The Amtrak saga
If you are interested in all the fascinating (or frustrating) political details of what is happening to Amtrak right now, the breaking news section of Railway Age has all the day-by-day gory details:
"I happen to believe that Mr. Gunn was doing a reasonable job with the hand he was dealt. But there are deeper issues here, whether one is a supporter or opponent of Mr. Gunn,” said [R-Ohio Congressman Steven LaTourette, chairman of the U.S House Subcommittee on Railroads]. [the situation is] “now such a mess that I have heard it said that you couldn’t think up a hypothetical case this loony if you tried... Besides Amtrak’s dereliction in following normal corporate procedures, we still have a 'denial' psychology by the Administration."
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), a staunch Amtrak supporter, testified, "It is obvious what is going on here. The Amtrak Board of Directors has become a front for the Bush Administration and people who want to destroy Amtrak. Their goal is to dismantle the railroad. When Gunn refused to go along with the 'Bush Board' on actions that would cripple the railroad, most notably the spin-off of the Northeast Corridor, he was fired. The ‘Bush Board’ had to resort to these tactics because the Administration cannot get Congress to do its bidding and break up Amtrak. . . . [Gunn’s] firing is a sign of the lengths Amtrak opponents will go to in order to eliminate passenger rail service in this country. It must be stopped."
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csa | 12:44 PM |
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