"Let's roll"!SAVE AMTRAK
Get Amtrak The Funding It Deserves!
"We should not downsize Amtrak, we should eliminate the ARC."
HERE IS THAT PRESS RELEASE
| http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/nj01_andrews/61801release.html | ===========================================================
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: June 18, 2001
REP. ANDREWS: RALLY TO SAVE AMTRAK
| http://www.house.gov/andrews/welcome.htm |
Philadelphia, PA. -- Rep. Rob Andrews today rallied supporters of Amtrak at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. "A first class passenger rail system is essential for a world class economy," Andrews said. "We will not let Amtrak wither away and die."
Andrews refuted claims by Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta that Amtrak should be downsized to service only regional lines rather than the nationwide system that the organization currently supports.
Last week, Mineta said: " There's no question Amtrak is facing very, very serious financial problems. [Amtrak should] look at selected routes rather than blanket the country with rail service that is not really viable."
Andrews refuted this statement by saying: "It would be completely irresponsible for the Federal government to mandate that Amtrak begin cutting routes and stranding thousands of passengers who rely on the rail carrier for safe, reliable and affordable transportation."
Rep. Andrews joined with thirteen rail labor unions,
-- The American Train Dispatchers Department,
-- The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
-- The Brotherhood of Maintanence of Way Employees,
-- The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen,
-- The Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union,
-- The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers,
-- The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers,
-- The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers,
-- The Service Employees International Union,
-- The Sheet Metal Wokers International Association,
-- The Transportation Communications International Union and
-- The Transport Workers Union of America,
to highlight his support for the continuation of federal funding for Amtrak.
He noted that in the Philadelphia region alone, 3.8 million passengers travel on its trains each year. In addition, Amtrak employs approximately 3,000 workers in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area.
He also voiced his opposition to the policies of the Amtrak Reform Council (ARC), an "oversight committee, " some of whose members have stridently opposed Amtrak.
"The Amtrak Reform Council is not interested in reform -- it is a tool to dismantle Amtrak.
"To date, the Council's only action has been to request more money from Congress for its own agenda.
We should not downsize Amtrak, we should eliminate the ARC."
Last year, Rep. Andrews successfully sponsored a House amendment to save taxpayers $530,000 in federal funding from the ARC's budget. The Council had originally requested $980,000 million in federal funding but Rep. Andrews's amendment, which passed the House on May 19, 2000, knocked them back to their 1998 funding level of $450,000.
Despite Andrews' efforts, the ARC did manage to increase their funding to $750,000, which was added during the House-Senate Conference for the Transportation funding bill for FY 2001.
President Bush has allocated $785,000 for the ARC in his budget recommendation to Congress for FY 2002.
Congressman Andrews will again introduce legislation to strip the funding from this group on the basis that the ARC is wasting taxpayer resources by duplicating the efforts of governmental organizations already in place that independently evaluate and assess Amtrak's feasibility.
He anticipates that the House will consider his proposal this summer.
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"Let's roll"!
SAVE AMTRAK
Get Amtrak The Funding It Deserves!
JOHN LONGENECKER
| http://www.JL-Site.com/SaveAmtrak/Directory.html |
Email: JL@MainNet.com
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Save Amtrak
JOHN LONGENECKER
JL@MainNet.com
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