RANTINGS OF A FORMER TRIMET BUS DRIVER: Dec 20, 2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

People that know me understand that over the past years I have spent quite a bit of time studying Trimet management and the intricacies of their operation.

I associate with others that also have spent a great deal of time studying the operations of Trimet, we have together sort of a “Trimet club” so to speak.

The blog that I am associated with is not just my material; the things you see on that blog are actually supplied by quite a few other people besides me.

Any subject matter that you study over a period of time gives that person an unique insight into that particular topic.

So I consider myself somewhat of a “authority” at evaluating Trimet policies and public statements.

That is why I think it’s a fairly safe bet that the new “budget crisis” is just another smoke and mirrors campaign dreamed up by the executives of this organization then foisted on the public and the employees.

Think back to the first round of “crisis”, remember, the threatened “lay offs”, the “furloughs”, the “demotions”.

There was no new bus drivers hired for two years. (Alas the management continued growing however)

Remember all the gnashing of teeth during that time, I sure do.

Then not too long ago “everything was ok again”.

All the demoted personnel were once again promoted back to their original ‘white shirted’ positions, a whole slew of ‘top executives’ were hired, and bus operators were once again being hired in mass.

Now here we are again, back to the ‘we are going to be in a budget crunch’.

Either the management is completely incompetent, or they are intentionally manipulating public opinion.

I pick the latter. I said after the first round of cuts that this would not be the end of the cuts, meaning the bus cuts, and it appears that I was correct.

The unemployment picture is supposedly better than it had been, but now they are facing another ‘crisis’.

I think they are facing a crisis alright, a crisis of ‘expansion management’.

Fred Hansen came in here and along with Neil MacFarlane decided this transit agency was now going to be a method of “economic development” and social engineering. Getting people to where they needed to go became secondary.

The planners also miscalculated when considering available tax revenue. Apparently they thought that tax revenue would continue growing each and every year to god knows when.

The fact that all of a sudden tax revenue missed projections hit them by surprise.

In 1991 Trimet received $82,549,119 in employment taxes

In 2010 that figure was $236,022,862.

That’s about a 300% increase in revenue in ten years.

With three times the amount of revenue available 10 years ago, they now are preaching “we are in trouble” to the public and the employees.

So who’s really to blame in the current crisis?

Obviously management bungling has created the crisis, the more money they get the more money they spend.

The lame attempt to blame it all on union health benefits is pathetic.

This latest public relations ‘tool’ that was developed by the Trimet ministry of propaganda is nothing but more bullshit coming from an agency that has become expert in slinging the bullshit.

Who knows what the truth really is.

No more savings bonds

As you may have heard, the US government has decided to stop selling paper savings bonds, effective January 1, 2012. TriMet therefore has to change the NSC Safe Driving Award and Operator of the Year programs, which have in the past awarded paper savings bonds. A team of Finance and Operations staff determined that the best approach was to put the money in the employee’s paycheck. That way, employees get the money sooner and can spend or invest it as they choose—including by buying electronic savings bonds from treasurydirect.gov.

Here’s the bottom line: The value of financial awards through these two programs will not change, but the format will, effective January 1, 2012.

Jason Barbur appears at Beaverton Transit Center

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzcrKr8gnOU

Contract side letters

It's more than interesting that our current union contract contains numerous 'side letters' that are not available for members to inspect. The contract is available to us, so why aren't the side letters available?

Interesting

BUS DRIVERS IN MUMBAI FACING PERSECUTION (sound familiar?)

More than 3000 school buses, catering to around 400 schools in the city, will stay off the roads on Tuesday to protest the stringent rules drawn up by the Regional Transport Authority and the subsequent harassment they have been facing from both authorities and political parties.

FULL STORY HERE

NY MTA's board shaken up by two board members revolutionary proposal

The proposal by Pally and fellow board member Allen Capelli represents less than a quarter of the $93 million in service cuts the MTA made in June 2010, when it killed two subway lines and 36 bus routes. The pair say the MTA can still cut hundreds of non-transportation positions to help fund much-needed service.

FULL STORY IS HERE!

TriMet management should check into this

Public transport ‘should emulate the Apple approach’ | TXNews | Transport News

Last years momumental transit foul ups during NE blizzard

Boy this sure sounds somewhat familiar doesn't it, those of us that were here in 2008:

Assistant general managers at three southern Brooklyn depots said they knew many of the buses sent out into the storm were getting stuck. But they kept dispatching buses because they lacked authority to change service schedules. When the bus division’s radio system crashed, some bus drivers who got stuck in the storm didn’t use their personal cell phones to call supervisors. They told investigators they believe NYC Transit rules prohibiting drivers from using cell phones remained in effect under any conditions.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/transit-foulups-worse-thought-2010-blizzard-storm-article-1.994196#ixzz1h5pflpf6