Why Bush administration wants to bankrupt Amtrak

[Patiod]

The Bush administration wants Amtrak paying for itself. Either that (which ain't gonna happen, since even though no rail system in the world exists without subsidy), or shift the burden of its operation to the (primarily blue) states.

Or maybe bankruptcy & privatization.

And who might take over if it "needs" to be privatized? Hmmmm......

http://www.halliburton.com/kbr/infra/rail.jsp

This is not :tinfoilhat: territory, but a theory that more than a few of the (primarily well-to-do, Republican) Northeast Corridor commuters have come up with, now that the price of a monthly ticket between NY & Phila has gone up from $600 to >$1000.

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

1. If bankrupted/privatized

it would go to CSX, which is now owned by Carlyle Group. The sale was now Treasury Secretary Snow's ticket to his current position since he was CSX CEO at the time.

DBDB

[Patiod]

2. Oh, well, then that's okay

:mad:

/God I hate these people.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Why don't we have a watch on what the Carlyle Group is involved with?

I'm shocked that with all these blogs, there isn't one dedicated to watching them.

[sam sarrha]

4. Halliburton sounds more and more like the Corporation in 'Space Truckers'

a really cute SiFi movie..

[Enraged_Ape]

9. Or Omni Consumer Products...

The outsourcer of EVERYTHING in the RoboCop movies.

[marmar]

5. But other countries...

France, Netherlands, Britain and even Canada realize the importance of government-subsidized transit.

[Democrats_win]

6. Firestone & GM were slapped on the wrist for putting streetcars out of biz

in the 1950's. Now the Texas Establishment is doing it legally when our country is struggling under the abuses of corporate oil.

Does anyone see the hypocrisy? They want trade between nations, but they're trying to kill trade between the States which Amtrak facilitates by moving people between states.

[sam sarrha]

8. it is Not Hypocracy... it is the PLAN.

[sam sarrha]

7. I shudder to think of the Extortion possibilities of such a monopoly

they could actually SHUT DOWN the country economically by messing with or stopping the commuting systems on the East coast

[TahitiNut]

10. There's NO transportation that's not heavily subsidized by taxes.

Imagine the enormous public investments in roads and highways, not to mention private investments in garages, and service facilities.

Imagine the enormous government investment in airports, air traffic control, pilot training, and the extensive liability protections.

Railways went from being the MOST subsidized to the LEAST subsidized mode of transportation.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. Absolutely correct.

You write: "Railways went from being the MOST subsidized to the LEAST subsidized mode of transportation." So true.

[Fovea]

11. I advocate prison

for these bastards.
Prove conspiracy after Bush** goes down in flames, offer immunity to Snow, if needed. Then lots of jail time right down the line.

Hey, if it is good enough for pot smokers, it's good enough for corporate criminals and traitors.

[applegrove]

13. Do a cost benefit analysis including the cost to the environment and

then see who is not paying its own way!