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A warning for New York Yankee fans

May 12th, 2012

The Federal Trade Commission clearly states on their website (below) that the only authorized source for free annual credit reports is AnnualCreditReport.com.

Below the headline, the FTC website expands on the point:

The Fair Credit Reporting Act guarantees you access to your credit report for free from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission has received complaints from consumers who thought they were ordering their free annual credit report, and yet couldnt get it without paying fees or buying other services. TV ads, email offers, or online search results may tout free credit reports, but there is only one authorized source for a truly free credit report.

Good to know, especially for New York Yankee fans.

Below is a picture, taken a couple days ago, from my seat in 412th row behind home plate at Yankee Stadium.

I had a great view of the entire stadium, which is plastered with ads – one of which caught my Defensive Computing eye. It was just in front of the visiting Minnesota Twins bullpen which you can see below.

See that blue stripe in front of the bullpen, across the bottom of the outfield fence? Heres a closeup:

Its an ad for the website freecreditscore.com.

Even without the FTC warning, common sense dictates that any organization that pays for an ad at Yankee Stadium expects to profit from the deal. And, there is no profit in giving away stuff for free.

After the game, when I went to freecreditscore.com, my favorite website rating service, Web Of Trust (aka. WOT) warned about it. As the screenshot below shows, the site is rated very poor across the board.

Despite the warning, I went to the site and, like any techie, read the documentation. Here is a question from the FAQ on freecreditscore.com

Q: Is this where I get the free Credit Report from the federal government?
A: No, that is a different site called AnnualCreditReport.com.

Baseball is a business, I get it. But advertising like this strikes me as a mistake by the Yankees.

Update: April 20, 2012 4pm ET:  Its a big day at Fenway Park today, the 100th anniversary. While watching the game I noticed an ad for freecreditscore.com along the first base line at field level. 

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Ohio Sheriff’s Use of Funds Investigated

May 12th, 2012

April 05–The state Bureau of Criminal Investigation is looking into possible misuse of public funds by the Delaware County sheriff, according to the county prosecutors office.

A spokeswoman for Prosecutor Carol OBrien said yesterday that her office received allegations over the past few months of the misuse of money in the sheriffs office. A spokeswoman for the Ohio attorney generals office, which oversees the bureau, confirmed there is an investigation.

The prosecutors office would not specify what is being investigated, but questions have been raised about how Sheriff Walter L. Davis III spent so-called furtherance of justice funds. Those funds are county tax dollars that prosecutors and sheriffs receive each year to provide for expenses that the official incurs in the performance of the officials duties and in the furtherance of justice.

The money can be spent on a wide range of activities, including training, retirement parties and candy to give out at parades.

After The Dispatch requested copies of the receipts from the FOJ fund last month, Davis said on March 21 that the allegations of misspending are fueled by malcontents in his office.

So they send anonymous emails, and all it does is cause our office work, because they dont want to work, he said. Its very stressful and discouraging to me.

This is why you cant get good people (to run for office), because of this kind of stuff.

He described himself as a straight shooter who is holding employees accountable.

Davis received $2,366.50 last year in checks drawn on his FOJ account, the largest of which was a Sept. 5 check for more than $1,200 for expenses during part of the 10 weeks he spent at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., from July through September. A news release a few days after he returned from the academy touted the training Davis received and the fact that the FBI paid for travel, lodging and meals.

Most of the receipts documenting the expenses were for meals in and around the training academy, where Davis stayed and ate most of the time. They are mostly for Starbucks purchases, fast-food restaurants or other small meals and gasoline.

Larger amounts include $132 on Aug. 11 for renting a car Davis apparently drove to the Marriot Crystal Gateway in Arlington, 30 miles away from Quantico. He paid $54 to park the car at the hotel that Friday evening and ate several meals there on Sunday afternoon, according to his parking receipts.

Earlier in his training, he also rented a car on the weekend of July 29, apparently when his family visited. Davis ate at two restaurants in Arlington, Va. One receipt shows a kids meal.

Davis said he stayed at a hotel in Washington, DC, and did not charge that to the county.

He also rented a car the weekend of Aug. 25.

Davis said he could have rented a car the entire time he was at Quantico but decided to forgo a car except for those weekends, when he wanted to sightsee.

I needed a break, and I went to Washington, he said.

