WASHINGTON, D.C., February 7 — The following statement was issued today by Sonny Hall, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, on the release of the final report of the Amtrak Reform Council:
“We’re glad it is over. The Amtrak Reform Council (ARC), which issued its final report today, has wasted far too many taxpayer dollars advancing already-rejected ideas. It is time to address the real issue — Amtrak’s 30-year track record of being forced to succeed despite anemic federal funding. I urge Congress to reject the ARC and its work, and instead appropriate at least $1.2 billion for Fiscal Year 2003 to finally give Amtrak and its 25,000 workers a chance to succeed.
“The ARC has never been a legitimate panel. It was stacked with people who walked in the door on a mission to break-up Amtrak and allow private interests to cherry-pick its most desirable parts.
“Every step of the way, the ARC ignored the facts and told the fables it wanted to tell. In over four years as a ‘fact-finding’ body you think they would have seen what an abysmal failure privatized rail has been in places like England, with its rampant delays and shoddy maintenance. But the ARC saw what it wanted to see, heard what it wanted to hear, and today did what it always wanted to do — with taxpayers picking up the tab.
“Transportation labor will now mobilize to ensure Amtrak as a national system obtains the federal resources it needs in FY 2003.”
TTD represents 34 member unions in the rail, aviation, transit, trucking, highway, longshore, maritime and related industries. For more information, visit http://www.ttd.org.