Heck... the cost of the two 500-pound GPS smart bombs and the f-16's that dropped them on Al Zarqhawi would have paid for a good chucnk of most transit or rail projects. 

 

Now, before anyone gets upset, I'm not saying we shouldn't have eliminated the murdering little cretin. The point is that we are spending money on what was a "pre-emptive" war and its aftermath.  Our much wailed about "homeland security" .... which includes our mobility .... has suffered as a result.

 

I am sooo ready to see a change in the White House and Congress.  Just bring back some balance.... and bring on an energy and transportation policy that makes sense.

I saw Alan Greenspan last night on C-Span and what he had to say about the oil situation was sobering. Energy use has to be a matter of national security. It's that simple. If we are ever going to be truly serious about getting off oil, we will have to use every weapon in our arsenal. That means not just finding alternative fuels, but developing a society that has real transportation choices.

 

We use 25% of the world's oil, despite the fact that we have only 6% of the world's population. Most of that is used on our highways. Less highway use means less oil consumption, something lost on our "leaders." Duh.

Bush continues to squabble over the pittance Amtrak gets and wants to kill transit small starts, which would help fund the Columbus trolley. In the meantime, he has squandered $400 billion on a pointless war in Iraq. Pennywise and pound foolish, I'd say. What could that money have gotten us in terms of energy independence thru construction os a world-class surface transportation system?

 

We could have electrified railroads and transit that would use not one drop of oil for fuel, massive construction of bike/ped facilities...again, no oil needed!! We could also have made a huge investment in hybrid/electric vehicle technology, but noooo...we are being led down the primrose path by oil men and far-right crazies who are blind to reality.

 

We keep wasting our national wealth, as well as the lives of our young to maintain the same old status quo.

 

Amen, BuckeyB!!  Well said.  :clap:

Thank you! :cool2:

The zeroing out of Small Starts/Very Small Starts is ridiculous. Let's see ... gas prices are rising, global warming is rising, people are flocking to transit and rediscovering cities... Dammit let's put a stop to such foolishness!! What did the voters think they elected us for? To save the nation? Silly voters!

:ass:

The elimination of Small Starts funding could also jeopardize the Downtown Columbus streetcar plan.  The only other funding alternative may have to be urban development funds, but those have rarely been used for transportation projects.

I say Ohio should worry about what Ohio can control, and just forget about the defunkt Amtrak which get no support from the government.  We need a high speed rail system to connect the three C's, and the three C's need light rail to connect the high speed rail to hot spots in the city.  Forget this whole, "it loses money argument."  The damn interstates don't make a whole lotta money either.  I do believe it is crucial though to have adequate transportation at the destinations so you aren't stranded when you get off the high speed.  Whenever Amtrak gets its act together it can connect with the Ohio system.

 

Do it for the environment.

 

Do it to kick oil dependence.

 

Do it for the convenience.

 

Just frickin do it!

Ohio High Speed Rail, circa 1966.  This actually worked..it was a test, running between Ohio and Indiana up on the NYC Chicago-NY mainline

 

It was an interesting hybrid of a Budd Rail-Diesel Car (RDC) and the jet engines from a USAF B-47 intercontinental bomber.  If I recall coorectly, it still holds the U.S. land speed record for rail travel over a measured distance.  They made several test runs on the New York Central Railroad near Bryan, Ohio, largely because it was the longest and most level straightaway track on the railroad's system.

 

Interestingly, Bombardier designed and built a prototype two years ago of a "jet" turbine version of the same locomotive that powers the TGV trains in France. 

Well, it sort of worked. The tracks needed some fixing afterwards....

FY07 TRANSPORTATION

FHWA - $39.1 billion (3.5 bil. more than 2006)

FAA - $15.2 billion (1.4 bil more than 2006)

Amtrak - $900 million (270 mil. less than 2006)

 

Absolutely pathetic!  We are a first rate nation that no longer has first rate thinking.

"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." The Who

Yeah... don't expect any improvement with Mineta's replacement.  Rail is just not on this administration's agenda, much less Amtrak and how well or porrly it is funded. If you read the stories about Mineta's resignation, they all talk about what he did for "highways" and virtually nothing that mentions "rail".  That about say it all about the USDOT under his watch.

