After reading this, it sounds like Amtrak will finally have to get the ball rolling in regards to studying service expansion East of New Orleans. My only question is, besides it being a maintenance base, why Sanford? Sanford doesn't even have a "regular", non-Auto Train station anymore. Of course, I guess they could refurbish the old one...
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
Could it be because thatis where the southern terminus of the auto train is?
Posted by PullmanCo (Member # 1138) on :
[ cynicism ]
Reality Check.
Some Congresscritter is paying off a lobbyist by getting him a $1M consultancy.
The definition of an honest politician: A man who once bought, stays bought.
[ / cynicism ]
This study will take 1-2 years. At the end of that, we'll see what happens in the Congress.
The question is will Congress get the re-authorization out the door and to the President before Washington flushes out for silly season? If not, I would bet action will not complete on this until after January 3, 2009.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
"$1 million for Amtrak to study . . ."
"9 months after the date of enactment, . . . a plan"
Words simply fail me. This subject has been studied to death, dug up, stuffed and mounted and restudied to death. Some Beltway Bandit is getting a big pot of money to produce a pile of useless paper. The sum involved is quite sufficient to clean up stations, replace signs or whatever and after 9 months, reinstate service. All this complete exercise in absolute nonsense is doing is to provide a minor apeasement to those that want something to happen by the most favored of all tactics of a politician, DO A STUDY. YES, I AM SHOUTING OUT OF PURE FRUSTRATION.
Look at the top: It says "Office or Gene Taylor" That is probably a typo that is supposed to say "Office of Gene Taylor". The only thing more idiotic than a return on a memo than "From the Office of Joe Selfimportant" is a momo "From the Desk of Joe Selfimportant" Hey, Joe, I don't care what your desk says. What do you say? My desk don't say nothing. If it did, it would say, "you are killing me with those piles of papers," but otherwise it just sits there and suffers in silence.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
At least it doesn't say "Orifice of Gene Taylor," which would be more accurate.
Posted by SilverStar092 (Member # 2652) on :
It's typical wasteful government to study something to death instead of just doing it. I'd happily share my ideas for free that the best way to restore service is to use the City of NOL equipment east of NOL on a daily basis all the way to Miami. This has been the opinion of many frequent travelers and ticket agents along the route for years. With help from those of you along the Mississippi Gulf Coast we could tell them for free what station needs exist. Amtrak could then use the $1 m to make needed improvements to facilties and get going within 9 months. But that wouldn't be the government way.
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
You're all forgetting something. While a study is no guarantee that something will get done, nothing at any level of government gets done without a study. Even a small city government has to complete a traffic study before installing so much as a new stop sign. It is just a fact of life.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From Marriott Fairfield (this one is OK; it restoreth my faith in the brand) Fredericksburg VA--
Point duly noted Mr. Toy; we should also note that this "study" is to be made pursuant to PRIIA '08 - legislation that has hardly been enacted and quite honestly the chance for it to be enacted while the 110th Congress and the 43rd POTUS are around is "mighty slim pickins'"