And the Bush debacle rumbles on.

[jimkyser]

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: moshquerade
troll is too nice of a word.

QFT. This is the kind of nonsense that will guarantee Republican victory in '06 and '08.

The libbies are so desperate they'll grasp at any straw they can find.

OP, I'd like for you to do a little research on Amtrak and tell me, in all its years of operation, has it ever turned a profit? And are we to believe all Amtrak's troubles began with W?

I doubt Amtrak has ever turned a profit, or ever will. The same could be said for the MetraRail trains that run around Chicago, but I would cringe at the thought of the gridlock on the highways if they ever shut MetraRail down. And yes, there are people who commute on Amtrak in the NE corridor, too. Shut it down, and all those people will get in their cars and cost more money in road expansions and additional gridlock.

And no, this losing money thing isn't something new to the W era. It's been that way ever since Amtrak was formed decades ago. It was created with the intent of saving passenger rail transportation in the US, not as a money making business.

The point about the article in the OP is that the guy that just got fired was making improvements, not solving all the problems or pushing the operation into profitability, but making improvements. And the cronies that Bush appointed fired him because they don't want improvements, they want liquidation.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: zendari
Amtrak is a load of sh1t. Let's try and get someone running it who can make the company break even at the least.

Same thing with airlines. Both of them should drastically increase their ticket pricing.

I'm gonna go ahead and QFT 2/3 of that :thumbsup:

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: jimkyser

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: moshquerade
troll is too nice of a word.

QFT. This is the kind of nonsense that will guarantee Republican victory in '06 and '08.

The libbies are so desperate they'll grasp at any straw they can find.

OP, I'd like for you to do a little research on Amtrak and tell me, in all its years of operation, has it ever turned a profit? And are we to believe all Amtrak's troubles began with W?

I doubt Amtrak has ever turned a profit, or ever will. The same could be said for the MetraRail trains that run around Chicago, but I would cringe at the thought of the gridlock on the highways if they ever shut MetraRail down. And yes, there are people who commute on Amtrak in the NE corridor, too. Shut it down, and all those people will get in their cars and cost more money in road expansions and additional gridlock.

And no, this losing money thing isn't something new to the W era. It's been that way ever since Amtrak was formed decades ago. It was created with the intent of saving passenger rail transportation in the US, not as a money making business.

The point about the article in the OP is that the guy that just got fired was making improvements, not solving all the problems or pushing the operation into profitability, but making improvements. And the cronies that Bush appointed fired him because they don't want improvements, they want liquidation.

Metra has never run at a profit. According to their budgets, fares taken in cover 55% of expenses and the rest is covered by state funds (which comes to about $200 million yearly).

That said, shutting down Metra would indeed have some very negative effects on the city.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: moshquerade
troll is too nice of a word.

QFT. This is the kind of nonsense that will guarantee Republican victory in '06 and '08.

The libbies are so desperate they'll grasp at any straw they can find.

OP, I'd like for you to do a little research on Amtrak and tell me, in all its years of operation, has it ever turned a profit? And are we to believe all Amtrak's troubles began with W?

it's funny how even with Bush's approval ratings in the 30's that you can come up with this tripe. i don't think anyone here takes anything you say even remotely seriously.

predicting the demise of either party or calling elections before anything has happened is quite foolish.

 

[smack Down]

When Am track can get between any two points besides the Boston, New York and DC faster then driving then and only then should we support the usless system.

 

[zendari]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: jimkyser


I doubt Amtrak has ever turned a profit, or ever will. The same could be said for the MetraRail trains that run around Chicago, but I would cringe at the thought of the gridlock on the highways if they ever shut MetraRail down. And yes, there are people who commute on Amtrak in the NE corridor, too. Shut it down, and all those people will get in their cars and cost more money in road expansions and additional gridlock.

And no, this losing money thing isn't something new to the W era. It's been that way ever since Amtrak was formed decades ago. It was created with the intent of saving passenger rail transportation in the US, not as a money making business.

The point about the article in the OP is that the guy that just got fired was making improvements, not solving all the problems or pushing the operation into profitability, but making improvements. And the cronies that Bush appointed fired him because they don't want improvements, they want liquidation.

Metra has never run at a profit. According to their budgets, fares taken in cover 55% of expenses and the rest is covered by state funds (which comes to about $200 million yearly).

That said, shutting down Metra would indeed have some very negative effects on the city.

Then hike the ticket prices so it breaks even with costs instead of funding it with tax dollars.

Services should be paid by those who use them.

 

[jimkyser]

Originally posted by: smack Down
When Am track can get between any two points besides the Boston, New York and DC faster then driving then and only then should we support the usless system.

Thay can do that now between Chicago and New Orleans, 19.5 hours over night and you don't need to worry about falling asleep on the road.

They can get from Chicago to Denver in 18.5 hours, Chicago to Seattle in 46 hours and Chicago to LA in 43 hours. I'd like to see you do that in a car. Mapquest shows 14.5 hours of driving from Chicago to Denver via interstates. That doesn't include stops.

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: Sudheer Anne
it's funny how even with Bush's approval ratings in the 30's that you can come up with this tripe. i don't think anyone here takes anything you say even remotely seriously.

predicting the demise of either party or calling elections before anything has happened is quite foolish.

No comment on the topic at hand, I see. As usual.

