Amtrak Board

[user 14106]

Do Amtrak board members get paid?

 

[user 14106]

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing...biden-announces-amtrak-board-member-nominees/
Board members announced.

 

[IndyLions]

It’s not an encouraging group, to be honest. Mostly Northeasterners, mostly political payback.

if there’s a transportation expert in the mix there – I don’t see them…

 

[Devil's Advocate]

There was a Trains article on the nominations Biden made today, and it looks like a bunch of political payback with no relevant experience, and not much representation outside of the Northeast. For instance, there’s an urban housing person and an AFL/CIO person on there.. That reeks of political payback more than qualifications for nomination to a supposedly important transportation post.

I'm only two sentences in and you've already claimed political payback twice, so where is your evidence these people bought their nominations?

On the surface, it looks like new board, more of the same.

Is Amtrak's current board full of urban housing planners, union management, and ADA lawyers or is this specious reasoning?

How disappointing. But if Biden has proven anything, it’s that he’s a career politician. He doesn’t know any other way.

I hate it when I catch my auto mechanic secretly making a career out of vehicle repairs. It's almost as if he doesn't know any other way to maintain my sedan.

 

[PaTrainFan]

It’s not an encouraging group, to be honest. Mostly Northeasterners, mostly political payback.

if there’s a transportation expert in the mix there – I don’t see them…

Not sure how being named to an essentially volunteer board is payback. They have nothing to gain by serving on Amtrak's board.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Coscia reappointed, another who’s an investment banker, and all from NEC save one. Horrible, absolutely horrible at first and second glance.

 

[IndyLions]

Calm down. Political Payback - “returning a favor as payback for political support”. That’s what this feels like - but hey - it is politics after all. Nothing illegal - just disappointing.

Excuse me if the nominations of an urban housing specialist and a Union boss to a transportation post don’t get me excited.

 

[daybeers]

I don't see any of our names...they must've posted the wrong list!

 

[IndyLions]

Well, one qualification they definitely have in their favor (with the exception of one) is that at least they’re a different board.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

With the same board chair, this could be a 7-1 board in favor of NEC when all is said and done.

Well, one qualification they definitely have in their favor (with the exception of one) is that at least they’re a different board.

 

[user 14106]

With the same board chair, this could be a 7-1 board in favor of NEC when all is said and done.

I don’t think it’s necessary to pit the NEC vs the national network. Both are important and have their role

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Exactly! But the current board is very much NEC focused at what seems to be the expense of the Network. On the surface these nominations don’t appear to change much and more than likely keep Gardner in place. Time will tell.

Reading up on the IL appointee Koos, originally nominated by Trump (who wanted to dismantle system) he’s on the Lincoln corridor. He spoke highly of LD service when Trump appointed him. I hope it was genuine and wasn’t just posturing to get confirmed.

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/the-trains-interview-chris-koos/

 

[TinCan782]

Finally!
https://www.usnews.com/news/us/arti...-five-for-u-s-passenger-railroad-amtrak-board

 

[zephyr17]

Coscia was reappointed, which is a damm shame. That probably means Gardner and his team are safe

 

[jruff001]

Anyone who doesn't buy into the conspiracy theory of "they want to kill the long distance trains" will automatically get the scorn of this message board.

 

[zephyr17]

Maybe not "kill".

Are ignorant about, do not understand, and pay no constructive attention to, yes.

 

[jruff001]

It ultimately boils down to the same thing.

If they give that same attention to the NEC (not being ignorant about, understanding, and paying constructive attention to it), balance that with the same considerations for the LD network and make decisions accordingly, they will be seen as pro-NEC / anti-LD and as wanting to kill the LD trains.

 

[zephyr17]

It ultimately boils down to the same thing.

If they give that same attention to the NEC (not being ignorant about, understanding, and paying constructive attention to it), balance that with the same considerations for the LD network and make decisions accordingly, they will be seen as pro-NEC / anti-LD and as wanting to kill the LD trains.

I would happily give them the chance, but Coscia and Gardner appear not to.

