Similarities between Amtrak and USPS agendas

[AmtrakFlyer]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/us/amtrak-coronavirus-profit-public-transportation.html

 

[oregon pioneer]

There are some things that need to be considered a public good worth government support.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

One of the similarities between Amtrak and the USPS, is that for both, Congress required them to take on unfunded pension responsibilities for time these people never worked for either Amtrak or USPS. For Amtrak and the USPS, no one really cared at the time, because these pension liabilities would not come due for for many more years; long after those in Congress at the time, would still be holding any federal office.

IMHO, Congress needs to fund these pension responsibilities they created for Amtrak and the USPS. That money should not come from taxes, or the National Debt, but rather from a permanent transfers of funds out of the Congressional pension fund.

 

[Dakota 400]

MHO, Congress needs to fund these pension responsibilities they created for Amtrak and the USPS. That money should not come from taxes, or the National Debt, but rather from a permanent transfers of funds out of the Congressional pension fund.

The chances for a blizzard in Dayton, Ohio on the 4th of July is more likely than what you are suggesting.

 

[jruff001]

One of the similarities between Amtrak and the USPS, is that for both, Congress required them to take on unfunded pension responsibilities for time these people never worked for either Amtrak or USPS. For Amtrak and the USPS, no one really cared at the time, because these pension liabilities would not come due for for many more years; long after those in Congress at the time, would still be holding any federal office.

I didn't think Amtrak had any significant pension liabilities. Most Amtrak (union) employees fall under the federal Railroad Retirement system which AFAIK is in decent financial shape.

There is an Amtrak-specific pension for non-union employees but it doesn't cover that many people (relatively speaking, since most Amtrak employees are union) and I didn't think its unfunded liability was particularly dire. Happy to be corrected though.