Endangered train service another neglected local issue

Speaking of local issues ignored in this campaign and by the news media, the potential loss of passenger rail service in Saratoga Springs, Fort Edward, Whitehall and Ticonderoga is a big one. Those are all Amtrak stations where the train now stops in the 20th Congressional District. Apparently, the Tedisco and Murphy campaigns are too busy preparing their next mudball to be bothered with little things like losing rail service. DOT spokesman Skip Carrier today couldn't provide me with anything beyond what I reported on March 5, referring me to Gov. Paterson's Budget  Division, which is too grand or clueless to return blogger's calls. The issue is Paterson's proposal to cut in half the annual $5 million state subsidy to Amtrak to run a train from Albany to Montreal. Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole declined to comment today, but my understanding is Amtrak will end the service after September if the subsidy is reduced as proposed. Dan Mac Entee, spokesman for Sen. Betty Little, R-Queensbury, said "I've heard the funding is going to be restored," but he hasn't heard officially. It would certainly make sense to restore it, given the influx of stimulus cash and the state's restated commitment to improving rail service. But since the budget process is even more secretive than usual (did everyone enjoy Sunshine Week?) we don't know for sure whether the train will keep running.

Housekeeping notes: This post is a follow-up to the last one about other neglected local issues such as falling dairy farm milk prices, and the collapse of the Aqueduct deal endangering revenues for the NYRA track, local governments and horse farms. A couple of commenters have been debating today on that post, and at greater and more interesting length on this prior one. I've also had to delete comments today from other people, one each from supporters of Tedisco and Murphy, because they made unsupported and apparently scurrilous allegations.

Comments

[Brian]

http://capitalnews9.com/content/top_stories/135816/schenectady-mayor-considers-options--martial-law-over-police-woes/Default.aspx

I know everyone's obsessed with the Congressional horse race but I think this story about Schenectady potentially disbanding its police department and declaring martial law is a pretty big story.

[Bob Conner]

TypePad
If it's not being hyped. I looked around about it last night, and Channel 9 was the only source, and I haven't stumbled on anything today yet.

[Brian]

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1484513&sectionID=1

This is where I heard it originally.

You can also just Google 'schenectady martial law' and pick whichever sources you trust.

[Brian]

This local issues thing is kind of interesting. You do want the candidates to address issues affecting people in this area, but you don't want them to get bogged down talking about stuff they'd have no influence over if elected to Congress.

For example, in his interview with Scott Murphy, Mark Frost's first question was whether property taxes in this area are too high. Important issue but one decided by municipal and county leaders, and influenced to some extent by state leaders. Not a federal issue.

Even more egregious was when Frost pressed Murphy to denounce the recently signed GF teachers' contract in particular (which Frost has repeatedly blasted) and teachers' unions in general. Again, not things I take into consideration when I'm voting for a candidate for Congress.

You wouldn't ask a school board candidate what he thinks of the Iraq War. Why would you ask a Congressional candidate what he thinks of a teachers' contract?

Is there something I'm not getting?