On Sun, 18 Dec 2016 20:12:36 -0800 (PST), hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:   
      
   >On Sunday, December 18, 2016 at 12:39:01 PM UTC-5, Clark F Morris wrote:   
   >   
   >> Frankly Amtrak under Joseph Boardman, especially the first 2 years,   
   >> represents opportunities squandered and mediocrity at the top.   
   >   
   >Everybody seems to hate Boardman, but it sure seems the real problem   
   >was the Republican congress, who takes it as an article of faith that   
   >Amtrak was and is evil and ought to be eliminated.  That is, if there   
   >was a true need for passenger trains, the private sector would provide   
   >them.  They buy into the propaganda of the Cato and Reason groups.   
   >   
   >Let's not forget that they impose ridiculous demands on Amtrak which   
   >create inefficiency, then turn-around and blame Amtrak for the   
   >inefficiency that they created.   
   >   
   Read some of Don Phillips' columns.  They may be available online at   
   Trains web-site.  While the Republican opposition is definitely there,   
   Boardman had a number of things under his control including trying to   
   get the crash worthiness specifications to match European ones so that   
   Amtrak equipment wasn't so heavy.  In the first two years of the Obama   
   administration there were opportunities that would not have been   
   blocked by the Republicans.  One of the main things Amtrak does is   
   connect the smaller centers with larger ones and finding routes where   
   this could be done on a frequent basis (at least every other hour   
   between 6 and midnight) economically would have built support in   
   Republican areas.   
      
   Clark Morris   
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