FY 23 Budget

Here is pertinent text relating to Passenger Rail:

Invests in Reliable Passenger and Freight Rail. To ensure the safety and performance of the rail industry today and deliver the passenger rail network of the future, the Budget provides the Federal Railroad Administration a historic investment of $17.9 billion, a $15 billion increase over the 2021 enacted level. This includes $4.7 billion in additional funding on top of $13.2 billion already provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for 2023. These resources would provide $7.4 billion to significantly improve Amtrak’s rolling stock and facilities and $10.1 billion for existing and new competitive grant programs to support passenger rail modernization and expansion, address critical safety needs, and support the vitality of the freight rail network.

Let the Games begin.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/

If Congress cannot get the Appropriations Acts passed by August 1, we will enjoy another half year of CR hell. Then , if Congress flips, these budgets will not be worth the paper they’re printed on.

John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Tue Mar 29, 2022 2:24 am If Congress cannot get the Appropriations Acts passed by August 1, we will enjoy another half year of CR hell. Then , if Congress flips, these budgets will not be worth the paper they’re printed on.

The budget isn't worth the paper it's printed on the minute it's signed by the President. It constantly gets blown. Welcome to America.

I listened to part of the president's budget debate this morning and found it very disturbing. I was not impressed with the newly confirmed OMB director Shalanda D. Young and her dissembling. Although about the only thing transportation related I heard was Biden wants to INCREASE the federal gasoline tax. Someone asked if the president's budget was going to be voted on - apparently there is no commitment to a vote! Without a vote this is just posturing and "continuing resolutions" are down the line. Apparently the federal debt is now $90,000 per person. Calculations in budget assume 2% inflation, official inflation rate is 8%. Budget was just presented to congress yet inflation numbers were not updated. Military budget is going up 4%, (China's military budget is increasing >7%) which is considered a budget increase yet implies a reduction in real dollars at a time of increasing commitments (for one, who's gonna budget to replace the materials we are giving Ukraine?) More OT... Medicare trust fund will be depleted in just four years, Social Security trust fund in eleven years, and SSDI in 2057. The budget director would not answer the question but didn't deny these facts.

Never met a politician that left office broke. One of my grandfathers favorite sayings, still holds true today as much as it did 40 yrs ago. Be it federal state or local. Politicians do not care about "we the people". Political party has no effect as long as they have a seat at the "table".

Jimmy Carter left office broke - the family peanut business (for which he had given up his Navy career to save) was dutifully put into a trust while he was president. When he left he was told it was bankrupt, and he had to sell it. Ulysses S Grant got swindled after leaving office (and country got swindled while he was in office), had to write a memoir on his deathbed to save his family's finances.

Off topic, but related to Mr. B&A's immediate:

https://www.investopedia.com/the-5-poor ... ts-4773376.

My father-in-law's family were close friends with the Trumans and he has a signed copy of his memoirs. Harry lived quite the modest life when he returned to Missouri.

We’ve had an interesting and civil sidebar, May we now return to the FY 2023 DOT proposal, and the coming appropriations cycle?

Col. Perkowski's order stands; and will be adhered to. As an NCO, I could only "direct". I once held the title "GI Party NCO"; any others around here who have "been in" will know how "popular" such directives of mine were.

Now very likely, the first event of significance to occur, so far as "we" are concerned, is when this link comes up with 2023 vice 2022:

https://appropriations.house.gov/events ... sportation

So is this new money or money that comes from the infrastructure bonanza?

rcthompson04 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 31, 2022 7:58 am So is this new money or money that comes from the infrastructure bonanza?

New money as part of the regular budget.

Will there be any more CAF Viewliners now that they finally figured out how to build them or will the next long distance order involve reinventing the wheel yet again?

I can’t imagine another CAF order will be on the table. They’ll probably try to see if one of the current mass market manufacturers like Siemens can come up with a sleeper/dining/lounge car based on their current platform.

So far, I not impressed by any of the Siemens products that Amtrak has purchased. Hopefully, the problems are just teething problems and will soon be worked out. But for a company that has produced thousands of cars and locomotives, the problems are unsettling.