NARP Goes Up To “The Hill”.
Members of the National Association of Railroad Passengers will be gathering later this month for our annual Spring meeting in Washington, DC. There will be a board meeting, meetings of the 110-person NARP Council of Representatives also attended by rank-and-file NARP members, discussion groups, guest speakers and, every other year, the election of officers and directors.
There is also—smack in the middle the three-day event— our “Day on The Hill”. That’s Washington-speak for “capitol hill”, and describes the area where the actual capitol building was built and where most of the House and Senate Office buildings are located.
Our members break up into small groups and, for that entire day, meet with the senators and members of Congress representing their states and specific districts. Well, truthfully, about nine times out of ten, we end up meeting with one of the staff people. That’s fine—better in some ways, actually—because the staff people will usually give you a lot more of their time and they’re the ones who advise their bosses on policy and legislative matters.
The meetings are pretty much all the same: the NARP member outlines our organization’s concerns and concludes with what is known as “The Ask” … specifically, what it is we want the senator or representative to do for us: vote for (or against) a certain bill, sign on as a co-sponsor for a proposed piece of legislation, or just to be pro-transportation.
We’re usually welcomed in those offices because we’re an excellent source of current, solid information on transportation issues and, almost more important, we’re constituents representing more constituents back home.
There are times—however rare—when things don’t go so well. A few years back, one of our members was meeting with the chief-of-staff for a congressman from a southern state and the subject of high-speed rail came up. The NARP member said that high-speed rail systems were being built all over the world, even in under-developed countries, and that the U.S. was a third-rate power when it came to public transportation.
At that point in the discussion, the congressman’s staffer interrupted our member and said, “If y’all gonna continyuh runnin’ down the United States of Amurica, we got nothin’ further to discuss.” And the meeting was over. Pretty hard to have a constructive discussion with an arrogant putz like that, especially since he was doubtless reflecting his boss’s attitude.
Nevertheless, we show up every year and we’re going to keep on comin’ on! In one of the the next posts, I’ll pass along some of the items in NARP’s “Ask” for 2015.
First, my thanks for your comments. I have forwarded them to Jim Mathews, our President and CEO, and to Bob Stewart, Chair of NARP’s Board of Directors. I can say, however, that Amtrak hears plenty of criticism from NARP, although most of it is done one-on-one … the theory being that, God knows, they get plenty of that from other sources. I can personally attest to the fact that those of us on the current board are acutely aware that our primary role is to serve as an advocate for the rail passenger. That has not always been the case, but I assure you it is now! And, let me emphasize, that means ALL rail passengers–commuter rail, public transit, and private operators as well as Amtrak. Thanks again for your comments. Feel free to email me directly at any time using the CONTACT button at the top of the page.
Now that NARP has achieved new leadership, perhaps it is time now for NARP to seek a new direction and return to its roots. Rather than being “inside the same tent” and looking out of it with Amtrak, NARP would benefit by re-establishing its credibility as a true consumer-oriented organization, as it was built by Anthony Haswell.
Other than the “fools on the Hill” delving into menus and dog rides, their is nobody out there anymore to challenge Amtrak. Haswell proved that constructive criticism was respected on the Hill, and indeed helped Amtrak. Now that the “profits” of the NEC have been uncoupled from “subsidizing the national system,” we must come at Congress–and the media– from multiple angles to resolve the cost burden to states operating <750 mile corridors, as well as having the costs of the long distance routes foisted upon them, or jeopardize their lost altogether.
NARP must come to terms with the fact it has lost significant membership over the issue of it surrendering its voice of criticism , and its overt NEC focus at the cost of the national system. Certainly, NARP members will not miss their 10% discount on Amtrak, if it means NARP regaining its independence and legitimate voice of the current–and future passengers.