about the building of the UP / CP. There was quite a bit of federal money turned over to these two railroads as they build west and east.
Once again Jeffry Guse finds it oh so convenient to turn a blind eye to the federal subsidies for airlines and trucks. Truckers did not build the interstates, however, they do wear them out. What they pay for upkeep in fuel taxes is minimal. The airlines do not pay for the maintenance of the air traffic control system but cannot operate without it.
WHO pays for air traffic control? The taxpayer! WHO pays the casts of running an airport? The taxpayer! WHO pays for TSA? the taxpayer! Don’t rag on Amtrak and not say a peep about other modes of travel receiving subsidies!
This just to show you that America wants trains. If I lived in the San Joaquin Valley, I would ride the train rather than drive in that treacherous tule fog. It’s too bad there isn’t a San Joaquin that goes all the way to LA. That bus trip over the Grapevine really sucks.
Both gentleman from Ilinois are ignorant of the fact that only California taxpayers are subsidizing the San Joaquin., Perhaps we should charge out of state riders such as Guse and company extra fare because as a California taxpayer I would resent them taking advantage of my taxes to ride the train.
A correction to the article: the Bakersfield station is not served by the Capitol Corridor. The Capitol Corridor trains travel between the S.F. Bay Area and Sacramento-Roseville and not the San Joaquin valley.
Mr. Scrivener - sarcasm, old boy! 
Once again: Guse = 100% correct!!
Mr. Neiman, you missed my whole point. I am well aware that The San Joaquins and Capitols are paid for by the state and are very successful. My whole point was that I get tired of Amtrak money being called a subsidy by the political wags, while taxpayer money for highways, airports, etc are capital investments. Its either one or the other.