House Committee Votes To Cut Funding For Amtrak

[PreachTony]

“What we saw last night is a tragedy that we have to do everything we can to make sure doesn’t repeat itself, but we do not know the circumstances,” said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R., Fla.) “The concept, however, that it is always, no matter what, more money that is the solution is not always the case.”

But that's the standard Democrat answer to everything. If we would just spend more money on it, the problem would get better.

Too little , too late. The PR damage is already done. Somebody should have had sense enough to know that such a vote right now was just a bad idea.

They can say that the funding wasn't about safety. But all the American public is gonna hear is that 8 people are dead in a Philadelphia Amtrak wreck and the GOP led Congress is cutting their funding.

Only because the media and a lack of education have led many Americans to believe that if we'd only spend more we would be safer and more secure.

 

[church mouse guy]

Amazing how GOP apologists skip and dance and defend positions that are not defensible. We all know the GOP does not care about the living, other than the super rich. But you would think anyone calling themselves a Christian would care.


[/SIZE]

The super rich--that would be you and your one percent candidate for President worth at least $100 million.

 

[church mouse guy]

Nothing in Article I, Section 8 says anything about giving the government the authority or responsibility to be in the railroad business.

AMTRAK is a terrible money loser and should have been defunded and privatized long ago.

Whatever made you think it was the responsibility of the Republicans to look after our safety in the first place?

And, for that matter, why should my Congressman, who was elected by the people of my state, to represent the people of my state, vote to send our money to other states?

Our railroads such as the Pennsylvania Railroad went out of business years ago because of the decline of the industrial civilization and the foolishness of railroad passenger travel.

If the government had stayed out of the railroad business, these people would still be alive.

As for the notion of privatizing Amtrak, an investor would have to be stupid to try to bring back railroad passenger travel, which peaked in the 1940s.

The liberal Democrats know nothing of railroading or they would not try to cash in on these people's tragic deaths.

 

[Zaac]

Only because the media and a lack of education have led many Americans to believe that if we'd only spend more we would be safer and more secure.

That's exactly what the GOP and the military would have the media and the uneducated Americans to believe too. :laugh:

 

[Zaac]

Schumer Rebuts Boehner, Ties Amtrak Funding to Crash

The top Senate Democrat from Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor says Speaker John A. Boehner is denying facts about the circumstances of Tuesday evening’s crash outside Philadelphia.

“Speaker Boehner’s comments are patently false. Experts have made clear that Positive Train Control could have prevented the tragedy in Philadelphia,” Sen. Charles E. Schumer said. “It is simply a fact that insufficient funding for Amtrak has delayed the installation of PTC, and to deny a connection between the accident and underfunding Amtrak is to deny reality.”

The New York Democrat was responding to comments Boehner, an Ohio Republican, made at a news conference earlier in the day in response to a question about a move by the House Appropriations Committee to reduce Amtrak funding, which he cut off.

http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/schumer-rebuts-boehner-ties-amtrak-funding-to-amtrak-crash/?dcz=

Seems that there may be some validity to the lack of funding and possibly having prevented this crash.

 

[Zaac]

Positive Train Control technology could have prevented Amtrak crash, experts say

Tuesday's Amtrak derailment near Philadelphia that has so far killed eight people and injured more than 200 others could have been avoided with the use of technology known as Positive Train Control (PTC). PTC is a GPS-based system that can automatically stop a train before an accident occurs, according to the Association of American Railroads. It uses GPS tracking to monitor a train’s location, braking a train if it reaches excessive speeds, enters a track where maintenance is being performed, or looks set to collide with another train.

...

Ironically, Amtrak has been relatively proactive about installing the PTC technology. PTC is currently being used through much of the rail corridor between Boston and New York. Some lines in the Midwest also use the GPS technology.

“For decades we have seen preventable derailments and collisions occur. If we do no implement technology such as PTC to prevent these events, we will continue to see them for the foreseeable future,” former National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman told the Associated Press.

...

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2015/05...ould-have-prevented-amtrak-crash-experts-say/

 

[matt wade]

Positive Train Control technology could have prevented Amtrak crash, experts say

Tuesday's Amtrak derailment near Philadelphia that has so far killed eight people and injured more than 200 others could have been avoided with the use of technology known as Positive Train Control (PTC). PTC is a GPS-based system that can automatically stop a train before an accident occurs, according to the Association of American Railroads. It uses GPS tracking to monitor a train’s location, braking a train if it reaches excessive speeds, enters a track where maintenance is being performed, or looks set to collide with another train.

...

Ironically, Amtrak has been relatively proactive about installing the PTC technology. PTC is currently being used through much of the rail corridor between Boston and New York. Some lines in the Midwest also use the GPS technology.

“For decades we have seen preventable derailments and collisions occur. If we do no implement technology such as PTC to prevent these events, we will continue to see them for the foreseeable future,” former National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman told the Associated Press.

...

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2015/05...ould-have-prevented-amtrak-crash-experts-say/

Or better yet, how about we just have the guy driving the train not be an idiot?

We could eliminate auto accidents by converting all our roads to rail, replacing everyone's cars with a personal sized train, and installing a nationwide computer system to automate it all so no drivers are needed. You want to fund that one too?

 

[PreachTony]

Seems that there may be some validity to the lack of funding and possibly having prevented this crash.

I'll admit to not having read the article, but the first thing that popped into my mind reading your comment on it was:

So spending more money on Amtrak would have somehow made the conductor drive the train slower?

