- 06/09/11 05:03 PM ET
A little-noticed nugget in Republican president candidate Tim Pawlenty's big economic speech this week is that the GOP hopeful supports efforts in Congress to privatize railway service presently provided by Amtrak.
Pawlenty, who is among several Republicans off and running for the nomination to challenge Obama, included the national passenger rail service in a list of programs he suggested because they did not meet what he called "The Google Test." Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, suggested services that could be found on the internet should not be provided by the government.
"The post office, the government printing office, Amtrak, Fannie and Freddie, were all built for a time in our country when the private sector did not adequately provide those products," he said in his speech in Chicago. "That’s no longer the case."
Pawlenty, who is among several Republicans off and running for the nomination to challenge Obama, included the national passenger rail service in a list of programs he suggested because they did not meet what he called "The Google Test." Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, suggested services that could be found on the internet should not be provided by the government.
"The post office, the government printing office, Amtrak, Fannie and Freddie, were all built for a time in our country when the private sector did not adequately provide those products," he said in his speech in Chicago. "That’s no longer the case."
House Republicans, who have long fought against Congress' subsidization of Amtrak, are now arguing that rail passengers in the northeast, where Amtrak does most of its business, would be better served if the trains were operated by someone else.
"The time has come to deregulate America's passenger rail system," Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), who chairs the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, wrote in an op-ed Thursday in The Hill.
"By focusing on projects that make sense, leveraging private-sector investment and opening the door to public-private partnerships, we can do more with less and finally take our nation in a new direction," he said.
Democrats have criticized the plan, comparing it to Republican efforts to make changes to Medicare.
"Republicans are picking up steam in their rush to dismantle another highly popular and successful program," the ranking Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W. Va) wrote in a competing op-ed in The Hill. "Next stop on the Elimination Express? Amtrak."
Other presidential candidates like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Utah Gov. John Huntsman haven't yet weighed in on the plan. Pawlenty dubbed his economic plan, which included stopping Amtrak service, "A Better Deal."
"The time has come to deregulate America's passenger rail system," Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), who chairs the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, wrote in an op-ed Thursday in The Hill.
"By focusing on projects that make sense, leveraging private-sector investment and opening the door to public-private partnerships, we can do more with less and finally take our nation in a new direction," he said.
Democrats have criticized the plan, comparing it to Republican efforts to make changes to Medicare.
"Republicans are picking up steam in their rush to dismantle another highly popular and successful program," the ranking Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W. Va) wrote in a competing op-ed in The Hill. "Next stop on the Elimination Express? Amtrak."
Other presidential candidates like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Utah Gov. John Huntsman haven't yet weighed in on the plan. Pawlenty dubbed his economic plan, which included stopping Amtrak service, "A Better Deal."
It's just another example of how biased these conservative Republicans are. They want to turn America into a jungles for the wealthy. All the wealthy want is to become wealthier, and that's what these candidates are about. Depriving the country of vital services and turning it to third world jungles - just for the sake of preserving money for the wealthiest - that's what they want. Why they don't attack highways and aviation in the same manner? That's probably because they are bribed by those industries, as well as the petroleum companies.BY on 06/09/2011 at 21:59
Privatization of a national rail passenger system has failed everywhere in the world where it's been tried. What happens is a few routes are marginally profitable, but most others are not and are therefore eliminated. And that means millions of people who rely on those routes are simply screwed. The knee-jerk conservative ideologues like Pawlenty freak out at the thought of subsidizing Amtrak, but refuse to acknowledge that government subsidizes ALL modes of public transportation, from airlines to bike lanes to sidewalks. That leaves us forced to decide on a case by case basis if politicians like Pawlenty are being willfully misleading and pandering to their political core or are simply ignorant. Either way, they should be judged unacceptable by a thoughtful, informed electorate.BY on 06/10/2011 at 04:29
Great idea, only no one in their right mind would take it over knowing they will have to subsidize it with millions as the ticket sales don't come close to covering the cost of operating Amtrak.
Same for the love of Obama's life and (in HIS opinion) the answer to our transportation problems—high speed rail. If it were profitable, the private sector would have done it long, LONG ago. As it is now, only the wealthy can afford to ride high speed rail. Who can afford to pay $200 round trip on high speed rail when it costs you less than $50.00 for the same trip on a bus? Yep, the wealthy and the elites.BY on 06/10/2011 at 07:07
Same for the love of Obama's life and (in HIS opinion) the answer to our transportation problems—high speed rail. If it were profitable, the private sector would have done it long, LONG ago. As it is now, only the wealthy can afford to ride high speed rail. Who can afford to pay $200 round trip on high speed rail when it costs you less than $50.00 for the same trip on a bus? Yep, the wealthy and the elites.BY on 06/10/2011 at 07:07
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