Michigan votes to cut Amtrak funding
PORT HURON, Mich. - The daily train trip from Port Huron to Chicago
could be threatened as officials work to balance the state's budget,
the Times Herald reports.

Last week, the Michigan State Senate Appropriations Committee voted to
cut the Amtrak rail passenger operating grant by $2 million.

The proposed cut could result in the loss of either the rail services
along the Port Huron to Chicago route or the Grand Rapids to Chicago
route, or both, said Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest
High Speed Rail Association in a statement.

Others see the slash in funding cutting how many days of the week the
train will run.

Marc Magliari, Amtrak spokesman, said it is too early in the
legislative process to say how it would affect the train trips.

"It would be premature for us to talk about it," he said.

Last year, ridership increased by 7%, according to Amtrak data.

Magliari said Michigan to Chicago ridership has increased between
October through May this year by 0.5 percent compared with the same
time period last year, with nearly 87,000 riders.

While many locals believe a cut to the passenger railway industry would
be harmful, others said it's just part of dealing with the state's
economy.

In previous years, the train rides considered cuts have been met with
protest from residents.

"You have to balance (the budget) against the deficit that we have,"
said State Rep. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair Township. "Unfortunately some
good programs could be affected. ... I think we're beyond the point
where we can hold everyone harmless. It's going to be a painful process
as we readjust to fit the economy we have now."

Others think cutting train trips brings too many ill effects.

For Jody Catanzaro, a change in Amtrak's schedule to Chicago could
affect how many people are at her dinner table at holidays.

The Port Huron Township woman's 21-year-old daughter attends class at
Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

The trains have allowed her a safe and affordable way to get to school
and home for visits, Catanzaro said.

It also allows the family to visit her in Chicago.

(This item appeared June 16, 2009, in the Times Herald.)
June 16, 2009