Rep. Israel Discusses Need for Increased Infrastructure Funding on Hardball with Chris Matthews

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Rep. Israel joins Chris Matthews to discuss the need for increased investments for America's failing infrastructure. One day after the Amtrak crash in Philadelphia, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee voted down an amendment to fully fund Amtrak.

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1. Posted this in response to another thread, and now again.

I ride Amtrak pretty frequently and would like to know who runs it and how much they are paid.

The money we pay in fares should be adequate, and if it isn't, prices should be raised.

I ride between LA and San Diego, and very often at peak hours, people have to sit or stand in the entryways near the luggage racks. The trains are overcrowded and I understand that the tracks are shared by several trains. When we cross a lagoon, we have to wait until another train passes us because there is only one track over the lagoon.

Trains help to cut gas emissions. They are good for the environment in many respects. We need to invest more in passenger trains and also in fast trains that have rails and technology that are up-to-date. We could save ourselves a lot of hours on the freeway if we subsidized rail traffic so that people who travel alone on certain routes on a regular basis get off the roads and onto train tracks.

When not overcrowded, the trains are a comfortable way to go. The cost for a ticket for one person for a two-hour trek is lower for me than the gas for my car. I can read (many play computer games) or meet a new person or sleep on the train. Can't do that when I drive. I arrive rested (and ready to babysit my grandchildren).

Back to the issue of overcrowding, why can't they just add an extra car when they can predict that the trains will be more than full? Mother's Day weekend, holidays, Friday nights when students go home for the weekend? Those are the peak periods for trains. I'm told the trains have no money. That is a poor excuse and I don't believe it.

If more people tried the trains, they would probably decide as I have that trains are a better way to go than planes if you have a choice.

This news about the stress on the railroad personnel does not surprise me. They seem to be cutting corners in an a number of ways. How much does the CEO earn? How much is going into the pockets of the management?