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FMCSA catches carrier red-handed on highway after cease operations order issued

May 12th, 2012

By By LYNDON FINNEY
The Trucker Staff

5/8/2012

WASHINGTON The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Monday issued an Imminent Hazard Operations Out-of-Service Order against a Georgia-based logging company that was caught red-handedoperating after being ordered by the agency to cease operations for an unsatisfactory safety fitness rating.

The FMCSA said on Nov. 23, 2011, it had conducted an on-site review of the carrier,Judson Mobley Logging,uncovering violations so serious as to demonstrate a management philosophy indifferent to motor carrier safety, resulting in a Compliance Review rating of unsatisfactory.

On Jan. 30, 2012, after failing to correct the violations uncovered in the Compliance Review, FMCSA ordered the carrier to cease operations.

The continued operation of Judson Mobleyapparently came to light after one of the carriers logging tractor trailer units crashed into an escorted tractor-trailer carrying a military airplane on US Highway 301 in South Carolina on April 30.

The FMCSA website shows that the carrier had not been stopped for any roadside inspections between Jan. 30 and the April crash, and absent of a roadside inspection or a reported accident the FMCSA would have had no knowledge the carrier was continuing to operate.

At the scene of the accident, the South Carolina Transport police officers placed Judson Mobleys vehicle out-of-service for defective brakes, and discovered 20 other vehicle maintenance violations.

In the order Monday, the FMCSA cited the carriers CSA scores of 99.1 percent in Vehicle Maintenance and 98.1 percent in Driver Fitness, both well above the threshold for intervention.

The carriers Safety Management System records showed one of its trucks had been stopped for roadside inspections six times between Aug. 4, 2010, and Aug. 2, 2011, and was cited for a total of 48 vehicle maintenance violations, including 16 violations during the Aug. 2 inspection.

During four of the inspections, the driver of the truck was cited for violations, including twice for driving while disqualified, an out-of-service violation.

During the Aug. 2 inspection, the vehicle maintenance violations included:

No/defective lighting devices/reflective devices/projected (non-OOS)

Failure to correct defects noted on inspection report (non-OOS)

Wheel/rim cracked or broken (OOS)

Wheel fasteners loose and/or missing (non-OOS)

Stop lamp violations (non-OOS)

Clamp/Roto-Chamber type brake(s) out of adjustment (non-OOS)

Inoperative/defective brakes (OOS)

Automatic brake adjuster CMV manufactured on or after 10/20/1994 – air brake (non-OOS)

ABS – malfunctioning lamps towed CMV manufactured on or after 3/1/1998, manufactured before 3/1/2009 (non-OOS)

Tire other tread depth less than 2/32 of inch;

Exhaust leak under truck cab and/or sleeper (non-OOS)

Inoperative tail lamp (non-OOS)

Inoperative turn signal (non-OOS)

Inspection/repair and maintenance parts and accessories (non-OOS)

Unsafe operations forbidden (non-OOS);

Retro-reflective tape not affixed as required for trailers manufactured after 12/1/1993 (non-OOS).

Many of the violations in the Aug. 2 inspection had been cited in one or more of the previous five inspections.

The FMCSA was checking to determine if the truck involved in the accident was the same one that had been subjected to the six roadside inspections.

The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at editor@thetrucker.com.

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Vehicle Maintenance Tips

May 11th, 2012

(NAPSI)Maintaining your car throughout the year is vital to ensure
safety. These tips will prolong your vehicles life and may save you
from costly repairs.

Change the oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, depending on make and
model, to keep the engine lubricated and prevent breakdown of engine parts.

Inspect tires regularly to ensure they have proper air pressure,
are in good condition with no puncture marks, and have a solid tread to
achieve better gas mileage and avoid safety issues like hydroplaning on rainy
days.

Cleaning the engine, the heart of the vehicle, can protect it from
dirt and grime buildup that can cause overheating. Using an engine-specific
cleaning system like GUNK Original Engine Degreaser in tandem with GUNK
Engine Protector will remove caked-on buildup from the road and leave a layer
of protection, allowing the engine to run cooler and more efficiently.
Cleaned and protected engines are less susceptible to salt and grime
accumulation, lessening the chances of engine troubles. For more information,
visit www.gunk.com.

Check hoses and belts before road trips to ensure nothing is
loose, frayed or cracked, which can cause parts to snap or break. Have a
mechanic check out any parts with excessive wear to determine if they need to
be patched or replaced.

