Trump administration shuts down $13 billion Obama-era Amtrak plan

Washington Examiner ^ | Dec 31, 2017 | Kelly Cohen

[mac_truck]

Now the New York and New Jersey congressional delegations, including Chuck Schumer and Cory Booker, will be more motivated to vote for a big Infrastructure spending bill, which includes a Border Wall.

Art of the Deal 101...with the added bonus of giving Adrew Cuomo agita!

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

If NY and NJ are going to spend the money like NYC is doing on their subway projects, they don’t need a penny of our tax dollars:

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2017/12/guess_where_high_school_dropouts_can_make_400_an_hour.html

That was post on Free Republic earlier in the week. The 25% share that New York says it is will to pay for the AMTRAC boondoggle would cover the entire project cost, if done honestly.

[Pollard]

Not going to get any bloated porkulous spending out of this president. He knows that game. Wollman Rink.

The rink was closed in 1980 for a proposed two years of renovations at $9.1 million. Six years after the problem-plagued work was still not completed by the city, Donald Trump persuaded Mayor Ed Koch to let him complete the work in four months at $3 million in order to have it open by the end of the year. Koch initially objected but later agreed. Trump finished the job in the promised four months at a final cost 25% below the budget and for no profit.

[TonyM]

I heard Amtrak sells $9 hamburgers that cost them twice as much to produce. I also heard employees steal millions every year. If privatized all of that would change. While the government can afford such nonsense a private company would not.

[bgill]

Saying no to Amtrak is a drop in the bucket but a drop here and a drop there (no, to Poki-stan) adds up.

[Teacher317]

President Trump and other administration officials have said infrastructure can and should be bipartisan

Because bridges and tunnels and roads truly care what your politics are, and that multiple political stances are involved, when they are being maintained.

SMH

[Sam_Damon]

Good catch.

[Sam_Damon]

Here’s an idea that might fly (somewhat).

Privatize the sleeping-car operations. Supply financing for day coaches for folks who are making trips where rail makes a better alternative to cars or flying.

Not a conservative solution by any means, but I feel your railfan pain also.

[Sam_Damon]

I’d love it if Mr. Trump threw down that card in a tweet concerning the project, and why he’s shutting down the financing pending renegotiating.

People forget Mr. Trump has a better idea than most politicians about all the costs of construction. He’s been at it a while.

[bray]

America hasn’t needed long distance trains since 1935. Cars and planes are far more efficient.

[CatDancer]

Maybe you’re speaking for yourself, bray. America DOES need long distance trains, not just in the Northeast but running on all the tracks they ran on 50-60 years ago - passenger trains. Many people don’t have trip-worthy cars; many old people can’t drive long distances any more (as I can’t) and can’t afford airfare, besides refusing to be assaulted in airports (as I do)

We need a way - by train - to visit family, as my grandmother could visit hers back then. I traveled by train a lot when I was very young. Now I have 3 generations of descendants in other states, and can’t travel at all. Cars or planes. Whoopee.

Yes, I’m speaking for myself, too. It’s allowed.

[hinckley buzzard]

A drop here and a drop there will not ever balance the budget, but it will do something more lasting— it will change the culture of feeding at the trough. Backed up with a bureaucracy that respects the taxpayer, and begins to get the point, Trump may in fact prove to be truly transformative.