From the National Association of Railroad Passengers website:

 

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta will resign from President Bush’s cabinet effective July 7.  In addition, DOT Deputy Council Jeffrey Rosen, who has been Mineta’s representative to the Amtrak Board, will also resign, effective July 3, to take a position at Office of Management and Budget. 

 

Mineta had been the only Democrat in President Bush’s cabinet and speculation had circulated about Mineta’s resignation in Washington since SAFETEA-LU (the big highway-transit bill) was signed last year.  White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said, “He was not being pushed out, As a matter of fact, the president and the vice president and others were happy with him.  He put in five and half years that’s enough time.”

 

Mineta’s resignation letter to President Bush does not mention Amtrak or last year’s efforts to bankrupt and shut down the system.  As to speculation about who might succeed Mineta, CQ Today, a Capitol Hill publication, reported that “a well-placed lobbyist” identified as possibilities Deputy DOT Secretary Maria Cino and Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Michael P. Jackson (a former DOT deputy secretary).

 

http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/hotline/more/hotline_455/

And what is ODOT going to do about our streetcar system? Spend an assload of money on a downtown highway split instead.

Posted on Mon, Jul. 17, 2006

 

New route for Amtrak seems likelyAfter years of battling, compromise may bring private money into the rail system.

By Chris Mondics

Philadelphia Inquirer Washington Bureau

 

WASHINGTON - In one of the busiest transportation corridors in the world, Amtrak barely limps along.

 

Read more at:

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/business/15054078.htm

This is as good of a series on Amtrak's problems and challenges as I've seen in the major media.  Well worth reading.

This from Railway Age:

 

 

July 19, 2006

Senate subcommittee approves Amtrak increase

 

Prospects for Amtrak's Fiscal Year 2007 federal operating and capital support appear bright as the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee has approved $1.4 billion -- $500 million more than the Bush Administration's proposed $900 million amount, $300 million higher than the House's final figure of $1.1 billion, and $200 million more than Amtrak's $1.3 billion FY 2006 appropriation. The Senate subcommittee decision to fund Amtrak at $1.4 billion still must pass a full Senate Appropriations Committee vote and also must go before the full Senate. If the final Senate amount exceeds the House's $1.1 billion -- and indications are that it will -- a House-Senate Conference Committee will determine Amtrak's final figure.

 

The Bush Administration appears to have abandoned its attempts to zero-fund Amtrak and is no longer trumpeting "reform." This year's budget process so far has been quiet compared to last year's, when now-departed Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta went barnstorming around the country giving speeches on Amtrak that many critics and industry observers said were rife with misinformation and distortions. "The Bush Administration has sought repeatedly to gut Amtrak's budget, but cannot find any meaningful support on Capitol Hill," remarked United Transportation Union International President Paul Thompson. "The House's decision to fund Amtrak at $1.1 billion next year -- a figure Amtrak says would keep the railroad operating -- appears to establish a floor."

 

Spokesman Cliff Black said Amtrak "appreciates the support the Senate subcommittee has demonstrated by approving $1.4 billion."

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/opinion/15107325.htm

Commentary

July 24, 2006

 

A plan to beef up rail service

Imagine what world- class, high-speed trains could mean to cities and to towns linked to them.

By Frank Lautenberg and Trent Lott

 

Fifty years ago this summer, the leaders of our nation agreed to a visionary plan for a system of interstate highways. It's hard to imagine where we would be today without that system.

 

-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.) and Trent Lott (R., Miss.) are United States senators from New Jersey and Mississippi, respectively. They serve on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Lott chairs the rail subcommittee.

 

Lott & Lautenberg's bill is Senate Bill 1516.  Sen. DeWine is a co-sponsor.  Send your e-mails to Sen. Voinovich to support this, but make sure you put your support in terms of the significant economic impact of improving our rail system in Ohio and the nation.  Voinovich will never buy supporting rail on anything other than its merits as an economic development tool.

 

A bill like this would go a long way toward making the Ohio Hub a reality..... and that could bring 6,000 construction jobs, 1,500 permanent railroad jobs and another 6,000 permanent jobs tied to development around stations and along the Hub corridors in Ohio.

