Killing the Texas Eagle.
In a letter, an elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Delgadillo explained to Al Gore how much they rely on the government-owned Amtrak trains to visit their children and grandchildren in Chicago and on each coast. The couple reminded the vice president
that President Clinton relied on train travel to reach the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. "The train has been our main-stay," the couple states. "Yet your administration is killing our Texas Eagle. This makes us sick."
The Texas Eagle is the Amtrak train that for years has operated between Chicago, St. Louis, Little Rock, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio. But facing a $243 million shortfall in 1997, Amtrak President Thomas Downs recently targeted four Amtrak routes for elimination, including the Texas Eagle service between St. Louis and San Antonio. "What can you do to save our Eagle?" the couple pleaded to the vice president.
Gore responded with:
"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Delgadillo, Thank you for your letter regarding the protection of the Texas eagle. I appreciate
hearing from you. I share your view that the urgent problem of species extinction and the conservation of biological
diversity should be addressed. The first step in saving any plant or animal from extinction is to become aware of and
respect the fragile ecosystems that make up our environment ... Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I
look forward to working with you for the future of our planet."
It's strange he should talk about the ecosystem and extinction since the Texas Eagle is a TRAIN!!
(Sources: reported on Fox News Sunday on December 3, 1996, as well as quoted in the National Review and reported in the
12/6/96 Washington Times "Inside the Beltway" by John McCaslin) |