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Lombard Toyota Announces Toyota Care

May 11th, 2012

Lombard Toyota, a full service dealership of new and used cars serving Chicagoland customers for more than 30 years, is announcing the Toyota program, Toyota Care.

Toyota Care features a complimentary maintenance plan with roadside assistance. Toyota is devoted to safety, dependability and proper vehicle maintenance. Thats why the auto company is including a complimentary, worry-free maintenance plan and roadside assistance with the purchase or lease of every new Toyota. For two years, or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, the customers new vehicle will be covered. It is complimentary peace of mind and Toyota is the first full-line brand to offer anything like it.

For the maintenance plan, Toyota-trained technicians will help every customers maintenance obligations and help improve the vehicles overall value while keeping a complete history of maintenance visits. Toyota will also deliver reminders before any scheduled maintenance.
Toyota Care features 24-hour roadside assistance for those days when one needs a tire changed, or to have a door unlocked.

Lombard Toyota takes pride in the extensive service menu offered to its customers. No matter the type of vehicle being driven, the talented and experienced service staff can run a diagnostic check and offer repairs at very reasonable rates.

For more information about Toyota Care and everything about Lombard Toyota, or to request a quote, call 815-806-2459, visit their website at www.lombardtoyota.com or www.toyota.com. Lombard Toyota is located at 725 W Roosevelt Road in Lombard.

About Lombard Toyota

For more than 30 years Lombard Toyota has been a family owned dealership that has serviced the automotive needs of more than 250,000 Chicagoland customers. The dealership is a full-service dealership that is easy to find and tough to beat.



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Recognition: Fleet Maintenance Magazine Earns Two Gold and One Bronze …

May 11th, 2012

FORT ATKINSON, WI, May 08, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Editor David Kolman and Graphic Arts Designer Erin Brown recognized
for work

Well-known fleet industry insider, David A. Kolman of Kolman’s
Korner, which appears regularly on
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com ,
the official website of Fleet Maintenance, earned three
communications awards from the Truck Writers of North America (TWNA)
for his quality editorial covering best practices in fleet
maintenance. The TWNA Communications Awards program recognizes
excellence in trucking journalism.

“The Truck Writers of North America is an incredible organization
for our industry,” says Kolman. “Recognition by the organization is
perhaps the greatest honor. At Fleet Maintenance Magazine, we always
try to remain relevant and important to our audience so this means
quite a lot.”

The TWNA Communication Awards given to Fleet Maintenance for Gold
and Bronze levels were:

* Magazine Writing – Business – How to Improve Safety in the Shop -
GOLD – writer David A. Kolman

* Magazine Graphics – Cover Design January/February 2011 – GOLD -
writer David A. Kolman/artist Erin Brown

* Magazine Writing – Editorial – A Power Shift in Maintenance
Management is Coming – BRONZE – writer David A. Kolman

Fleet Maintenance is published by b2b media leader Cygnus Business
Media. The magazine provides a curriculum of managerial, technical
and regulatory information that enables vehicle maintenance managers
to better perform their roles in purchasing and maintaining a safe,
efficient and profitable fleet. Fleet Maintenance magazine reaches a
total circulation of more than 61,750. Subscribers are from the
following types of fleets: for hire, private, government, utility and
bus. These individuals are responsible for maintaining a wide variety
of vehicles – everything from cars and light pickup trucks to
18-wheelers and off-road construction equipment.

——–
The preceding is an American Business Media Editorial
Exclusive issued via Marketwire. Neither the ABM nor Marketwire are
responsible for the content of the preceding document.

Founded in 1906, American Business Media is the association of
business information providers, delivering business intelligence to
industry professionals worldwide, including Madison Avenue, Wall
Street and the Beltway. Its 300 plus member companies reach an
audience of more than 100 million professionals and represent nearly
6,000 print and online titles and over 1,000 trade shows, with well
over $26 billion in annual revenues.

For more information, please contact:
Kathy Scott
770-427-5290
kathy.scott@cygnuspub.com

SOURCE: Cygnus Business Media

mailto:kathy.scott@cygnuspub.com

Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

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Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club ‘Grow Your Own Business Challenge …

May 10th, 2012

LOS ANGELES and COSTA MESA, Calif., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
What do the calculator, Popsicle and Alaskan flag have in common? They were all created by kids! So, it’s no surprise that more than 3,000 kids from around the country — ages 7 to 16 — submitted entrepreneurial business ideas to the Secret Millionaires Club (SMC) “Grow Your Own Business Challenge,” based on the SMC animated series. Competition entrants vied for a chance to win the ultimate prize: presenting their idea to Warren Buffett. Today, five individual and three team finalists were announced by the Secret Millionaires Club creator, A Squared Elxsi Entertainment and Secret Millionaires Club Learn and Earn exclusive sponsor, CreditReport.com. The finalists will present their business ideas to Warren Buffett on May 21 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Beginning May 7 and running through May 14, America can help choose the “Grow Your Own Business Challenge” winners by voting for the best entrepreneurial idea at:
www.smckids.com/vote .

