Gilbert B Norman wrote:Sorry, Mr. Fels, the defense is in the numbers "7 'n 7".
I'll grant you Mr. Gunn won't be on an Acela "outta Dodge" the way Harry Truman was on the B&O National Limited on Jan 20, 1953 (in line space at that), but the pattern is pretty strong that somewhere during the course of any Administration, the Amtrak presidency has changed hands.
Accordingly, I can only conclude that if there is to be a Kerry Administration, even if only four years in duration, in all liklihood there will be a new Amtrak CEO.
Just because the numbers match, doesn't mean one causes, or is even in any way related to, the other.
For example: Graham Claytor was Amtrak president from 1982-1993 (or 94?). By your logic, he should have been replaced between 1988 and 1992, because George H. W. Bush was president, and, after all, a new US president means a new Amtrak president, right?
Tom Downs took over in 1993/94 (don't know the exact date), during the Clinton presidency, and despite Clinton's reelection in 1996, George Warrington got the job in 1997.
That said, I don't think the upcoming election will have any determination on the Amtrak presidency, except that if george bush remains in the white house, there may not be an Amtrak for David Gunn to be president of. He keeps trying to kill Amtrak...errr.. I mean...force the states to pay for it. Of course, all those states are just lining up, cash in hand, eager to take over the responsibility of funding intercity rail. I mean just last week, the governor of Illinois demonstrated that state's eagerness to fund more rail service by proposing to cut Amtrak funding by about $2 million (a move that would cut Hiawatha service in half) to fix a budget deficit. How anyone can think Bush's "plan" for passenger rail is a good idea is beyond me.
I'll be casting my ballot this November (if you want to go forward, you put it in "D," if you want to go backward, you put it in "R")...oh wait, what was the topic again? I forgot.
David Gunn has his five-year, state-of-good-repair plan. If he gets the money to complete it in five (or maybe six) years, that'll be good. However, once Amtrak is "back on its feet" (or on its feet for the first time), and there is a LEGITIMATE commitment to funding passenger rail in this country (not any of that phony $5 billion promise, with only half the funds appropriated...so that implies some sort of trust fund), it will be time for someone new. I'm hoping that occurs before November 2008, so that the someone new can be a true visionary that will expand passenger rail service throughout the country, and David Gunn can retire back to Nova Scotia, having succesfully rescued and reformed yet another public transport company.
So, in summation, David Gunn's the right guy for the time being, but he's not going to grow Amtrak. For the next Amtrak president, I'd like to propose...myself!