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Politics : The Castle -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tejek who wrote (4684)	4/11/2005 12:48:49 AM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 7936

but the lack of a need to make a profit probably also contributes. I really doubt it. You doubt it plays a role at all? They have been under strong pressure for years and each year, their budget is cut more and more. Outside political pressure, even when it can effect your budget is different from the direct pressure that the need to make a profit can produce. Congress wants Amtrack to become more effcient but if Amtrack does save money it might just get put in to unprofitable routes or be used by Congress as an argument that Amtrack's subsidies can now be lowered. When you run a business if you can save money you make more profit. If your costs are to high and you keep losing money, you go out of business. That type of pressure is more effective at promoting effcienacy than any pressure congress can put on, and thats assuming congresses main goal is effcancy, which it was not. Besides, you forget the most important reason for the deficit.Congress's demand they provide train service to places that don't warrant such travel. I didn't forget it. That type of thing is likely in a government subsidized industry. If you can truely cut ties to the government you can run without as much political interference. tim