EDITORIAL: Proposed Amtrak cuts must be derailed

Feb. 21--Several weeks ago a man sat with his grandson at Utica's Union Station waiting for the train back to Buffalo. The pair had left the western New York city early that morning, rode the rails to Utica and spent several hours at the the annual train show sponsored by the Toy Train Collectors Society.

"It's really a great way to spend a day," the man said. "It's so convenient having (the show) right here at the station."

Such good times might have to be scrapped if President Trump gets his way. His fiscal year 2019 budget would cut annual federal subsidies to Amtrak in half -- from $1.495 billion to $738 million. It'd also cut $128 million for Amtrak's Northeast Corridor -- the pot of money that directly funds Utica and Rome rail service -- and links Utica and Rome with Albany, New York City and Buffalo.

During a recent press conference at Union Station, Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, D-Utica, asked New York's congressional delegation to reject Trump's plan that could effectively end long-distance rail travel in the northeast.

Such draconian cuts also would affect thousands of Mohawk Valley residents who depend on Amtrak service to get to and from work assignments, college, to visit family, or for tourism," said Brindisi, who is seeking the congressional seat in the 22nds District.

"The Trump budget proposal threatens what has become a popular way to get from Point A to Point B in upstate New York. It would place a new fiscal burden on already strapped state and local governments. I am urging New York's Congressional delegation to make sure that this plan is derailed and these cuts are restored--there is no time to waste," Brindisi said.

Amtrak recently reported that last year set records in the Northeast Corridor for ridership--over 12 million passengers, or a one percent increase over 2016. Total ridership for Amtrak also increased to over 31 million passenger trips, and operating earnings improved about 16 percent over 2016. Over the past three years, Utica's Union Station has averaged about 60,000 riders a year, while the Rome train station has seen over 9,000 passengers a year.

Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford, has spoken out about Trump's budget.

In a press release last week, Tenney said that her mission is to eliminate wasteful spending in government, but that several of the programs proposed for elimination or significant cuts in funding are vital to rural communities across her district.

"Many of my constituents depend on these important programs," she said in the release. "Pulling the rug out from under them now would be detrimental to our most vulnerable citizens and communities. While there are a number of wins in this proposal for our region, vital programs must be retained until we have a thriving economy in New York to support businesses, communities, and individuals who rely on these programs. Throughout the budget debate, I will continue to fiercely advocate for key programs on which constituents in the 22nd District rely."

Tenney went to mention proposed cuts to elimination of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)/Community Services Block Grant (CSBG; moving two grants out of the Office of National Drug Control Policy office and reducing funding by nearly 95 percent; cutting the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative -- a program that works to preserve and protect water quality- from $300 million to $30 million; cutting funding for the Legal Services Corporation, which provides critically important legal services to low- and middle-income families and individuals; eliminating the Rural Economic Development and 21st Century Community Learning programs, cutting $498 million from the Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program, which provides assistance to rural communities for clean drinking water systems, sanitary solid waste disposal, storm water drainage, among others, and cutting nearly $3.4 billion in funding to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) program, which assists families with high energy costs.

Regarding Amtrak, a Tenney spokeswoman said in an email that Tenney will evaluate the Amtrak portion. Hopefully, the congresswoman will see fit to do what she can to make sure that Northeast rail service is not put in jeopardy by Trump budget cuts. That would be especially damaging to the Central New York community. This plan must be derailed.

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