Why is congress so reluctant to fund Amtrak,when they willingly fund airports,and interstate highways?
343239
Because the public doesn't embrace Amtrak.  Ridership is low unlike people who choose to fly and choose to drive on interstates.  Amtrak loses billions of dollars each year.
909923
it isn't all congress - it is cheney - he & haliburton go way back...unfortunately our government (both parties) are as corrupt as any third world country - guess the democrats think they are not getting enough of the payoffs!
83484
congress has oversite,yes, and who runs congress?? republicans. And who is bush (besides a traitor to his country and a theif and a liar), a republican. I'd rather a president get a b j in the oval office and lie about it than have a president that uses a great tragedy (911) to pull a bait and switch and convince all of the dullards and sheep in this country (redneck republicans) that Iraq and 911 had anything to do with each other. There was no terrorist links to Iraq before we got there. Now it is the terrorist training ground. And now bush is backing the sale of a company that works in the ports of major cities in the united states to the united arab emarites, who do have ties to terrorism and 911, dispite the obvious conflict of interest between the oath he took to protect us from terrorists and the oath he took to the corporations that got him into office.
964898
Interesting question,,and Good Thinking.\n\nAmtrak suppliers/vendors are of such a scale that Amtrak's business has only a small influence upon them.\n\nAmtrak's contribution to Other companies is thus considered\n"diluted" among the total.\n\nIf there's anyone which Amtrak does have a material influence upon,,,I'm not aware of it.\n\nWhat's interesting is that even though Amtrak Biz is a very specific Niche....it just happens to be Rail Transport.\n\nAnd Rail Transport and its support industries have all been doing very well for last several years\n\nHere's a few relative symbols,,,no recommendations just something to look at.\nThey're most all substantially advanced over last 2~3~5 years\n\nARII BNI CNI CP CSX FLA FSTR GBX GMT GSH GWR HSC KSU NATK.OB NSC NYRR.PK OEH PRPX PWX RAIL RRA  TMM TRN UNP WAB
687718
Ummm FEMA?\n\nRepublican?\n\nSomeone needs to do a little more RESEARCH.\n\nFEMA... FEDERAL, is a DEMOCRATIC concept.\n\nIt's always a bad Idea to RESPOND and LEGISLATE from WASHINGTON.  It's also, in my opinion really stupid... to have people BUY PROPERTY in a FLOOD PLANE, and expect ME and the rest of the country, who has chosen PRUDENTLY, to pay for them being STUPID... or at least, not doing their research.\n\nAh but RESEARCH... there's that word again!
531440
Democrats.  As the one writer notes, they do want to give money to the poor.  However, they are also far more likely to fund the things that give middle-class folks a chance to move up the ladder:  education, roads, security nets for the unemployed, environmental protections, etc.  The Republicans have spent their last few years in power tearing down the economic infrastructure of the nation in order to fund tax-cuts for the ultra-rich; eventually that will cost us a lot more money than actually paying taxes to maintain what it's government's job to maintain.
49780
It's all about money. They don't care how much they charge because they know that people will continue to pay for it. I thought Congress was discussing the gas situation. What happened to that?
845190
These are beloved by members of Congress, whatever their party. Right now, however, it's the Republicans who love them most.\n\nUnfunded mandates make the states fund favored programs themselves, with no Federal money, using the threat of cutting off ALL Federal money (as with interstate highway money)
797225
It really doesn't matter because nothing is going to get accomplished over the next 2 years. Anything Bush sends to Congress will get voted down. Anything Congress sends Bush will get vetoed, and they don't have enough of a majority to override, thus we have a stalemate for the next 2 years.......
875883
The Government owns Amtrak. Amtrak had lost billions,and the Government bailed them out. If Amtrak would have had to shut their doors  thousands of people would have been out of work. So the Government took control of Amtrak,and it continues to lose money each year,but those people who are still employed pay their taxes,and that keeps the govermnet rolling.
857183
This Trans TX corridor is a big mistake.\n\nThere is nothing wrong with the highways as they are now. Some upgrading is in order but to build a entire supper highway that will cost hundreds of billions is not needed.\n\nthough knowing Perry he will not let the voters decide. Bastard\n\nThe only think I like about it is the high speed rail concept. That is looong over due not only for Texas but for the United States.
49204
The Hepburn Act of 1906 gave the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) the power to set maximum railroad rates, and led to the discontinuation of free passes to loyal shippers. In addition, the ICC could view the railroads' financial records, a task simplified by standardized booking systems. For any railroad that resisted, the ICC's conditions would be in effect until the outcome of litigation said otherwise. By the Hepburn Act, the ICC's authority was extended to cover bridges, terminals, ferries, sleeping cars, and express companies.\n\nAlong with The Elkins Act of 1903, the Hepburn Act was a subset of one of President Theodore Roosevelt's major goals, United States railroad regulation.\n\n\nRAILROADS BABY.\n\n\nsomeone below this post pointed out the mann elkins act...\n\nThe Elkins Act of 1903 strengthened the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 by forbidding railroads from offering rebates to shippers. The railroad companies were not permitted to deviate from published rates. The law was sponsored by President Theodore Roosevelt, and greatly boosted his popularity. This is not to be confused with the Mann-Elkins Act of 1910.
161714
i think that it is about time... too many of the decisions for military spending is up to Congress. my opinion is that a seperate board should be constructed to vote on new upgrades for the military.
941661
I was inclined to support the action, because the president and a large majority of each house of congress did:\n\nhttp://hnn.us/articles/1282.html
779708
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ talks - and Bull*** walks!\n\nThe only time a congressman would not take money is if they misunderstood the question.
499226
Yes it is this way.  Of course if we tried to solve all of the could be problems, most of our efforts and money would be wasted.\n\nTake Kerterina and New Orleans.  If some wanted, and there were many, tried to solve the levy problem before the level 5 hurrican the reaction was we have not had a problem for 100 years so why spend money on a no problem.  It happens all the time.  Same with roads...why did not the gov spend the extra money to make it 4 lanes when they first built it???  Well should we make all roads 4 lanes when 90% have little traffic???  Let the public show they need and will use a road that needs to be made larger.  Think this is a better way.\n\nOf course there are generated problems, like the Iraq war, that are generated based on lies.  For a polotician who needs jobs in his/her district they would love to have a few million $ to build a road never used, but it would buy votes.
118973
Ok..here it is broken down. THose east coast ports were being managed via contract through an English company. That company was bought out by a larger company in the United Arab Emerates. A lot of people feel that our national security is at risk if the UAE company assumes the port operations contract previously honored by the now bought out English port company. White House tried to pull a fast one and didn't tell Congress about it initially until it was almost a done deal. There you go.