Sigh...

The backlash against the Amtrak Writer's Residency

So even though it took a few weeks, it's no surprise Republicans are starting to come out against the delightful new writer residency program that has the public actually talking about Amtrak in a positive way. The program, which began with a whimsical tweet and recently became official, will send up to 24 writers on overnight journeys to take some inspiration from the American countryside. More than 9,000 people have reportedly applied.

Personally I think having 24 grateful wordslingers spreading the Amtrak word far and wide would be a good thing.  How many people will start to consider taking the train because of the word of mouth?

And this confirms that Amtrak will not be displacing paid customers.  The residents will occupy unsold rooms that would otherwise go empty.