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For a number of years I served as an elected official representing institutions of higher education in the state of Utah. As I spent most of my time on capital hill, it was an honor to be part of the legislative process. As an elected official it was also an honor to represent, the best way that I could, all of the voters, regardless of their views or ideas.

Having read the threads on Amtrak and also the countless threads on this forum regarding Steam Town, a few things have begun to disturb me. We have begun to use this forum as a place to criticize those who serve us. Again from experience, it is tough to represent the general public. You feel good when you can make 51% of the constituency happy as an elected official.

Time after time we have laid blame on one political party or the other. We lay blame on activists groups that have “lobbyistsâ€

For informaton on how to SAVE Amtrak and contact information for YOUR representatives:

http://www.saveamtrak.org/

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George W. Bush
PHONE: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

President George W.Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

president@whitehouse.gov
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Kelly Lynch

I applaud and support John Rimmaschs suggestion that rather than just sitting back and gripeing,if you care enough- take the modicum of time/energy required and voice your opinion to those who will be making the actual decisions regarding the future(or lack thereof) for Steamtown/Amtrak. These public officials are in the main dedicated people who truly want to make informed intelligent decisions and by and large welcome input from both sides of an argument. Seems to me that if it isn't worth a few minutes effort on your part-then it doesn't appear that you really care that much!
IMHO-Ross Rowland

Don't get your hopes up, boys and girls. The last time I wrote to my two U.S. Senators, the responses I got convinced me that unless a big fat check is enclosed, they won't do anything.

I wrote to both asking their support on a specific issue, that of railroad crossing safety, for a bill that was before the Congress at that time. From one, I received a letter assuring me that he fully supported increasing Railroad Retirement benefits. From the other, I received a rant about everything that was wrong with Amtrak and why he would not support it.

A few months later, I was at a forum sponsored by a major railroad and several shortlines. One of the above-mentioned Senators was the keynote speaker. We got the usual boiler-plate, of course, including the anti-Amtrak bit, and his stance on abortion and gay rights (against both, as if that mattered to us). He also assured us of his continued support for additional highway funding -- at a railroad-sponsored event!! During the question and answer period, three different members of the audience asked exactly the same question about the grade crossing bill, and each time he responded with the same word-for-word attack on Amtrak!

Since then, I have not supported either of these uninformed boobs, and I've encouraged my friends and neighbors to oppose them as well. Unfortunately, most folks around here fear terror attacks, welfare queens and gay abortion.

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Hi all,

I have stayed far away from these politcal threads, partly because I have just grown my eyebrows back from the last flame war. I agree with Super that the discussion is healthy, and it is even better to get involved. The day to day actions of government from local to federal are simply nothing more than reaping what's been sown. In other words, our system is always the product of the people we put in power.

If Amtrak, historic rehab, and park spending are what you want, you clearly have some work to do as the federal power structure of today is *not* going to befriend that spending. In fact, with some exceptions, it hasn't supported those things very well for the past 20 years. Anyone who wants to blame the Amtrak and Park Service woes on Bush better take a look back at the record of Clinton, Bush 37 and Regan. This is *not* W's doing alone.

If you voted for someone who is not likely to support such programs, you helped sow the seeds with your vote. Ignorance is no less a defense in the voting booth than it is in the court of law.

Grover Norquist's theories of starving the beast *appear* to be what the federal government is following. If this is true, we have a dry stretch ahead. Either we all go along with it, or we organize to change it.

If you are not familiar with Starve the Best, check this link. Can I be sure this is what's going on? Of course not, but a lot of people think it is. If this is so, it will have a direct impact on the kinds of funding preservationists look for from Washington.

I predicted awhile ago that we are in for dark times regarding government funding, and I took a lot of heat for my thoughts. Evidence since then has shown that I was on target.

Rob

I noted in one of the Norquist links that he paraded around Washington wearing fatigues and had a bumper sticker that said "I'd rather be killing Commies". In looking up his bio, however, I saw no mention that he had ever served in the military. Sounds like yet another "chicken hawk", who is an insult to the rest of us who actually are veterans.