Bush needs to spend more time working on the railroad
Editorial
Issue date: 2/18/05 Section: Opinion
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Although this might not seem so bad on the surface, it will most likely mean major consequences for communities like Macomb and universities like Western Illinois University.
Many Western students depend on Amtrak as their only way home and many local residents depend on it to get to Chicago.
The Chicago Tribune states Amtrak has not made a profit since its inception in 1970, and is currently government-subsidized, like most transportation operations worldwide. That's right, like MOST transportation operations worldwide. That means this is not some crazy pet-cause of a few rural residents in the United States. Many transportation systems are subsidized, and rightfully so.
Currently an advertising campaign for public transportation shows everyday situations with certain people cut out of the scene because they couldn't get to work without the public transportation. So picture a university with people cut out. The WC itself would be without some staff members who would have no way to get to Western if it were not for Amtrak. Amtrak makes places around the country whole.
But this isn't just a problem for people in rural communities who are tying to get to bigger cities. When people think of Illinois they tend to remember Chicago and forget the rest. But people fly into Chicago's international airport. Without Amtrak they would have to rely on rent-a-cars or obscenely long bus rides to get to other parts of not only the rest of the state, but also the rest of the Midwest.
Is it selfish to expect the government to subsidize something that doesn't make a profit? No. A government is supposed to facilitate all of its citizens, not just the ones with cars. The government spends money on a variety of different things - we just don't understand why Amtrak can't be one of them.
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