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Friday, April 26, 2013

At least GO makes money ... Amtrak, not so much

A politician who reads my blog and who asked to remain anonymous (for now, until you give me a reason to post our email exchange) sent me this article because he feels I believe GO Transit is a cash-grab for the Ontario Liberal government and squanders taxpayers' money. I don't ever recall making such a statement. I challenged him to provide a link to where on my blog I wrote that. So far, silence.

I read the article anyway. This line, "The railroad, created in 1971 to take over money-losing passenger operations from freight carriers, has never made an annual profit" - the hell? How is that possible? Oh wait ... oil, 'merica, cars...

Amtrak is asking the US government  for $2.1 billion to buy trains and improve infrastructure. Good luck with that.

Full story, if you're interested. 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Was it Daddy Dalton? LOL

Anonymous said...

Isn't he in the Carribean somewhere driking sangrias?

Skin Man said...

Loved the intro!

Bicky said...

I think people would be fine putting more money into transit/infrastructure if we thought something tangible would materialize and we would see real results.

However, the last few years have shown us that the gov't has piddled billions with nothing to show for it.

Us taxpayers be wary of da politicians and what they say.

George P said...

It takes liberal to complain about GO and then use Amtrak as a reference.
Earlier this week we were laughing at CNN for using GO footage. This politician appears to be ever farther out on left field.

Harith said...

GO was put in place by a Tory government. :P

Skin Man said...

Would VIA be a better comparison? They don't make money....

Mark Dowling said...

Amtrak's services between Boston and Washington actually make money - Amtrak is a lot more transparent about financials on individual routes that GO or VIA. However all the big brave tax cutting Republicans from the flyover states get really cross when it's pointed out that Amtrak's service to them is what costs the big bucks. But you have to keep them happy when those states get just as many Senate votes as California and New York.