Lieberman: Trains are for those who can't afford cars

Aware that Congress has taken up consideration of Amtrak funding (H.R. 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act), a DNH reader wrote to Senator Lieberman urging better funding of Amtrak and more service to New Haven, suggesting an earlier train to Penn Station in order to allow for connections to early-morning departures to cities such as Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Toronto and Montreal. The letter did not once mention high gas prices.

Senator Lieberman's long reply to his constituent began as follows:

"Thank you for contacting me regarding high oil and gasoline prices. I fully share your concerns; and I am working to alleviate the pain at the pump on several fronts through a number of legislative measures that are intended to ease gas prices, increase oversight of energy markets, prevent price gouging, increase fuel efficiency and vehicle fuel economy standards, reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of oil, and increase tax benefits for renewable energy and conservation."

The reply went on for more than fifteen paragraphs, excoriating oil executives, discussing alternative fuels and battery-powered cars yet not once mentioning Amtrak. A simple slip-up by a busy staffer? Perhaps. But the implication is still distressing: our leaders think the only reason we would support intercity rail is that we just can't afford to drive any more. Never mind climate change, the 42,000 killed yearly in "accidents," the erosion of community into the endless sprawl that reliance on the automobile leads to. To Senator Lieberman, travel by rail is apparently a second-rate option, one for people who can't afford proper transportation. And he's from Connecticut. (Thank you to the anonymous reader for contributing this post).