The five individuals and three team finalists were narrowed down from 25 semi-finalists after a panel of judges reviewed every entrant’s business idea. Judging criteria included several factors, including uniqueness of concept, depth and description of concept and feasibility of concept execution.

“The Secret Millionaires Club Learn and Earn promotion has afforded youth throughout the country the chance to gain knowledge about financial literacy in fun and exciting ways,” said Ken Chaplin, senior vice president of marketing for CreditReport.com. “The entries received from the Secret Millionaires Club ‘Grow Your Own Business Challenge’ showed incredible insight, and we’re looking forward to seeing the kids in action when they bring their ideas to life in front of the judges and Mr. Buffett.”

Following are the Secret Millionaires Club “Grow Your Own Business Challenge” finalists who will share their business ideas with Mr. Warren Buffett:

Individual Finalists:

Rachel, age 12 from North Prairie, Wis.

Business Idea: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sheets

Noelle, age 12 from Staten Island, N.Y.

Business Idea: Screen Savior – The Green Screen

Aria, age 10 from Pittsburgh, Pa.

Business Idea: Shine So Bright

Sarady, age 15 from Los Angeles, Calif.

Business Idea: Feel Your World

Jacob, age 12 from Omaha, Neb.

Business Idea: Teddy Shreddy

Team Finalists

Business Idea: Deals On Wheels

Charles, age 10 from Rego Park, N.Y.

Lucien, age 10 from Forest Hills N.Y.

Alejandro, age 10 from Forest Hills, N.Y.

Nataniel, age 10 from Rego Park, N.Y.

Business Idea: Safety Guard’in

Michael, age 10 from Bethel, Conn.

Diana, age 8 from Bethel, Conn.

Amanda, age 11 from Bethel, Conn.

Lillian, age 7 from Bethel, Conn.

Business Idea: Super Clothes

Anthony, age 11 from Puyallup, Wash.

Justin, age 9 from Puyallup, Wash.

The winner of the Secret Millionaires Club “Grow Your Own Business Challenge” will be announced following all finalist presentations and an official tally of online voting, May 21. There will be one grand prize of $5,000 awarded to each finalist team member as well as winning individual, and the runners up will each receive $500. In addition, the grand prize winners’ teachers will each receive $1,000 and the other finalists’ teachers will each receive $250.

Secret Millionaires Club is an animated TV series created by A Squared Elxsi Entertainment, featuring Warren Buffett as a mentor to a group of kids sharing his values with them through different business lessons. The series was created to ensure that kids learn good financial habits at a young age.

The Secret Millionaires Club Learn and Earn promotion — sponsored exclusively by CreditReport.com — is a yearlong promotion managed by youth marketing agency, By Kids For Kids Co. (BKFK) and is designed to extend the reach of the Secret Millionaires Club into schools, afterschool youth organizations and families through fun educational activities and the “Grow Your Own Business Challenge.”

For more information, visit
www.smckids.com

Secret Millionaires Club Copyright © 2011 A Squared Entertainment

About CreditReport.comCreditReport.com is part of a family of online consumer credit reporting sites belonging to ConsumerInfo.com, Inc., an Experian company. ConsumerInfo® was founded in 1995 to give consumers quick, easy and inexpensive access to their credit profile. It is the leading provider of online consumer credit reports, credit scores, credit monitoring and other credit-related information. ConsumerInfo provides credit monitoring to its more than 3.1 million members and has delivered more than 20 million credit reports on the Web. As part of the Experian family, it continues to grow its membership base and develop innovative products to help consumers better understand their credit.

About ExperianExperian® is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 80 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2011 was US$4.2 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 41 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. For more information, visit
http://www.experianplc.com .

