Keller @ Large: Who's To Blame For Amtrak Mess?
BOSTON (CBS) - If you are one of the thousands of commuters who endured hideous delays and jammed cars and platforms Thursday because of a problem with Amtrak switching equipment, perhaps you've been wondering - who is to blame?
It's been 45 years since the remnants of America's private railroads were consolidated as Amtrak, a for-profit corporation that requires government subsidies to survive. Over the years, air and car travel have received much more support than Amtrak, even though parts of its service, especially the heavily-travelled Northeast Corridor from Washington to Boston, have grown ever more popular.
Critics of Amtrak have dismissed it as wasteful and poorly-run. Supporters point to its environmental benefits. Democrats blame Republicans for shorting it, but Amtrak hasn't thrived during periods of complete Democrat control in D.C.
Fast forward to today, and underfunded maintenance is a chronic problem for Amtrak, as our commuter nightmare of the past 24 hours illustrates.
What a coincidence that this latest failure comes just days after the MBTA sued Amtrak over their effort to make the state pay them more than $28 million a year for the privilege of continued service, overturning a longstanding contract where they pay us.
Of course, the T has its own dire fiscal problems.
So who's to blame for this nightmare?
Bad planning, bad budgeting, bad politics, bad karma, festering for decades. No wonder campaigns built on outrage are doing so well.