 

For more details, you can access the Exectuive Summary of the Ohio Hub Study Report at the new Ohio Hub website:  www.ohiohub.com

 

If we can spend $300 billion in Iraq....

300 billion is a small price to pay for knowing terrorists won't bring bombs on crowded buses.

^The war doesn't guarantee there will never be another Terror event In The United States. Terrorists exist outside the middle east.

I know, it was sarcasm. The war on terror will never end because it will always be a threat, terrorism is always opportunistic especially as technology is more available :[ I refuse to buy my gas at Citgo I don't think Mr. Chavez has good intentions with his profits :[

Are you perchance discussing the 30 fighter jets and the rights to manufacture Kalashinikov rifles that Chavez is purchasing on his current worldwide swing? 

OMG!

 

I'm only filling up my tank half way next time.

If we can spend $300 billion in Iraq....

 

For $300 billion, we could probably build all of the currently proposed high speed rail corridors in the US TGV-style. 

 

It could build one heck of a nationwide 110 mph system. 

 

 

For 190-mph TGV-type HSR construction costs, figure $25 million per mile in flat rural areas, $50 million per mile in urban areas and $75 million per mile in difficult terrain.

Using an average figure of $50 million/mi (I imagine a few of the routes would be crossing mountains.), that equates to SIX THOUSAND miles of TGV.

 

All this talk about rebuilding Iraq...hell we need a Marshall Plan for US.

Difficult terrain can also include the Northeast Corridor, given the number of river crossings, tunnels through hilly areas, etc.

 

But, you're right, a Marshall plan for the U.S. including HSR would be a huge economic stimulus, provide greater energy security and be environmentally benign.

Bush just keeps on ignoring railroads

 

By Dave Zweifel, July 28, 2006

July 28, 2006

 

The federal government's Transportation Department has just issued a "white paper" on reducing traffic congestion in the country and guess what? It doesn't include a word about how improvement of either passenger or freight rail in America might be able to help.

 

 

http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/column/zweifel/index.php?ntid=92686

At the following website, there are links and action buttons to follow-up on contacting your congressperson and senator on this important bill...

 

http://webmail.east.cox.net/do/mail/message/view?msgId=INBOXDELIM14040&l=en-US&v=cox

 

8/4 SENATOR LOTT: AMTRAK LEGISLATION MOVING FORWARD 

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Trent Lott (R-MS) Thursday night reached an agreement with Senate leaders to bring up the lawmakers’ landmark legislation to strengthen and reform the nation’s passenger rail system.

 

The Lott/Lautenberg Amtrak legislation will provide $11.4 billion over the next six years for Amtrak capital improvements and a new state grant program for passenger rail infrastructure. Under the agreement reached Thursday, the bill will likely go to the Senate floor in September when the Senate returns from its August recess.

 

"Record gas prices, increased highway traffic congestion, and airport delays make it more important than ever to strengthen our nation’s passenger rail system," said Lautenberg. "Our bill will allow Amtrak to help states develop new corridors for improved rail service."

 

"If our economy is to continue to be the world’s best, we must invest in transportation for the long term," Senator Lott said. "Looking at the uncertainties of our energy supply, the terrorist threat, and congested airports and highways, and considering the rapid rail advancements being made by other nations, I believe we must continue national rail passenger service."

 

The Senate has not considered Amtrak Reauthorization legislation since 1997.

 

Please urge your Senators to co-sponsor this important legislaton.

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

Send an e-mail to your Senators and Congresspersons:

 

 

Below is a sample letter:

 

Subject: Please co-sponsor S. 1516

 

Dear [decision maker name inserted here],

 

In an era of $3.50 gasoline, highway and airport congestion, and shrinking rural transportation choices, America needs better passenger rail service now more than ever.

 

Senators Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Lott (R-MS)have introduced legislation to provide the long-term funding necessary to improve passenger rail. Please join them in co-sponsoring this important legislation.

 

Rail is an integral part of our nation's surface transportation network, moving goods and people and fueling economic growth and development. Yet, unlike every other mode of transportation, a dedicated, sustainable source of federal funding does not exist for rail infrastructure. Their bill would rectify this situation.

