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A Passion For Trains-Richard Steinheimer 2007 Calendar
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Railroading 2007 Calendar
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   The new report purports to seek ways of improving Amtrak. These boil down to four options:

   1. Keep existing structure and funding of intercity passenger rail.
   2. Incremental change within existing intercity passenger rail structure.
   3. Discontinue federal role in intercity passenger rail.
   4. Restructure intercity passenger rail system.

   The implementation of these options would result in the following, according to the report: 
   1. Current structure for intercity passenger rail is retained with no significant reform efforts or increase in federal support.
   2. Reform existing intercity passenger rail structure incrementally within current structure, with a possible cap on operational support.
   3. Exit strategy from intercity passenger rail should outline an orderly transition from federal role for rail, divest major portions of current system and devolve responsibility and support of intercity passenger rail service and the NEC to state and local government and other stakeholders.
   4. Federal support of intercity passenger rail as more integral to national transportation system, using tools such as franchising, competition, matching funds, or privatization.

   The report's author appears to favor options 3 or 4, while rail passenger advocates, if having to choose among these, would probably favor 1 or 2, provided that  reform under option 2 was done by those interested in actually providing rail passenger transportation for American citizens rather than simply reducing or eliminating the role of federal financing.

   The author is clearly focused on eliminating long-distance trains. The report was prepared before the November elections and reflects the orientation of the Administration and its underlying Plan for the New American Century theme: eliminate as much as possible the federal government (thus eliminating federal taxation). 

   The reception that this report will receive by the new Congress in January will probably be colder than that of the previous Congress.

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