[Chat] ...there's another important hearing tonight, ...right here!...

[Crystal]

Not so Arjay. In a typical year, around $80 billion in
Federal money (not counting state, county, city, etc
funding) is spent on roads, bridges and such for your
car, while less than $8 billion is spent on all kinds
of transit from Amtrak to buses to Metro to crosswalks
for pedestrians, etc.

A lot of your costs in registration fees, etc are
skyrocketing exactly because of the "no tax"
mentality. Fees are being raised by enormous amounts
everywhere because a few ultra-rich have convinced
nearly everybody that all taxes are bad. By breaking
down government infrastructure, they can get away with
practices that spread mad cow disease and ecoli, for
example, while there aren't enough inspectors to
verify the safety of even a tiny percentage of the
beef. 

Fortunately, there are a few business-people who
realize that there is a right, ethical way to do
things and a wrong, unethical way. These folks want to
do things the right way without losing competitive
advantage so they support government regulation that
is evenly applied to the whole industry, thereby
keeping the playing field level. Increasing costs to
the consumer is not always a bad thing, especially
when it results in greater safety.

Next, if all the people who currently ride transit,
were forced to drive instead (ignoring for the moment
that many of them are older, disabled, etc -- folks
who can't drive), traffic congestion would skyrocket.
Just between Baltimore and Washington, rush hour
traffic would increase by around 25%. As you may know,
traffic in this area is already among the worst in the
nation, which costs businesses trying to move goods
along the I-95 corridor many, many millions in wasted
labor time, wasted fuel, and late deliveries.
Increasing congestion would increase the cost of
groceries, meals at restaurants, anything assembled in
the U.S., etc.

Further, a large number of the people who are at or
below the poverty line are the heaviest users of
transit. Folks in that bracket already pay an average
36% -- that is, one-third -- of their yearly income on
transportation alone. There isn't any more room to
cut. If they get a car, they have an enormously
increased chance of breaking down in traffic, risking
their lives, your life, and tying up traffic for
hours.

Finally, a year or so ago the baby boomers started
turning 50 at around 50,000 per day and some of the
groups that focus on aging populations, such as AARP,
started making more noise that people can't drive
forever with failing eyesight, hearing, reaction
times, etc. These groups are strong supporters of
transit.

So, either way we're all going to pay for the
transportation system. It's up to us to decide how.
For example, we could make every road a toll road.
Would you support that?

--- arjay <arjay at bcpl.net> wrote:
> Chaz-ville,
> 
> Shouldn't these fares reflect what it costs to run
> the system?  I'm very 
> interested in keeping fares fair, ...that is,
> ...fair for me!  After all, I'm 
> one of the poor bastards paying for all of it!  I
> spend a fortune owning and 
> maintaining an automobile for myself, ...payments,
> insurance, gas, oil, 
> repairs, inspection, license, tags, registration,
> etc.  Nobody is in the least 
> bit interested in keeping those costs "fair" for me!
>  My costs in this regard 
> are skyrocketing, ...why shouldn't other
> transportation costs for those 
> dependents less able to pay for it skyrocket also? 
> Hey, ...skyrockets for me, 
> ...skyrockets for them, ...it's only fair.  The
> State is out of money if you 
> haven't noticed, ...there shouldn't even be a
> General Assembly Session this 
> year, ...there shouldn't be any money spent on
> anything, ...because they don't 
> have any to spend, ...it ain't there, ...kindly KISS
> MY ASS for a letter to 
> any irresponsible political criminal to encourage
> any more madness!
> 
> I'm running for office next time, ...I promise I
> won't collect any salary, 
> ...I promise I won't even show up, ...I promise I
> won't sign anything, ...no 
> appearances on TV news, ...no interviews, ...I won't
> be there for you/them!  I 
> promise nothing will happen, ...it will all idle for
> four years!  No money 
> spent during my administration!  It's exactly what
> we need!
> 
> (Please, ...don't respond and tell me how it can't
> possibly happen that way, 
> ...I know about mandates, ...I already know how
> impossible it is!)
> 
> Arjay



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