From page 7A of the AUG 22, 2011 edition of USA TODAY:

Washington DC: Amtrak today opens an exhibit at Union Station to recount the history of the "Great Migration" of Southern blacks moving to the North early in the 20th century. Many made the journey by train, which provided the connection for Amtrak. The exhibit will remain through Sept. 26.

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In these financially-challenged times, is this an appropriate expenditure of limited Amtrak funds? Couldn't the funds for this exhibit have been better spent for, say, air conditioning filters so dust doesn't collect on the inside of the window panes of the passenger cars? Is every single individual reading light bulb above every seat in good working order, or are there still some that are burnt out and in need of replacement? Is every passenger car in the Amtrak fleet out on the road, earning revenue, and in a "state of good repair", or does the shop complex at Beech Grove, IN still have a large number of passenger cars positioned in a storage line awaiting repair and refurbishment? Could the money that was used for this exhibit have been better spent for, say, repairing ticket kiosk machines that may not be in good working order? Are all of them working perfectly as we speak? Could the money that was spent on this exhibit be used instead to keep a station agency open that is being studied for closure?

The next time I fly through Miami International airport, can I expect to see an educational exhibit paid for by United Airlines outlining the "Great Southward Migration" that took place in the 1960s and 70s where homesick immigrants and disgruntled Americans hijacked planes to Cuba?

Has Amtrak lost focus of its mission statement? It needs to operate passenger trains. It needs to operate them competently. Leave the educational presentations to public libraries and educational institutions.