While the mainstream is busy pumping up Neal Mcfarlanes tenure as Trimet general manager "we the people" know the truth.
Riders endured the destruction of a once world world class bus network by neoliberal light rail technocrats. The concept is "value capture", which is code for using tax funds so private interests can generate additional profits. In the past public transportation was about getting people where they needed to go, now its getting people to the places that the technocracy wants them to go. These light rail lines are the focal point of the so called "transit oriented development" movement (also known as agenda 21). "Pack" into trains and "Stack" into apartment buildings. This movement was begun in Portland. Portland is now the most gentrified city in the country with the least racially diverse population. Mcfarlane was a major player in the movement. To further understand how Trimet helped shape the forces of gentrification read the STRONG TOWNS essays on this topic.
So the developers, planners, technocrats, construction companies, public transportation industrial complex contractors like Stacy&Witbeck and CM2 Hill among dozens of others raked in huge profits while ridership has fallen. People don't want to use transit. Light rail transit has been a bust when it comes to the riding public. These technocracies don't care about that, they are following an agenda and what the public needs or wants is not on that list. This is the same thing we see in every aspect of government today.
Mcfarlane also declared war on his employees immediately on his appointment to General Manager. That war against his union employees continues raging to this very day. Mcfarlanes hand picked clone, Doug Kelsey started at Trimet and immediately became a willing partner in the inquisition against the union employees which will obviously continue when he takes over the job, against the wishes of the citizens.
I really can only come to one conclusion regarding this relentless war on his union employees, it must be for the purpose of public distraction. I know it sounds outrageous but government at all levels play by the same playbook. Find a way to focus the public's attention on something other than the important issues, namely the 100's of millions that are being spent with no input from the public. All these "bad bus driver" stories are non news so why are they there?
To focus the public's attention away from the big issues.
Why else would this war with the union be going on so long?
A personal vendetta between the union management and the Trimet management?
Management philosophy that dictates employees must always live in fear of losing their jobs?
Is the end game privatization of the work force?
I guess that's possible too but the bigger part of me thinks there are more nefarious reasons for this never ending war against its union employees.
Although Trimet has a skilled propaganda department, the "big" decisions are always made behind closed doors.
Activist groups throughout the area are on to the Trimet scam.
The media lies, about everything, that's no lie.
And then there was Mcfarlane's "war on the poor". After a decade of lenient fare policies including the largest fareless square in the United States, Mcfarlane stripped all that away and declared ZERO TOLERANCE on fare evaders. The thing that our corrupted and co-opted media never ever talks about is the people behind the fare evasion. After working as a bus driver for 20 years I can tell you with absolute certainty that the people evading the fare are all from the lowest economic levels of the society.
Mcfarlanes "legacy" is a a failure, but the mainstream media will never tell us that.
He rides off into the sunset with an obscene pension and huge cash bonus, just like all the government technocrats who exist to make sure tax payers cash end up in the right pockets.
Being corrupt and unethical pays in da land of da free
I really can only come to one conclusion regarding this relentless war on his union employees, it must be for the purpose of public distraction. I know it sounds outrageous but government at all levels play by the same playbook. Find a way to focus the public's attention on something other than the important issues, namely the 100's of millions that are being spent with no input from the public. All these "bad bus driver" stories are non news so why are they there?
To focus the public's attention away from the big issues.
Why else would this war with the union be going on so long?
A personal vendetta between the union management and the Trimet management?
Management philosophy that dictates employees must always live in fear of losing their jobs?
Is the end game privatization of the work force?
I guess that's possible too but the bigger part of me thinks there are more nefarious reasons for this never ending war against its union employees.
Although Trimet has a skilled propaganda department, the "big" decisions are always made behind closed doors.
Activist groups throughout the area are on to the Trimet scam.
The media lies, about everything, that's no lie.
And then there was Mcfarlane's "war on the poor". After a decade of lenient fare policies including the largest fareless square in the United States, Mcfarlane stripped all that away and declared ZERO TOLERANCE on fare evaders. The thing that our corrupted and co-opted media never ever talks about is the people behind the fare evasion. After working as a bus driver for 20 years I can tell you with absolute certainty that the people evading the fare are all from the lowest economic levels of the society.
Mcfarlanes "legacy" is a a failure, but the mainstream media will never tell us that.
He rides off into the sunset with an obscene pension and huge cash bonus, just like all the government technocrats who exist to make sure tax payers cash end up in the right pockets.
Being corrupt and unethical pays in da land of da free
#Trimet is hiring pic.twitter.com/KI1CXtBeob— AL M (@AlYourPalster) February 10, 2018
#Trimet continues its wicked ways and Governor Brown needs to go. Enough of her brand of neoliberalism pic.twitter.com/cACgkXFH4x— AL M (@AlYourPalster) February 10, 2018
#Trimet’s endless war of dirty tricks against its union employees is now in its 8th year
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) February 11, 2018
What’s really behind this war? What’s its real purpose? pic.twitter.com/P42Rtrpa57
And lets not forget it was Mcfarlane that screwed the retirees out of their promised health care coverage. The dickhead never even apologized. All current employees should understand the nature of your retirement package, its just words on a piece of paper and subject to change at the whim of the Trimet executive staff
ReplyDeleteGood rant Al.It was very well written.
ReplyDeleteGo Al!
ReplyDelete