| A LESSON FROM SEPTEMBER 11 By Doug Ohlemeier, Vice President, MOKSRail The tragic events of September 11th have forever altered the life we lead in this country. In many ways it has brought us together and raise the level of patriotism to heights not seen in a long time. It has made us realize that we must change the way we live in this country. For some of us it has renewed our effort to make people aware of changes necessary in our transportation system. |
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| Ohle' riding in an Amtrak private room |
Newspapers from around the country (but not too
many broadcast media) have been filled with stories about the
need for a good national passenger train system. The Philadelphia
Enquirer Philadelphia Enquirer said: "Congress will have
to begin treating Amtrak, the nation's passenger railroad, as
what it is: an essential component of our national transportation
system. A sound national transportation system has to support
passenger rail--just as it supports the car and the
airplane."
The Washington Post said: "Sustaining Amtrak
has been a financial challenge since its creation 30 years ago,
aggravated by the failure of Congress to define Amtrak's role and
put sufficient money into it. During the lifetime of Amtrak, the
government has put nearly 70 times more money into highways and
aviation than into the train system."
The Denver Post said:
"Will it really make sense to spend two hours going through
appropriate security procedures for a 45 minute flight? Even
before Tuesday's attack, our desire to fly on journeys of less
than 600 miles created congestion and delays, wasted energy and
polluted the environment. Entrenched interests and unquestioned
values have been major obstacles to providing the alternative
mobility options that Europeans and Japanese take for
granted."
Unfortunately there are still some in Congress that just don't
"get it". They either are heavy supported by special
interests groups associated with the highway industry or they are
waiting until the Arabs shut off the oil.
Now is the time to let our congressional representatives know
your concerns. In Kansas and Missouri, few senators or
congressmen/women have taken strong stands for rail passenger
transportation.
Please contact your representatives and let them know how
important the future security and defense of our country depends
on a balance transportation system that includes rail.
Thanks to Tennessee Association of Railroad Passengers for
allowing me to incorporate this information into this column.
http://www.geocities.com/tarprail/