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

About A Squared Elxsi Entertainment LLC A Squared Elxsi Entertainment (A2E2) is an international joint venture between A Squared Entertainment and Tata Elxsi (part of India’s Tata group of companies). The company creates, produces, acquires and distributes digital kids’ entertainment in all formats across all channels. Headquartered in Los Angeles, A2E2 is managed by Co-Presidents Andy Heyward and Amy Moynihan Heyward. Current brands include, lessons in business with Warren Buffett in “Secret Millionaires Club” environmental female superheroes who save the planet in “Gisele & the Green Team” with Gisele Bundchen; a craft show called “Martha & Friends” created with design-maven Martha Stewart, and a new portfolio of superheroes with Stan Lee, the first to be released being “Stan Lee’s Mighty Seven.” In addition, the company handles brand management and licensing for Build-a-Bear Workshop.

About By Kids For KidsBy Kids for Kids® (BKFK®) is a platform that empowers youth invention, innovation and entrepreneurship. BKFK promotes youth social innovation and partners with leading corporations to inspire product development, crucial technology skills, invention, and innovation in young people from 8 to 22. BKFK provides a unique platform for young people to develop, showcase, and commercialize their products, inventions and entrepreneurship. BKFK’s “cycle of innovation” develops critical 21st Century skills in our nation’s youth. The company provides educational resources — curriculum and challenges that promote social change, product development and entrepreneurial endeavors. Learn more:
www.bkfk.com .

Media Contacts:

For A2 Entertainment: Sabrina Khan | 310-694-3125 | sabrina_khan@bhimpact.com

For CreditReport.com/Experian: Corie Jackson | 323-202-1075 | corie.jackson@edelman.com

For BKFK: Judy Klym | 203-921-9039 | judy@bkfk.com

SOURCE By Kids For Kids

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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Motorists plan to spend tax refunds on cars

May 10th, 2012

(MoneyWatch) If you are getting a tax refund, how will you spend it? One-third of car owners in a recent poll say they will spend at least part of that money to fix up their car or buy a different one.

Following booming March car sales and increasing auto loans, this tax refund finding in a poll commissioned by eBay Motors seems to be another signal that Americans are read to spend on cars. In a survey of 2,200 adults done by Harris Interactive, 34 percent of vehicle owners expecting refunds planned some automotive expenditure.

Of that group, about half planned to spend money on automotive maintenance, about one-third on needed repairs and just over 20 percent intended to put the money toward buying a new or used vehicle. The survey questionnaire allowed multiple responses about spending plans.

Some respondents to the survey not only were expecting refunds but planned to take auto-related deductions in filing their taxes. This presumably would be for business-related driving though specifics on the deductions were not asked for.

Plans for current tax refunds follow boosts in searches and actual sales of cars and automotive products on eBay Motors in March and April the past two years, according to Gregory Boutte, the companys North American vice president.

He cites these other results from recent years searches:

  • Drivers just want to have fun. The biggest increases in searches have been for sporty cars such as Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette.
  • Four wheels arent always necessary. Searches and sales also have increased for Harley-Davidson motorcycles and off-road Honda ATVs.
  • Parts are popular. Auto parts and accessory sales have spiked in recent tax seasons. Among top sellers are new tires and wheels for vehicles.

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Daily News Briefs: April 26, 2012

May 10th, 2012

Heres what we have our eye on today:

  • Many automakers reported first-quarter profits today. Chrysler fared well, posting $473 million compared with $116 million in the first quarter of 2011. Last year the automaker posted the first annual profit since its 2009 bankruptcy, Automotive News reports. But on the strength of increased sales, Chrysler targets $1.5 billion in annual profits this year more than eight times its 2011 net income. The automaker sold 523,000 cars worldwide in the first quarter of 2012, up 33% from a year ago. Three-fourths of those sales came from the US
  • Elsewhere, Automotive News reports that Volkswagen Group which includes Volkswagen, Audi and seven other automotive brands saw profits rise 10% despite a weak European economy, thanks in part to higher sales for Audi. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor posted 30% higher first-quarter profits than a year ago, according to Reuters. Hyundai saw double-digit sales gains in Europe despite auto sales sliding 8% on the continent. The Korean automakers once-explosive growth is slowing, however, as Reuters predicts profits to rise 9% this year a fraction of last years rise.
  • Chrysler will likely sever ties with Ally Financial after its preferred lender contract expires in 2013, Bloomberg News reports. The automaker will shop other banks to finance a large portion of some $25 billion in annual auto loans it issues. Expect another bank to pick up the business, but car buyers shouldnt see any big changes.
  • Finally, Chrysler has settled a lawsuit with clothier Pure Detroit for making T-shirts with Chryslers Imported from Detroit slogan, Automotive News reports. Pure Detroit contends that most Chrysler vehicles including all three Chrysler-brand cars arent actually built in Detroit city limits. The terms of the settlement havent been disclosed.

