Sorry you don't like my tone, am. I guess I do come on pretty strongly, but the problem of these boards is that the written words don't convey "tone" very well.

If I may be permitted to clarify my statement. I don't feel that any state could carry any level of intercity or regional rail service without Amtrak's existence. Amtrak is the sole reason the freight railroads run passenger service. Commuter agencies own their own track, so yes they could continue to operate (perhaps).

Interestingly, in locations where Amtrak operates over publicly owned commuter lines, Amtrak's on time performance is still highly variable. On weekdays, Amtrak trains in Metrolink territory are often late, but not on weekends. Hmm.

Do misunderstand me or my intentions. All I want is adequate funding for Amtrak. If you do too, great. If not, it's still a free country.