MOBILE, Ala. — Resistance to helping fund Gulf Coast Amtrak service remains among Mobile City Council members ahead of an expected Jan. 28 vote on a financial commitment by the city.
Earlier this week, a three-member council finance committee failed to recommend support for a resolution which would commit the council to provide money toward operating expenses for the proposed New Orleans-Mobile service, AL.com reports.
Five council members must support the letter of intent to provide up to $3 million over a three-year period to support the rail service, which could begin in 2023. [See “Mobile city council to vote on financial support for proposed Gulf Coast Amtrak service,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 18, 2019]. The vote on that commitment has been delayed once, but a decision must come by Feb. 5, the deadline to match a grant from the Federal Railroad Administration.
The states of Mississippi and Louisiana have already dedicated funding to the project, and Amtrak has committed $6 million toward capital improvements, but Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has so far declined to support the project.
To Charles Landey…Please take your blinders off and look around. The Route 128 station stop is not just a “Westwood” station stop. It serves a far larger population base than just the town of Westwood, and being next to Int 95, it’s service area extends for many miles around.
I’ve done the research and Mr. Moss is correct we here in Alabama bring in far more federal dollars than we pay out. The irony of this is that Alabama is a far right, red, anti big government state. Our last and present governors and most of our federal, state and local representatives are far right Republicans and it’s been that way far years. And Gerald is also at least partially or maybe even mostly correct when he says we apparently don’t have any common sense or intelligent life down here in Bama. Based on our recent pics for government representation, local, State and Federal, it would seem so, at least when it comes to politics. We did manage to elect Doug Jones to Congress but the alternative was Roy Moore, and even most Republicans couldn’t stomach him. But Roy’s running again so we will see if our collective I.Q. here has regressed when it comes to elections. There are many bright wonderful folks here that would love to see changes in our great state. Better roads, schools, healthcare and yes transportation alternatives such as Amtrak. But the majority rules and maybe they’ll wake up one morning and realize what we’ve been doing ain’t working. I’m not holding my breath.
Good arguments all the way around guys. But I know how the majority of the government here in Alabama works. And they wouldn’t vote for expanded Amtrak service even if it were offered for free. It’s a shame but it’s unfortunately true. I’ve been here all of my almost 60 years and it’s my home. But it’s frustrating to travel around the country and see what’s available to those with more progressive thinking governments and citizens. Unfortunately I see no changes in the near future.
Mr. Landley, I knew that the disparity in return of federal tax dollars to the states was widely reported, and I Googled something like “return of federal tax dollars to the states” to get an actual statistic. One of the first hits, other than political sounding websites, was the Atlantic. I know some people are skeptical of the Atlantic, so I invite you to pick another site that you may find more believable. I doubt that the numbers would be very different.
MICHAEL MOSS – In order to be concerned about the statistic you cite I’d need to see more information and a much more detailed accounting. Lacking those I’m skeptical.
This is a project for Virgin Trains USA. However, their priorities are extending the Florida service to Orlando and Tampa. And, establishing a high speed rail corridor between Las Vegas and southern California.
This issue again? Third or fourth time around on this newswire. If I’m on the city council of Mobile, I’d send a bill to every city with a station on NEC and have them pay for NEC.
Mr Landley, Massachusetts gets back less than a dollar for every tax dollar they send to Washington. Alabama gets back 3 dollars for every dollar they send. Does this also concern you?
GERALD – Westwood, Massachusetts, pop. 16,056. Every single Amtrak train between Boston and Providence stops there. Let Westwood, Massachusetts pay for Amtrak. And Boston, Providence, Kingston (Rhode Island) and down the line. When each of them ponies up, then send a bill to Mobile.
Mobile is being hit up $3 million for one train. Westwood has I really don’t know, maybe 12 Amtrak trains per each direction. So hit up Westwood for $36 million. That’s only $2,242 per resident. Norfolk County is the wealthiest in Massachusetts so they can afford it.
Seriously, folks, I don’t understand this at all. Why is Mobile being asked to pay for a train just because it stops there? When someone explains to me (minus the snarky comments about Alabama people) why Mobile has to pay for its train when Westwood, Massachusetts, does not, then my evening will be complete. It’s a simple enough question so where is your answer?
Gerald and Charles, y’all are both correct. The local government around here has been making bonehead decisions for years. I don’t live in the city of Mobile anymore but in the county. But even most of the county government is backwards. If you really want to see Alabama politics at its best read up on how the proposed I-10 bridge over the Mobile River has been going. They can’t seem to figure out that if you spend a dime to get a dollar most folks think that’s a good idea. Especially when part of that dollar originally came out of your pocket. As I’ve said before I’d love to have Amtrak back on the Gulf Coast but with the nuts we have in office around here it ain’t going to happen anytime soon.
Charles, someone in Mobile isn’t paying attention, certainly not the council…3 million for 3 years, that’s chump change for a city the size of Mobile…but apparently they don’t have common sense or any intelligent life in Alabama so it is understandable they don’t see the bigger picture of this miniscule investment.