 

I look forward to your response.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

[Your Name]

It's important to note here that S-1516 is critical to the advancement of the Ohio Hub and other state-initiated regional rail plans.  It establishes not only long-term and far better funding for Amtrak's national system.  The bill also (finally) establishes a first-ever federal rail development fund that allows states to leverage the same 80%-20% matching fund formula that is currently only available for highway and aviation projects.

 

It also allows states to "grandfather" their current expenditure of state and local $$$ for rail and highway-related rail projects all the way back to the year 2000, and then it allows states to capture credit for that spending as the state match for federal funds. 

 

In the case of the Ohio Hub, this means it could be funded without having to put a statewide levy on the ballot.  In effect, it says Ohio taxpayers have already made their contribution, so it's time for the feds to step up.

 

It is not understating it at all to say it is critical to get support for S-1516 in the U.S. House.  It laready passed the Senate last Fall by a margin of 93 to 6.  But leadership (yeah...that's some kind of leadership) and members of the House pretty much stalled the bill. 

 

At a time when $4.00 a gallon gasoline is now being discussed in the media, this bill is all the more important.

If I had a senator, I'd be writing right now.  Thanks for bringing this to the forefront.

It also allows states to "grandfather" their current expenditure of state and local $$$ for rail and highway-related rail projects all the way back to the year 200

 

I could make a smart-ass comment here, but I really would like to know what year the states can go back to for leveraging past investments.

the year 2000.....

Wow, that's excellent. Lotsa grade-separation projects can be included!

And virtually every grade crossing upgrade or any other ril project along any of the identified Ohio Hub corridors, as well as any projects to come.  It could also include any local projects, such as any local $$ invested in rehabbing train stations and possibly any rail-oriented development tied to the Hub project.

 

That starts to add up.

Could it also include investments made by the railroads themselves? Or do they have to be made in the context of a project in which a public entity is the project sponsor (ala the CSX capacity enhancement project northward from Parsons Yard, through Marysville and beyond)?

 

I ask because a number of routes might benefit from substantial recent investments made by the railroads, including NS adding a GPS-based signal system on its mainline southeast of Cleveland.

And thanks to the Bush Administration's repeated attempts to reduceor eliminate Amtrak, how will Amtrak handle the sudden demand for service? We are no better off now than in the wake of 9/11, when the same thing happened: Amtrak bookings and inquiries for service went dramatically up, but they didn't have the trains to handle the load.

 

Congress is as much to blame for not having an ounce of political courge to change this shortcoming and for not (until the recent bill by Senator Lott) recognizing the need to heavily invest in our rail infrastructure to increase capacity for both passenger and freight.

 

One would have thought that a tragedy like 9/11, which completely shut down our aviation system for a full week, would have taught a valuable lesson and prompted significant action.  But here we are almost five years later and what has changed?

 

Instead, we still have Congress and the Administration haggling over what is still a pitiful level of funding for Amtrak and a passenger rail system that is pathetically inadequate to handle the load.

A Northeast Ohio native has been named president & CEO of Amtrak. So when are the daylight trains a-coming? But I don't like the fact he comes from UP -- perhaps the most anti-passenger railroad in the U.S.

 

______________________

 

NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION

60 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington DC  20002

tel 202 906.3860  fax 202 906.3306  [email protected]

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 29, 2006 ATK-06-061

Contact: Media Relations

202-906-3860

 

VETERAN RAIL AND INDUSTRIAL EXECUTIVE ALEXANDER KUMMANT

APPOINTED AMTRAK PRESIDENT AND CEO

 

WASHINGTON -  The Amtrak Board of Directors today appointed Alexander

Kummant as President and CEO. The veteran railroad and industrial

executive will assume duties September 12.

 

Kummant previously served as a Regional Vice President of the Union Pacific

Railroad, overseeing 6,000 transportation, engineering, construction,

mechanical, and other employees supporting an 8,000-mile rail network. He

also served as the Union Pacific's Vice President and General Manager of

Industrial Products, a $2 billion revenue business. In leading both units,

Kummant was responsible for substantially improved customer service, on-

time delivery of client products, and significant gains in financial and

operational performance.