 

[Steeplerot]

Don't forget the Zephyr, Chi to SF in about 40 hours, falling asleep on mountain roads = double bad.

Plus you can sit around couches and hang out with fellow travellers, check out the awesome scenery and order drinks or have a decent gourmet (or regular) meal without pulling over and losing time, not mention sleeping.

 

[jimkyser]

Originally posted by: Steeplerot
Don't forget the Zephyr, Chi to SF in about 40 hours, falling asleep on mountain roads = double bad.

Plus you can sit around couches and order drinks or have a decent gourmet (or regular) meal without pulling over.

I didn't mean to leave out the Zephyr. I just picked a couple of examples that were nowhere near the NE corridor to show that he had no idea what he was talking about.

 

[Steeplerot]

gotcha, I just plugged it since I just took a trip on it and am still hyped

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: jimkyser

Originally posted by: smack Down
When Am track can get between any two points besides the Boston, New York and DC faster then driving then and only then should we support the usless system.

Thay can do that now between Chicago and New Orleans, 19.5 hours over night and you don't need to worry about falling asleep on the road.

They can get from Chicago to Denver in 18.5 hours, Chicago to Seattle in 46 hours and Chicago to LA in 43 hours. I'd like to see you do that in a car. Mapquest shows 14.5 hours of driving from Chicago to Denver via interstates. That doesn't include stops.

So it still takes over 25% longer to take the train to denver then drive. That is assuming of course your destination starts and ends at the train station.

 

[Steeplerot]

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: jimkyser

Originally posted by: smack Down
When Am track can get between any two points besides the Boston, New York and DC faster then driving then and only then should we support the usless system.

Thay can do that now between Chicago and New Orleans, 19.5 hours over night and you don't need to worry about falling asleep on the road.

They can get from Chicago to Denver in 18.5 hours, Chicago to Seattle in 46 hours and Chicago to LA in 43 hours. I'd like to see you do that in a car. Mapquest shows 14.5 hours of driving from Chicago to Denver via interstates. That doesn't include stops.

So it still takes over 25% longer to take the train to denver then drive. That is assuming of course your destination starts and ends at the train station.

That is actually quite promising considering how old fashioned our rail network and engines are as far as speed.

Now imagine how fast that 25% would be the opposite (or better) if we had a modern efficent network like these in other countries.

And I am sure with american know-how we could outpace even TGV (which is getting old)

 

[Pabster]

I'm all for liquidating Amtrak. Get rid of it. Decades of waste, never a profit turned. Millions of taxpayer dollars squandered.

Along the same lines, I'd like to see the USPS privatized and taken out from under Sam's wings. Same methodology.

I'm not sure how so many here can defend a program that has been so bad. (From a fiscal point of view, if nothing else.)

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: Steeplerot

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: jimkyser

Originally posted by: smack Down
When Am track can get between any two points besides the Boston, New York and DC faster then driving then and only then should we support the usless system.

Thay can do that now between Chicago and New Orleans, 19.5 hours over night and you don't need to worry about falling asleep on the road.

They can get from Chicago to Denver in 18.5 hours, Chicago to Seattle in 46 hours and Chicago to LA in 43 hours. I'd like to see you do that in a car. Mapquest shows 14.5 hours of driving from Chicago to Denver via interstates. That doesn't include stops.

So it still takes over 25% longer to take the train to denver then drive. That is assuming of course your destination starts and ends at the train station.

That is actually quite promising considering how old fashioned our rail network and engines are as far as speed.

Now imagine how fast that 25% would be the opposite (or better) if we had a modern efficent network like these in other countries.

And I am sure with american know-how we could outpace even TGV (which is getting old)

That is at amtraks best. If you look at some of the worse time it takes days for hour long drives. There are 4 whole lines across the midwest and not a single north south line between chicago and CA. What is the us 1500 miles north to south so on average one is only 375 miles away from a transtation.

 

[Jhhnn]

USPS, Pabster? The USPS is self-supporting, last time I checked...

http://www.nalc.org/postal/perform/selfsufficient.html

Yep, hasn't changed in a coupla decades...

The whole thing with Gunn reflects the simple fact that the rightwing detests govt in general, seeing it as incompetent, and fully intend to destroy it from within via their own incompetence... An honest guy like Gunn just gets in the way.

If they can't make money off it, then they want to liquidate it, get that short term profit and to hell with the future...

None of them want to remember that the military never shows a profit, nor does DHS, nor do farm subsidies or a variety of other giveaways to select business groups...

Socialism is one thing, socialism for the rich is apparently entirely another...

 

[Steeplerot]

Originally posted by: Pabster
I'm all for liquidating Amtrak. Get rid of it. Decades of waste, never a profit turned. Millions of taxpayer dollars squandered.

Along the same lines, I'd like to see the USPS privatized and taken out from under Sam's wings. Same methodology.

I'm not sure how so many here can defend a program that has been so bad. (From a fiscal point of view, if nothing else.)

Actually waste is what all these miles of freeway are soon, what a total waste, but hey, once they are bulldozed away there is plenty of right of way for a new reborn amtrak,

too bad we pissed away so many chances to have started earlier before bulding all these ugly freeways with no regards to future american mass transit needs.

Maybe we can use all that rubble and concrete for a new and improved club gitmo land mass for the neocon criminals, ohhh I would say about 1000 miles off the coast.