(The following editorial was posted on the Toledo Blade website on December 16.)
TOLEDO, Ohio — While the Bush Administration moves relentlessly to derail Amtrak, the process of quietly strangling the national passenger-rail corporation also is being aided by at least one member of Congress with an ulterior motive.
U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, a Republican who represents the northern suburbs of Detroit, reportedly has Amtrak tied up with a mandate to increase shipments of fruit and vegetables coupled to its cross-country trains.
What a coincidence: The only company that supplies rail cars suitable for such perishable freight just happens to be run by one of Congressman Knollenberg’s major campaign contributors.
That would be Anthony L. Soave, of Grosse Pointe, Mich., chairman of Soave Enterprises, which owns the rail car company, ExpressTrak. Mr. Soave, his family, and employees, the New York Times reported, have donated $46,000 to the seven-term congressman since 1997 and hundreds of thousands of dollars to mostly Republican politicians and committees since the 1980s.
Doing a lucrative favor to benefit a well-heeled constituent is hardly news, but the earmark added to the federal transportation bill this fall goes beyond politics into improper micromanagement that can only further cripple Amtrak.
Under terms of the measure, Amtrak is obliged to substantially increase the number of shipments of so-called “premium” freight, even though it delays trains and causes other problems for the passenger network and even though ExpressTrak doesn’t have enough cars to meet the mandate.
Amtrak reportedly is losing millions of dollars a year due to extra costs of personnel, fuel, and maintenance to sustain ExpressTrak shipments.
At the same time, Amtrak and ExpressTrak remain entangled in a 1999 lawsuit stemming from a claim by the rail corporation that ExpressTrak defaulted on lease payments for cars Amtrak supplied to haul perishable produce.
Mr. Knollenberg initially defended the requirement for additional shipments as an effort to help Amtrak get more business but backed off, the Times said, when confronted with evidence that the legislative mandate was intended to give Amtrak $8.3 million in federal funds to settle the lawsuit.
The congressman now says he will work to reverse the measure, but we’ll believe it when we see it.
In the meantime, Amtrak deserves the support of the American people, including the $1.3 billion federal subsidy it needs to remain in operation next year. What it doesn’t need are more underhanded attempts, like that of Congressman Knollenberg, to siphon off resources vital to continuing what little passenger-rail service this country has.