Dubnick, Mel. “Let’s Not Sentence Amtrak System to a Summary Execution.” Point of View, The Denver Post, Wednesday, December 31, 1980, p. 15.
Abstract: Written in response to calls from economist George W. Hilton and Colorado Senator William Armstrong to eliminate Amtrak, this op-ed argues against the summary abolition of the national rail passenger service. The piece contends that Amtrak’s problems stem from historical policy decisions that systematically favored automobile, bus, and air transportation over rail, and that the “public corporation” approach to rail passenger service was a flawed strategic choice — but one whose remedy should not be elimination. Dubnick argues that rail passenger transportation is a service, not a corporation, and that proposals to “give up” on Amtrak are simplistic and fail to address the more fundamental issues of providing efficient, effective, and affordable transportation for the American public.