(The Philadelphia Inquirer posted the following editorial on its website on February 12.)
The Bush administration clearly intends to pay for its tax cuts for the wealthy by cutting domestic spending across the board. But it is making a big mistake by trying to bankrupt Amtrak in the process.
The Bush plan calls for shutting off most federal operating support to the national railroad, which would force it to declare bankruptcy with only enough federal funds left to keep its busiest passenger rail corridor, the Northeast, running for a short period.
Any state wanting to keep an Amtrak route operating would have to find its own money to do it. Few, if any, could afford that. They’re already bracing for cuts in federal funding for critical social programs. Staring America in the face is the potential of a crippling disruption in current Amtrak service that would foul up rail connections with state and city transit systems across the nation.
That makes no sense. It may be true that large areas of America’s middle are little served by Amtrak. But those states benefit when Amtrak efficiently moves rail travelers from city to city, to jobs that lubricate the national economy.
After the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, survivors and commuters packed extra Amtrak trains to get out of New York. Why would the federal government want to devastate a travel alternative that would be sorely needed if air travel ever again had to be suspended?
It would better benefit the nation for the administration to devise a comprehensive rail policy that considers where Amtrak service might be reduced but also funds the track and other improvements needed to accommodate faster passenger trains where they are needed and allow more efficient freight service where that is the greater priority.
Money also needs to be spent to make sure rail service cannot be targeted by terrorists. Such an attack in Spain last year proved trains can be as vulnerable as airplanes.
Perhaps President Bush is being swayed by those ideologues who contend Amtrak should pay for itself. But highway travel is certainly subsidized by tolls and taxes. And the airlines have received bailouts. Investing in rail travel makes just as much sense for a commuter nation.
You can be sure that if private investors coveting Amtrak ever get their hands on it, they won’t be shy about asking for government help when their books don’t balance.
Privatization of passenger rail has already proved to be a colossal failure in Britain, where private operators produced bad service, huge financial losses and lost productivity. America doesn’t need that headache.
Fortunately, the Bush plan to scuttle Amtrak faces some tough opposition from a bipartisan coalition in Congress. U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R., Pa.), deserves a hand for promising to lead the fight for continued funding for Amtrak. U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.), typically one of Bush’s staunchest supporters, also parts company with the President on this issue and will work with Specter.
America needs its trains. It’s time to end Bush’s efforts to wreck the rails.