As I said, I do not think there is a "conspiracy" to kill them as not care or understand the damage they are doing through neglect and bad decisions (flex dining, the Texas Eagle, not having sufficient cars to run to run the schedule, among others). I don't think the record of Coscia/Gardner's management of the National Network is defensible.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

What gets forgotten is Gardners past words that the network trains are bleeding Amtrak dry. His dishonesty with skewed facts and outright lies, trying to dismantle the SWC in 2018 is a great example. He was also a part of the shouting match with legislators that were trying the save the SWC in that time frame. It’s on record time and time again this guy does not support long distance trains.

It’s been said by some he’s just an incompetent baffoon but with behavior like above it can’t be more clear we have a past vocal critic of long distance trains running Amtrak. Present day has he shown anything different? Amtraks recent five year plan that states, and I’m paraphrasing “we run our network trains at the wishes of Congress” should be telling. I don’t see Gardner/Coscia and co fighting for the network trains when we have a hostile Congress. Until then the trains will limp along on life support under these two leaders in my opinion.

 

[IndyLions]

If I remember correctly, there is a new requirement for there to be at least two board representatives (each) for LD & state supported services. While they haven’t identified which of these nominees are going to be slotted to which - it seems like they left it to the Republicans to nominate at least one (maybe 2) representative slotted to LD…

Forget conspiracy theories, but think about that. What does the administration care about? They made darn sure that they themselves nominated all NEC board slots, and left the Republicans to fill in the rest. That should speak volumes. (and yes - there are plenty of pro-rail Republicans)

But after all is said and done, none of that is a surprise. I think we all know that LD is the red headed step child. The way they run the trains - especially the CL, TE, Crescent, and Cardinal tells us that.

For me personally, I’m just pro-trains. I’m pro-LD, pro-NEC & pro-State Supported Services. (although I am anti-Precision Scheduled Railroading)

 

[user 14106]

Nothing is of course precluding Biden from nominating the remaining seats once these 5 are seated. Do the board seats for the long distance and state supported trains state that they have to be states that ONLY have such service or could someone from a state that sees two or even all three business lines represent any of the three categories? Of the NEC states: Massachusetts has all three business lines. Rhode Island has NEC only. Connecticut has NEC and state supported. New York has all three, New Jersey sees both NEC and Long Distance, Pennsylvania sees all three, Delaware has NEC and Long Distance, Maryland has NEC and Long Distance, DC has NEC and Long Distance. Note that trains that operate on the NEC that spur into state supported territory (such as the Pennsylvanian, Keystones, Virginia/Springfield MA through Regionals, Carolinian, and Vermonter) do not count as state supported when they are on the NEC mainline - a New York - Philadelphia trip on a Keystone for instance is considered a Northeast Regional trip. As a result Maryland does not see state supported service for example.

 

[IndyLions]

Nothing is of course precluding Biden from nominating the remaining seats once these 5 are seated. Do the board seats for the long distance and state supported trains state that they have to be states that ONLY have such service or could someone from a state that sees two or even all three business lines represent any of the three categories? Of the NEC states: Massachusetts has all three business lines. Rhode Island has NEC only. Connecticut has NEC and state supported. New York has all three, New Jersey sees both NEC and Long Distance, Pennsylvania sees all three, Delaware has NEC and Long Distance, Maryland has NEC and Long Distance, DC has NEC and Long Distance.

I don’t think that’s correct. The Trains article I read said that the Republicans will nominate the remaining seats.

 

[jis]

I don’t think that’s correct. The Trains article I read said that the Republicans will nominate the remaining seats.

Only the President gets to do the nominating. Republicans give their slate to the President to nominate. Trains articles can and do contain errors from time to time.

 

[user 14106]

I don’t think that’s correct. The Trains article I read said that the Republicans will nominate the remaining seats.

I believe there is a requirement for a certain party split on the board. Biden is likely allowing Senate Republicans to choose three picks who he will then nominate after they indicate their selections. Correcting myself on saying 5 picks before - 2 of the 10 member board are Gardner and Secretary Buttigieg (I'm guessing he can also send a designee) who serve ex officio. I suspect a few of the pro Amtrak GOP Senators will likely have a prime role in selecting these picks.

 

[TWA904]

Don't these nominations need to be approved by the Senate?