 

[Zaac]

I'll admit to not having read the article, but the first thing that popped into my mind reading your comment on it was:

So spending more money on Amtrak would have somehow made the conductor drive the train slower?

Nope. You should have read the article before rolling your eyes. :laugh:

Spending more would have given the train the technology to automatically correct it's excessive speed if there were human error or some other problem.

 

[Zaac]

Or better yet, how about we just have the guy driving the train not be an idiot?

So when there's video of police officers murdering someone, we should wait for the other side of the story. But when a guy is driving a train that derails, we should just assume he's an idiot?

Got it.:thumbsup:

Maybe he had a seizure? Maybe he passed out? Maybe he took the wrong medication?

We could eliminate auto accidents by converting all our roads to rail, replacing everyone's cars with a personal sized train, and installing a nationwide computer system to automate it all so no drivers are needed. You want to fund that one too?

I like that kind of thinking outside the box. It's almost Jetson-ish.

 

[Crabtownboy]

I'll admit to not having read the article, but the first thing that popped into my mind reading your comment on it was:

So spending more money on Amtrak would have somehow made the conductor drive the train slower?

There is technology available that would override this type of human error. It is on all subway trains in DC and other cities. It would not cost that much per-locomotive and would save lives and property.

But the GOP doesn't see the need of safety of passengers.

 

[sag38]

Crabby and Zach's DNC talking points reduced down to the lowest denominator.

Republicans only care about the 1% and old white men....blah, blah, blah and hate everyone else.

 

[Zaac]

Crabby and Zach's DNC talking points reduced down to the lowest denominator.

Republicans only care about the 1% and old white men....blah, blah, blah and hate everyone else.

And your and every other GOP denizens talking points can be reduced down to whatever Lord FOX News and its shills(Limbaugh,Hannity, Levin, OReilly) release during the day.

I mean do you honestly think anyone believes that yall are coming up with this stuff on your own?

If it's said on this board, I guarantee that I've already heard it from one of those aforementioned shills. :laugh:

 

[Zaac]

There is technology available that would override this type of human error. It is on all subway trains in DC and other cities. It would not cost that much per-locomotive and would save lives and property.

But the GOP doesn't see the need of safety of passengers.

They don't see a need for anything that doesn't make them more money while stepping on someone else.

What you'll hear is "the Feds shouldn't be in the train business anyhow". It should be privatized. And I guarantee that the group who wants to "fund" this privatizing effort will somehow benefit the GOP power players.

 

[sag38]

I don't watch Fox News, listen to Hannity, etc. I can think clearly for myself.

 

[carpro]

They don't see a need for anything that doesn't make them more money while stepping on someone else.

What you'll hear is "the Feds shouldn't be in the train business anyhow". It should be privatized. And I guarantee that the group who wants to "fund" this privatizing effort will somehow benefit the GOP power players.

None of it should be funded by the government. It should never have been federalized. If Amtrak can't make a profit, it should be shut down or sold to someone else. Get the government out of the railroad business. Don't keep pouring good money after bad.

End of story.

 

[carpro]

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2011/05/07/amtrak-turns-40-called-a-massive-failure-by-its-founder/


Amtrak Turns 40…Called a ‘Massive Failure’ by its Founder


This week kicks off the 40th Anniversary of the money-sucking, inefficient, outmoded national rail system we call Amtrak.

Amtrak – the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (that’s the official name) was born during the Nixon administration.

Amtrak is:

Government owned and controlled
Union-operated, employing more than 20,000 workers
Has a CEO appointed by the president of the United States
Its annual budget is allocated by Congress.
What could possibly go wrong? Plenty.

Let’s start with money. Amtrak loses bucketloads of money every day. The national rail system operates in the red, generating huge losses and has done so each and every year of its existence. And they are not shy about it. From the Amtrak website;

In FY 2010, Amtrak earned approximately $2.51 billion in revenue and incurred approximately $3.74 billion in expense.

That’s over $1.2 billion in losses for the most recent year, putting the overall tab for this antiquated, bloated and inefficient system around $50 billion dollars of taxpayer money.

The embarrassment of Amtrak has even struck a chord with someone who rallied for its creation. Anthony Haswell, founder of the National Association of Railroad Passengers and a person widely recognized as the inspiration for Amtrak, is not happy with the current state of the railroad’s affairs. Mr. Haswell opines on Amtrak in ‘Red State Uprising: How To Take Back America’

Amtrak is a massive failure because it’s wedded to a failed paradigm. It runs trains that serve political purposes as opposed to being responsive to the marketplace.

America needs passenger trains in selected areas, but it doesn’t need Amtrak’s antiquated route system, poor service and unreasonable operating deficits.

 

[Crabtownboy]

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2011/05/07/amtrak-turns-40-called-a-massive-failure-by-its-founder/

Your reply is completely off the topic and has nothing to do with safety.

Oh, and the founder is wrong.

 

[Crabtownboy]

None of it should be funded by the government. It should never have been federalized. If Amtrak can't make a profit, it should be shut down or sold to someone else. Get the government out of the railroad business. Don't keep pouring good money after bad.

End of story.

Guess we should either stop repairing roads and the Interstate system as well. They have never turned a profit. Guess we could make all roads toll roads and those that do not turn a profit should, using your logic, be closed.

 

[carpro]

Your reply is completely off the topic and has nothing to do with safety.

It has everything to do with funding, the subject of your OP.

I am in opposition to republicans on funding. I vote for none at all.

Shut down this money eating pig called amtrak.