I oppose privatizing the Northeast Corridor. While I appreciate and support efforts to expand high-speed rail service in this country, it remains to be seen whether or not this RFP will achieve that goal. The only thing that Congress authorized is the submission of proposals. There will be a rigorous review process, and Congress will have to take subsequent action to move ahead should any of the proposals be worthy.
In the meantime, Congress should continue to increase investment in Amtrak, which has been chronically under funded and faces a multi-billion dollar backlog on the Northeast Corridor alone. I fully expect the incoming Democratic Congress and Administration to increase funding for Amtrak as part of a rational transportation policy and an economic stimulus package for infrastructure.”
http://thetransportpolitic.wordpress.com/2008/12/12/nycdc-private-bullet-train-monday-announcement/
The blogger then makes this very valid comment:
The 1993 privatization of British Rail was a well-known disaster, leading to huge
problems in transportation in the United Kingdom. Far more successful European
high-speed rail programs - in France, Germany, and Spain - have been implemented
by fully government-owned and managed systems (though the European Union’s new rules have changed that a bit in recent years). There’s no reason to think that
a government run high-speed rail system of similar magnitude and speed as Mr. Mica has suggested would not be possible.
No reason to think Mr Mica should be trusted on ay of this as he wasn't able to get a light rail system in place in 1999 his own back yard, and is now struggling to get a Central Florida commuter rail off the ground that is THE most expensive rail system ever in the history of our nation, which is not surprising since it involves private industry:
The (Central Florida Commuter Rail) system would cost $10.5 million per mile — a record for U.S. rail systems.
"It's the most expensive rail project in the history of the United States,"
and more on the folly of private industry involvement:
The Florida Department of Transportation and transportation company CSX
have a history of setting records for cost in taxpayer-funded rail systems in
the past. Of the top six most expensive rail deals per mile in U.S. history,
three of them were brokered between the Florida agency and CSX.
http://wpmobserver.com/WPMObserver/article.asp?ID=1165
Here is a little on the 1999 failed Mica Light Rail Plan:
The (CSX commuter rail) plan was developed by U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, after the Orange County Commission rejected his plan to build a light-rail system connecting Downtown Orlando and the Orlando International Airport in 1999.
Also note that in terms of the article writer and probably John Mica's mind, the grassroots are the Chamber of Commerce folks. This is just too laughable!
Sad indeed.
