Della Croft
Della Croft, of Pennslvania, is an elected Libertarian (Inspector of Elections), LP activist and columnist for Liberty for All.
The
Pick-Pocket Express
(See America on $1.5 Million a Day)
The signs of corruption are all around us. Subtle signs that slip quietly into the newspaper on page 5. Actually, the average rube in this country wouldn’t know a true sign if it landed in his front yard and pissed on his Rhododendron. We are so preoccupied with blowjobs in the Oval Office and getting “even” with the people of Afghanistan that we are oblivious to the insidious erosion of our basic freedoms and the plunder of our hard earned dollars. While our attention is being diverted by waving flags and forced, sentimental patriotism, our government officials are voting in favor of legislation that restricts our movement, tracks our whereabouts, and keeps us in a constant state of hysteria. A pick-pocket always creates a diversion just as he rips you off.
Watch this little sleight-of-hand. Amtrak is threatening to shut down service if Congress does not cough up $1.2 billion for its next budget year. Claiming that the railroad has a $5.8 billion dollar backlog of repairs to trains, tracks and railyards, Amtrak president George Warrington is standing on the steps of the Capitol with both hands out. Wait kids, this gets better. Last year Amtrak lost $1.1 billion dollars. In its 30-year history Amtrak has never been profitable. Now you are reasonably intelligent, so I know you are asking yourself, “Why the hell is the government pouring money into a private business and not into my pocket?” I could tell you to research it yourself, but I kind of like bitching, so please allow me.
It seems back in 1970, when I was much too young to remember (cough), Congress passed the Rail Passenger Service Act to revive the passenger rail industry. This act created Amtrak, a for-profit government corporation. Those silly boys in Congress also granted Amtrak a monopoly on intercity travel. You see, a monopoly is just fine if the government creates it (read: US Postal Service), but not if a private citizen creates one (read: Bill Gates). Now those guys in Congress are not stupid and 26 years later, in 1997, when someone noticed that even though they had shoveled $22 billion into Amtrak, it was not profitable, the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act was passed. This Act provided that Amtrak would no longer be a government corporation, it would no longer have a monopoly, could add new routes and close old ones, would receive $2.2 billion in Taxpayer Relief funds, and would be expected to achieve self-sufficiency within five years. In other words, Amtrak would no longer suckle at the government teat. I got my abacus out and five years from 1997 is (gasp) 2002! Does it sound like our friends at Amtrak are self-sufficient? Nope.
Of course any fourth grade public school student can tell you the reason Amtrak is not profitable; it can’t compete with private cars and airline travel. The WTC attack only briefly interrupted air travel and most people would much rather be blown up than sit on a train for 12 hours. The Amtrak Reform Council is expected to recommend breaking up Amtrak and opening passenger rails to competition. Free market competition?? What a radical concept! Even if Amtrak rides that track into the sunset, we have already been fleeced. Remember that $300 tax rebate we were all excited about last summer? Pretty small change compared to the amount of money this government has flushed down their $700 toilets. They create the diversion while they pick our pockets.
My copy of the US Constitution makes no mention of Amtrak, nor does it mention shaking down the citizenry to create it. The story of Amtrak was slipped quietly onto page 5 so as to avoid any close scrutiny. The signs and symptoms of a government that is out of control, unchecked, and overstepping its bounds are everywhere, but not always obvious. They come disguised as edicts for our own good or a passenger railroad to benefit our cities. No matter how you color it, we get screwed.