 

Additionally at Union Pacific, Kummant held the role of Vice President of

Premium Operations, overseeing the intermodal and automotive network

performance.

 

Most recently, Kummant served as the Executive Vice President and Chief

Marketing Officer of Komatsu America Corporation, a division of the second

largest supplier of construction equipment worldwide. He has a continuing

record as an adaptable change agent in diverse environments.

 

Kummant's first job on the railroad came at age 18 in Lorain, Ohio, working

on a track crew for the Lake Terminal Railroad at the U.S. Steel Lorain Works.

 

"Alex Kummant has the outstanding credentials and experience to lead a

changing Amtrak that is more customer-focused and fiscally responsible,"

said Amtrak Chairman David M. Laney. "His appointment fulfills the board's

commitment to select an extraordinarily strong and capable leader for

Amtrak's future, building on the growing national desire for more and

improved passenger rail service."

 

Kummant fills a position that has been held by David J. Hughes on an interim

basis since November 2005. Formerly Chief Engineer of Amtrak, Hughes will

continue to serve with the railroad in a yet to be specified capacity. "For the

past nine months, David Hughes has stepped in and performed exceptionally

in leading our strategic reforms and operational improvements," said Laney.

 

"On behalf of the Amtrak Board of Directors, he has our deepest admiration

and respect, and we are delighted that he will continue to play an important

role in Amtrak's future." 

 

A native of Ohio, Kummant holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering

from Case Western Reserve University, a Master's degree in manufacturing

engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an M.B.A. from Stanford

University. He is married to Kathleen Regan Kummant, a former senior

executive with the Santa Fe and BNSF railroads. 

 

The Board of Directors of Amtrak was assisted in its search by the Washington

D.C. office of Heidrick & Struggles, Inc. 

 

About Amtrak

Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail services to more than 500

destinations in 46 states on a 22,000-mile route system.  For schedules, fares

and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.

 

###

A different view....

______________

 

http://www.utu.org/worksite/detail_news.cfm?ArticleID=30229

 

 

UTU, AFL-CIO voice concerns over new Amtrak CEO

The United Transportation Union and the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades

Department each expressed concern about the qualifications of Amtrak's new

president, Alexander Kummant, as reported by Bureau of National Affairs

writer Derrick Cain.

 

 

Kummant's employment history sounds like that of an itinerant hatchet man with a targeted skill set, hired to accomplish a specific task.

 

Those guys often come in like gangbusters, trying to appear dynamic by making massive changes without taking time to learn the business or gain any understanding of the rationale or history behind existing structures and policies. Heads roll left and right and the blood flies as they implement short-term solutions, and they're off to the next "hit" before the long-term consequences of their actions catch up to them.

 

They leave a trail of devastation behind themselves and migrate from employer to employer, often harvesting big severance packages and increasing their compensation as they go. Once in a while they meet their match in a strong, focused union, but even then the setback usually is only temporary.

 

Just an observation based on 40+ years working mostly for Fortune 500 companies  :|

Other Voices: Amtrak must do better to thrive

By George Tsirimokos

August 31, 2006

The Daily Press / Hampton Roads, Virginia

 

There are many reasons one might prefer to travel by train. There are even more reasons the common good should dictate we travel by train. The former possibly range from a nostalgia for railroading to a fear of flying, and include more mundane considerations, such as the high price of gasoline. The latter is a bit more imperative, as it offers solutions to more than one of our pressing problems.

 

 

This story can be found at: http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149190342970&path=!business&s=1045855934855

 

 

All -

 

Senate Bill 1516, the bipartisan rail passenger reauthorization, apparently has a good chance of reaching the Senate floor next Friday, September 15. Votes on amendments and passage could come Monday, Sept. 18, or everything could slip a few days.

 

Two bad amendments are likely: one by John Sununu (R-NH) would aim to kill the long-distance network by requiring Amtrak to discontinue trains that lose more than a certain amount of money per passenger, the other by Jeff Sessions (R-AL) would strike language aimed at facilitating reduction of Amtrak's debt. 

 

Call your Senators and urge them to 1) support S.1516, but 2) oppose the Sununu anti-long distance and Sessions debt amendments.

