Transit Now Does/Doesn't Want Your Opinion

From Transit Now Nashville

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Yet another Setback for Transit in Tennessee

The Tennessee Department of General Services is cutting the employee transit card program effective July 1st. They had decided to cut the program to “save” the state $750,000 but they are not considering the real cost. Now, those State employees will need to drive and park their cars downtown. Surely, the cost of providing parking lots is more than bus passes, not to mention the environmental costs, additional traffic, cost to the individual and, overall, it’s another huge step backwards for Transit in this statePlease add your comments and concerns about the effects of slashing this program.

Posted by transitnowtn.org at 8:24 PM 2 comments



My response that was deleted -


How are the state employees going to afford to pay for their commute to work? I guess they will just have to sacrifice. Who is worried about how I am going to pay for their commute to work like I am doing now and have been doing ever since they decided to ride the bus on my dime?

Sacrificing transit? Where? I don’t’ see any private bus, trolley or light rail systems popping up all over the place in response to the great market demand. Where are the people willing to sacrifice their personal freedom to travel and the large amount of money it would take to pay for the infrastructure and maintenance of a private transit system? If the market existed there would be plenty of entrepreneurs to satisfy that market. Thanks goodness we are not attracting the attention of the Obama government. I want to remain free.

Let’s see the proof that 85% of our population lives in urban areas. Nashville loses population to the surround counties every year. Remember, the more you elect liberals the more they tax your money and spent it on things that erode your freedom. The gas tax is the best referendum on voter preferences that exist. Williamson County is creating more new jobs than is Nashville. According to the new urbanist political philosophies everyone should now move to Williamson county to be close to where they work.

Metro Nashville government had the opportunity many years ago to take over the 100 Oaks mall but didn’t because the urbanist thought it would have been too “suburban” (even though 100 Oaks is about the same distance to downtown as is East Nashville). There would have been plenty of free parking and would have opened up some space for the state government downtown.

Yes, the $1,800 a year to park is costing you something. It is costing you the $1,800 a year that your employer doesn’t pay you because he pays your parking. I think you should have to pay income taxes for the “free” parking that your employer pays for you. You pay more for a bus ride and you think that is what everyone should do? You still have a car that requires gas and insurance and a road to drive on AND you pay more AND force me to subsidize your expense AND have less freedom to come and go as you please than I do driving my car.

Are you supposed to convincing anyone to ride the bus? I think your employer should just take away your “free” parking and donate the $1,800 a year to the MTA to compensate for the tax money everyone has to pay to subsidize your transit “choice”.

Why don’t you convince all downtown employers to withdraw the free parking incentives they offer their employees? See how many companies stay in business or stay downtown. No public transportation system is reliable and convenient. That’s why cars were invented and are so popular. Good luck getting that big screen TV home from WalMart on the bus. I would guess that you’ve never had to rely strictly on public transportation. Your assumptions seem rather naïve.

How about charging the state employees the full cost of their transit ride to make up the costs of subsidies? Why do people who choose to work downtown get a cheap ride? Charge them for parking too and maybe there will be more parking garages built. How’s that for free market incentive? You seem to think that people are stupid enough not to realize that liberals invent the global warming as an excuse to exploit a “crisis”.

The jig is up. Liberals have revealed their motives. It isn’t going to work anymore. You are only fooling yourselves now.