Today’s Newswire reports that if Amtrak’s budget is cut 30 per cent as proposed in the House of Representatives Acela speeds will have to be reduced to maintain safe operation although this would loose ridership:
"A Republican-dominated appropriations committee in the U.S. House of Representatives proposes to slash Amtrak fiscal 2014 appropriation by 30 percent and, as before, Amtrak President Joe Boardman isn’t taking it. Reacting angrily, Boardman promptly called a news conference to denounce the proposed cuts and said he would, if necessary, institute ‘slow speed service’ on the Northeast Corridor, ‘if we don’t get the repairs we need. I will not compromise safety, but that would put all of our ticket revenue from Acela and Northeast Regional services at risk.’”
Blame air conditioning! If AC hadn’t been invented Congress would still be meeting only during the winter and causing less mischief!
Did you know in the 19th Century the British Foreign Service considered Washington DC a sub-tropical posting because of the murderous summertime heat? It’s true!
No I didn’t know that, Wayne. But in the Army I was stationed at Walter Reed Hospital in DC and lived on post in a barracks. And there was no a/c. It the summer it was hot.
I went through Marine Officer Candidate School in Quantico Virginia during the summer of 1974. No AC either, and it was HOT! The heat was the least of my worries at the time though, let me tell 'ya! Summers in Virginia can be an inferno. I’ve lived here 25 years and I’m still not used to it.
No doubt waiting for Congress can be difficult, Balt. Behind the 30 per cent reduction I can sense frustration of some Republicans that they cannot defeat Amtrak with one stroke and so they are resolved to starve Amtrak in any way they can. But Joe Boardman is a Republican too and he knows Amtrak is really part of the Republican legacy to the country and he is not inclined to let anyone forget that.
Veiled blackmail? Oh, this might not be such a good strategy… Proud people tend to get their backs up when pressured like this. Congressmen are proud if nothing else…
Of course this is a “Bob Johnston special” - one part news, two parts editorial, mix thoroughly…
And if Joe Boardman didn’t show up to fight for his cause and his company, what would you have said about him? Veiled threat? Hell no…it is truth against the same ole same ole repatoire from the highway lobby and Can’tservative Republican’ts!
Congressmen and congresswomen are proud people, Don. But Joe Boardman is proud too. He is the single person in charge of Amtrak. John Mica is one of 425 members of the House of Representatives. And if Bill Shuster’s recent remarks about Amtrak are any indication John Mica may not even speak for his own committee.
As far as Bob Johnston goes, I’m not familiar enough with him to know his perspective. However, it is harder to make a stronger editorial statement than 30 per cent cut. That statement was made in Congress and Bob Johnston had nothing to do with it.