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Sunday, November 18, 2001

President Bush and Senators Schumer and Clinton:

Please read  “Connect the Connectors” (Mass Transit) by Alex Marshall, The New York Times Magazine, page 106, Sunday, November 11, 2001.  The basic point is this.

“Last year, Washington lavished $12.5 billion on air travel, $33.4 billion on highways and a mere $520 million on Amtrak.  This is a ridiculous imbalance, all the more so when you factor in the $15 billion that went to prop up the airlines after Sept. 11.  It’s also dangerous.  Relying so much on air travel is what military planners call a lack of necessary redundancy.”

Obviously, this could also mean less dependence on oil, especially foreign oil.  Finally, it would reduce pollution and improve quality of life.

Kenneth Matinale

10 Stewart Place, 2CE