Whitefish Montana
| Amtrak Sees 5th Year of Growth | Date: 4/18/2008 |
| There was an increase in the number of Amtrak riders at Montana's small stops offseting a decrease at the largest stop, in Whitefish. This increase helped to push the state's total number of riders up for the fifth consecutive year in 2007. There were 153,760 riders on Amtrak's Empire Builder line, which runs across northern Montana, an increase of nearly 1,500 from 2006. Larry Bonderud, mayor of Shelby said the increase is good news to the many Amtrak employees and their family's who call Shelby their home. In Shelby, 16,894 boarded and got off the train in 2007. That's up by about 50 from 2006. The train is enjoying a sharp rise in riders due in great part by the escalating cost of fuel. More and more riders from Canadian Providences and other parts of Montana are taking advantage of the train system. Decreased Federal funding for Amtrak still threatens to hinder the growth of the economic people mover. The Bush administration has proposed a $500 million cut in subsidiaries for the fiscal 2009 year. "I'll keep fighting to make sure Amtrak has the funding it needs," Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont, promised in a statement. "Folks in big cities might not realize how important long-distance rail service is and Amtrak connects Montana's small towns, providing folks with the kind of access and opportunity that keeps these communities going strong." |
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| Obama Gets Second Superdelagate Endorsement | Date: 4/7/2008 |
| Former U.S. Sen. John Melcher wil likely cast his key Democratic Party superdelegate vote for Barack Obama. Melcher says his key reason for choosing Obama rests on the fact that Obama has been opposed to the Iraq war from the beginning. Melcher is one of eight Montana superdelegates who have the power to cast their vote for whichever candidate they choose at the party's national convention this summer. Melcher joins Ed Tinsley, who earlier announced his support for Obama. The remaining delegates, including Gov. Brian Schweitzer and U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester stated they will wait until after the state's June 3 primary to make up their minds on which candidate to endorse. |
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