politics19.htm

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July 22, 2002

Milt Jenkins
612 Court Street #1
Sioux City, Iowa 51101-1949

Dear Milt:

Thank you for contacting me. I am always glad to hear from you.

I appreciate your thoughts regarding the potential changes at Amtrak, and the possible impact these changes may have on passenger rail service in Iowa. As you may know, Amtrak was scheduled to become financially independent by the end of 2002, and government subsidies for the program were to end. However, no passenger rail service in the world is financially independent, and it has been clear for some time that Amtrak will be unable to meet that goal, especially in light of last year's events. As a result of this failure some have suggested that Amtrak be split up into private companies and operate only in areas that consistently generate significant revenue. That could mean that Iowa would no longer have passenger rail service, and the prospect of its return could be in doubt.

Senator Hollings has introduced legislation that would increase funding levels for Amtrak for the coming year. I believe that if Amtrak is going to be successful, and serve our rural and urban communities, we must provide adequate funding to enable Amtrak to run a safe and efficient train service. I will be monitoring this issue closely as it develops in the coming year, and I will keep your views in mind as we attempt to retain and improve passenger rail service in Iowa.

Again, thanks for sharing your views with me. Please don't hesitate to let me know how you feel on any issue that concerns you.

Sincerely,

Tom Harkin
United States Senator