CSA,

I compare effectiveness and performance between groups that work with the people who support them and those that don't. I too would like to see them merge and work effectively. Both organizations have attempted this. A small faction that controls parts of each organization has prevented this. This "tribal" factionalism, lead by a few notorious personalities in each organization, is what caused the original group CRC to splinter in the first place. So far, TRAC has appeared to make the most progress in reigning in these folks, and focusing on actual rail passenger advocacy.

Paul Dyson started with good intentions to try to make some progress on refocusing RailPAC. I supported those efforts. I stayed in RailPAC hoping he would be an improvement and move this organization to effective action, on policy, funding, support for real legislation to improve passenger rail service. Unfortunately Paul's own penchant, reflected in the recent editorial post, to attack our agencies that most support and fund the improvements we all want, on such idiosynchratic issues, is a problem itself. Is that effective advocacy, I don't think so.

So I choose not to renew my membership in RailPAC this year.