Ex Gov Rendell Blasts Teahaddists over Amtrak Cuts

[kairos12]

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/ex-penn-governor-blasts-house-gop-those-sobs-wouldnt-even-table-amtrak-cuts-after-fatal-wreck/
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell was visibly angry at House Republicans during an MSNBC interview on Wednesday, nearly cursing on-air about the GOP’s plan to cut $252 million in Amtrak funding hours after a train derailment that killed seven people and injured more than 50 others.

“Those SOBs, and that’s all I can call them, these SOBs didn’t even have the decency to table the vote,” Rendell told host Chris Hayes, who quickly responded by playing devil’s advocate.

The Reich Wing views Amtrak riders as takers so they wouldn't care if there was a crash everyday.

[libdem4life]

1. As he should and everyone else...could a current Democrat possibly comment on this? When an

ex official has to comment...and it makes it to Raw Story...it's kind of like stamping your foot.

This story is very partisan...and needs to get some traction. The Rs are as responsible for the crash as the Conductor, IMO.

[Vogon_Glory]

2. Amtrak's Passenger Car Problem

Amtrak's passenger problem reminds me of the problem plaguing the National Railways of Mexico's passenger car fleet during the 1970's--lack of funds to maintain the cars they had and lack of money to buy an adequate-sized replacement fleet. The Mexicans weren't willing to fund the purchase of the sorts of reliable cars then used in Italy or even Spain--not state-of-the-art, but reliable and with useful bagatelles like functioning toilets, air conditioning, and heating.

To be sure, there are differences. Amtrak's fleet is far better-maintained than the old N de M's were, and I think most of Amtrak's management is serious about running good trains, even beyond places like the Northeast Corridor where they don't own the tracks.

But the bulk of Amtrak's passenger fleet is aging; many of Amtrak's cars are as old as the cars private US railroads sold to the Mexicans back in the 1960's and 1970's, and the Republiclowns in general and the Teabaggers in particular are reluctant to pay for new equipment to replace worn-out and wreck-damaged equipment, let alone buy new cars for increased service in the corridors and beyond.

I think Amtrak's problems come back to the GOPsters' aversion to government programs that provide a public service and the wingnutz' aversion to paying for infrastructure. There was a time that I thought that the GOP could govern responsibly; nowadays I think that much of the GOP acts like the governing party of third-world kleptocrats and the rest of it has lost touch with reality.

I fear any cure for Amtrak's problems is to turn the GOP into a politically neutered outfit that the overwhelming majority of Americans would believe has no business governing anything.

[Thinkingabout]

3. Yes and he really pissed off the folks at FOX like Hannity. The truth hurts in the GOP world, they

Are quick to accuse Hillary of lacking security in Benghazi but do not look at facts of big cuts to all agencies. One of the agenda items on Obama's list was the infrastructure, the GOP's agenda was to prevent Obama from having a second term. The GOP made lots of cuts and has never voted for the funding for infrastructure.

[world wide wally]

4. Decaying, dangerous infrastructure bringing us to third world status is a small price to pay

in order to give a tax cut to billionaires.
Can't wait to run out and vote for them again before they stick me with a pay raise or some kind of benefit.
(Teabagger logic)

[Thinkingabout]

5. The US spends less on infrastructure than many other countries and it shows. Congress

Should be very ashamed of themselves.

[Initech]

6. All the Teahadists care about is "can this be cut and privatized?"

So goodbye Amtrak, the USPS, the IRS, highway repair, and every other government service you care to use. Fuck them.