This should be obvious when you look at what has transpired.
Trimet decided ,THIS YEAR, to double the contigency budget from $10,000,000 to $20,000,000.
If they hadn't done that none of the service cuts and contract nonsense would be relevant.
THIS CRISIS IS CREATED-INTENTIONALLY.
The Science of Mass Manipulation Through Crisis Creation
3 comments:
1. Had TriMet not doubled the Contingency budget...
2. Had TriMet not made a promise to fund the City of Portland Streetcar
3. Had TriMet not promised an additional $3 million for the "Streetcar in Circles" project (a.k.a. the Eastside Loop)
4. Had TriMet cancelled the Green Line project when it had known the economy was tanking just before construction began
5. Had TriMet cancelled WES when it had known the economy was tanking just before construction began
6. Had TriMet used its scarce Stimulus and other federal funding to focus on replacing its old buses, which would have reduced operational costs by reducing fuel expense, maintainance expense, and overtime expense
7. Had TriMet stuck to the plan to purchase 50 new buses each - and every - year, versus TriMet's old program of a mass purchase of 150-200 buses at one time (delivered over a two or three year period). (This is actually something Fred Hansen championed and I applauded him when he announced it...but then he didn't stick to the plan which caused all of the problems we're having now. Had he did what he promised, we wouldn't have 2/3rds the problems we have now!)
8. Had TriMet truly looked for operational efficiencies - outsourced/eliminated most of its I.T., H.R. and marketing departments; eliminated Capital Projects - let's face it, we can't maintain what we have, what good is capital projects?
If TriMet did all of the above, TriMet would have a nice peachy surplus, and wouldn't have had to raise the payroll tax several times, and we'd be paying $2.00 fares...
Well said Erik!
Fred's legacy is the average rider (and operator's) misery :
1. He didn't stick to his own plan to annually replace buses.
2. Unlike every transit agency in the country, he didn't use the Federal Stimulus money to buy new buses.
3. He made sure his successor would be a Capital Projects Czar.
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