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Amtrak riders fear end of service northern NM

May 9th, 2012

SANTA FE, NM (AP) – Twice a day, Amtraks Southwest Chief pulls into the sleepy railroad depot in Lamy, NM The rest of the day, the station, part of the transportation network that links Northern New Mexico to the rest of the country, is deserted.

Train advocate Ford Robbins has been following the saga of the Southwest Chief for years.

Hes the kind of guy who gets Trains magazine delivered to his house. He rides trains wherever he travels, if at all possible, often renting a car at the other end for the final leg of his journey. His daughter and two of his grandchildren visited last week from Illinois, and, of course, rode Amtrak both ways.

Now insiders are suggesting passengers like Robbins and his family might eventually have to use other transportation. Some fear rail service on the Southwest Chief is in jeopardy, all the way from Raton to Albuquerque, partly because of questions about whether the state government can get out of an agreement to buy 200 miles of the railroad line.

Robbins hangs out with guys who calculate the miles per gallon per passenger when they ride a long-distance train. They all believe public transit is paramount in our society. And they are worried that government doesnt see the value of trains now or for the future.

Robbins is so worried that hes forming a Santa Fe group to be part of the Southwest Chief Coalition, an organization already under way in Colorado and Kansas.

For us in the coalition, the problem is also, how do we get the local officials to see that there is a problem and to get them interested enough to pay attention and try to resolve it? he said. This really is a crisis brewing.

Last year, the Colorado Rail Passenger Association issued a news release making dire predictions about the survival of the route. Jim Souby, association president, said local governments in the other two states have now pulled together $100,000 for lobbying and advocacy. Now hes hoping that more New Mexico communities will get on board.

Getting the federal government to sufficiently fund Amtrak — the business it established in 1971 — still appears to be an uphill battle, he said.

The risk has not changed. Amtrak is still struggling to get enough resources from Congress to continue to run these trains across the country. … Its crucial to us just for transportation needs, particularly as gasoline prices increase and as people get older.

Second, this line is key to our economic future, and that includes tourism and any future freight that might develop, Souby said. So, we need to get this line preserved and protected.

The future of the Southwest Chief is directly tied to events in New Mexicos not-so-distant past.

When Gov. Bill Richardson was in his first term, he made a deal some believe would have averted the danger of losing national passenger rail service here.

Richardson needed affordable access to a major rail corridor owned by BNSF Railway Co. (formerly known as Burlington Northern Santa Fe) in metropolitan Albuquerque for a state-run commuter rail service, which he saw as his legacy.

So in 2005, the state agreed to purchase nearly 300 miles of train tracks and their rights of way stretching from the Colorado border near Trinidad to Belen, south of Albuquerque. The first two phases of track cost $70 million and were purchased in time for the opening of the Rail Runner Express commuter service, which began shuttling passengers from Belen to Santa Fe at the end of 2008.

The third phase, from Lamy north to the Colorado border, however, was never intended for immediate use by the regional train service. Although it was the largest section of track, 200 miles, the purchase price was less than $5 million, and the deal was set to be executed in 2008, three years down the road.

Years later, however, at the direction of Gov. Susana Martinez, the state Transportation Department secretary told BNSF that the state wanted out of the deal. But another year has passed, and theres still no resolution on that point.

A bigger piece of the puzzle, however, is in the hands of the US Congress.

Amtrak depends on an annual congressional appropriation to operate its trains on 21,100 route miles across the nation.

Some members of New Mexicos congressional delegation are advocating for increased Amtrak funding. Democratic Sen. Tom Udall is among dozens of federal lawmakers who sent a letter last week to congressional leaders calling for greater support of Amtrak investments, not just for operations but for capital expenditures required for the current route of the Chief.

Democratic Rep. Ben Ray Luján has also voted against efforts in the past to cut funding for Amtrak and supports putting enough money into the program to provide vital service to New Mexico, his spokesman said.

Currently, federal spending on trains is dwarfed by what the government spends on other modes of transportation. In the last federal fiscal year, about $43 billion went to highways and $16 billion went to airports,

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