Repugs want to privatize Amtrak's Northeast Corridor

[marmar]

from The Record (NJ):


Private investors would compete with Amtrak to provide high-speed rail service on the Northeast Corridor under a bill unveiled Wednesday by the chairman of the House transportation committee.

Amtrak would transfer the Boston-to-Washington corridor to the U.S. Department of Transportation, which would take bids for building a high-speed line within 10 years, the bill says. The new operator would have to provide a two-hour ride between New York and Washington.

Bidders could seek to build the track, run the trains, or both, and Amtrak could submit a bid or partner with a private party, said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

......(snip)......

"I will fight in the Senate to stop any plan that threatens Amtrak and commuters on the Northeast Corridor," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., chairman of the upper chamber's surface transportation subcommittee. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/House_proposal_would_privatize_Northeast_Corridor.html

[Blue Owl]

1. The GOP cesspool just overflows with bad ideas

n/t

[OHdem10]

2. Watch Dylan Ratigan at 4::00pm. Running a 3 part series on

what happens when privatization takes place. States and
Cities lose out.

[marmar]

3. thx for the headsup

nt

[108]

4. I see....bitch about Amtrak, but try to privatize the region

where it is most successful

[Altoid_Cyclist]

5. Why am I not surprised that Shuster is behind this?

I can't believe that this area keeps putting anyone with the last name of Shuster in office.

I guess that the Shuster family is still upset that Altoona didn't build the monorail that Bud tried to ram through.



http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/551070/Shuster-seeks-to-privatize-railways.html?nav=742

"The private sector can do it a lot better," said Shuster, R-9th District, who spoke of enduring long delays when taking Amtrak trains from here.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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[jtrockville]

7. Has anyone ever benefited from anything that's been privatized?

Except for the profit-takers?

[Duct Tape]

8. Mica said: "This proposal will pass. One way or the other."

I wonder what dirty tactic they'll use now. The whole thing is incredibly disturbing.

[SteveG]

9. Let them try

The rail companies that provided passenger rail service in the Northeast all went bankrupt. I seriously doubt that even if such a bill passed, that there would be any private companies bidding on the routes. Mica's comments on the other high speed rail systems in other nations are absurd, he fails to note that they were all funded at taxpayer expense.

[annabanana]

10. Of COURSE they do!. They want to privatize inhaling and exhaling.

Nothing is worth doing if ya can't make a buck.