 

You may use a toll-free Congressional Action hotline at 1-800-679-1581.  When prompted, enter our access code: 1189.  Please make this call during normal Senate business hours which are generally 9am to 5pm, Eastern Daylight Time.  After responding to the voice prompt to enter your zipcode, please press "1", then after completing the first call, press "2" to connect to your Senators' offices (do not contact your House member at this time)

 

The National Association of Railroad Passengers will update the Action Alert section of its Web site <http://www.narprail.org> as more information becomes available.

The Ohio Rail Development Commission is also supporting Senate Bill 1516, as it contains a provision that would also creat a first-ever funding mechanism for state-generated rail projects like the Ohio Hub.  Both Senator's DeWine and Voinovich know of ORDC's support..... but make sure you call, fax or e-mail them anyway.

 

More importantly, call your Member of Congress (House of Representatives), as that body has yet to pass any meaningful passenger rail legislation.  Members of Congress such as Kaptur, Hobson and Regula are especially important because they sit on the House Appropriations Committee.  But make sure all members are contacted. 

 

SB-1516 has the best chance of any rail bill in decades of passing, but none of us can take that for granted.  Let them know this bill is much more than just an Amtrak bill.  It could get daytime, frequent, high-speed passenger rail service up and running in Ohio.

Dear MIPRC Commissioners and Allies,

 

The full Senate is expected to vote on S. 1516 -- the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act -- either late this week or early next week.  S. 1516 is the 6-year Amtrak reauthorization act which also includes a state grant program and authorizes a rail bonding authority for intercity rail facility bonds.

 

The primary sponsors of the bill are Sens. Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) and Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey).  The Midwestern co-sponsors are Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota); Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio); and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Illinois). 

 

It has been over a year since this legislation was introduced, so you have heard from me several times on this, and its companion bill, HR 1630 (the House bill provides reauthorization for three years, and does not contain the state grant or rail bonding language).  This is a major, and important, piece of legislation which, if passed, would not only provide stability for Amtrak for the next six years (Amtrak reauthorization legislation has not been passed since 1997), but also provides funding for corridor improvements, while requiring certain Amtrak reforms.  The full text of the bill can be found at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:s1516rs.txt.pdf.  You can also read about it at Sen. Lott's website:  http://lott.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=317&Month=8&Year=2006 and http://lott.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.View&PressRelease_id=163

 

Please call your U.S. senators this week to express support for passage of S. 1516.  You can include in your message how important Amtrak is to your state, as well as the need for further development of passenger rail corridors in our region, as planned in the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative and the Ohio Rail Hub plans.

 

Also, NARP has reported that two unfriendly amendments are likely to be offered:  "one by John Sununu (R-NH) that would kill the long-distance network by requiring Amtrak to discontinue trains that lose more than a certain amount of money per passenger, the other by Jeff Sessions (R-AL) that would strike language aimed at facilitating reduction of Amtrak’s debt." (NARP website)  I would recommend that you encourage your U.S. senators to oppose both of these amendments -- the MIPRC has long supported continuation of all long-distance trains, at least until a multimodal plan for the nation is adopted, and facilitating the reduction of Amtrak's debt seems in the best interest of the future of passenger rail (see Sec. 103 -- Repayment of Long-Term Debt and Capital Leases beginning on page 115 of the pdf of the bill (link above) and Sec. 215 -- Restructuring Long-Term Debt and Capital Leases beginning on page 153 of the bill).

 

Laura Kliewer

Director

Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission

As good an assessment of both Kummant and the Bush Administration's attitudes toward passenger rail as I've ever read. This should be read by every Member of Congress.

Opinion

 

 

Passenger rail

Virginia should protect current level of service

September 13, 2006

 

Efficient, dependable passenger rail service in Virginia is desirable on several counts: It's environmentally friendly, saves fuel and reduces congestion (and wear and tear) on overburdened roads. It's an essential component of a comprehensive transportation plan for the state - and needs to be treated as such in planning and funding.

 

 

http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-24276sy0sep13,0,1346277.story?coll=dp-opinion-editorials

Kummant... another Bush sycophant who knows little-to-nothing about the agency he runs, who replaces a brilliant, won't hold back transit-man like Gunn?  Can you say, a Mike Brown replay?