Here is a specific example of what the practical ramifications might be of a serious funding shortage for Amtrak, one of the perennial whipping boys in Congress when it comes to federal support. Unlike PBS and the NEA, however, it is much easier to imagine what kind of impact rail cuts would have: in Oregon the popular service between Eugene and Portland, part of the Cascade line running all the way to British Columbia, is currently in jeopardy of being slashed in half, at best.
Note that this is actually a state-funded line; there is an interstate "Coast Starlight" train that runs once a day but makes fewer stops, that is fully federally funded (for now). (There is also the "Empire Builder" that runs eastward towards Chicago). In addition to the rail service, buses are also funded by the state to bring riders in from areas like Ontario and Bend.
Since 1994, after an initial $20mil infrastructure upgrade provided by the federal budget, Oregon pays the entire freight (boo!) for passenger rail service in the Cascade corridor. In the ten years of operation since, according to this Democrat-Herald story, ridership has almost quadrupled. So given ridership levels and the size of the area involved (about 2.4 million), this is not an overserved line catering to a diffidently small population.
For the new budget, Gov. Kulongoski seeks the $9mil necessary to maintain current service levels. The money was initially approved by budget writers in both houses of the Oregon Legislature--but then as part of the row over school funding, the House created its own budget committee and left out $6mil of the money, which would immediately cut service to one train per day. "It's an economic issue. It's a money issue of what we can afford,'' said House budget chief and Majority Leader Wayne Scott, R-Canby. Of course, what can be "afforded" is all relative; the House is more interested in shorting the kitty by an estimated $13mil just in reduced personal capital gains taxes over the next five years--and that doesn't include corporate excise tax rates, also to be slashed by 50% during that time.
The chief proponent of the rail service in the state House, Mitch Greenlick (D-Portland), is not demagouging the issue of the cuts, and apparently remains hopeful that something can still be done given the lack of outright public opposition from House Republicans. But while supporters' begging for support of regional rail before Congress is nothing new, I'm willing to bet that the renegade budget committee is hoping no one will notice the state money's gone, and there won't be enough time or political energy for yet another fight against a cabal of legislators who continue to fancy themselves the party in power, styled after their bigger brothers in DC.
--TJ
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