What is the One Thing MARTA Should do Most? (Atlanta: store, bus)

[gtcorndog]

Originally Posted by cqholt

The former CEO, DR. Beverly Scott has over 30 years experience in mass transit, more than all of us put together. She has now moved on to bigger transit system, MBTA. She has won several awards during her years of service.

And MARTA is/was well ran?



Someone getting a promotion or changing jobs is not proof of good performance.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by gtcorndog

And MARTA is/was well ran?



Someone getting a promotion or changing jobs is not proof of good performance.

Your word alone is not proof of bad performance either. I await the backing of your implication.

[gtcorndog]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Your word alone is not proof of bad performance either. I await the backing of your implication.

Go ahead and look at MARTA's financials.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Your word alone is not proof of bad performance either. I await the backing of your implication.

How about the KPMG report from a few months ago?

— Benefits, particularly pensions, are much more costly than they should be. According to KPMG, “MARTA’s healthcare claim, retirement, and workers compensation costs are $50 million higher than national averages including both private and public sectors.” Retirement costs alone are some $22 million higher each year than they should be. Renegotiating such benefits is always a painful process, particularly given that 60 percent of MARTA’s workforce is unionized, but the agency has little financial option.

— MARTA’s internal culture and its labor contract tolerate a level of absenteeism that is startling and expensive, forcing the agency to compensate for the recurring manpower shortage by the hiring of some 371 additional employees at an annual cost of $10 million. That is not tolerable.

— While many areas of the agency operate efficiently, those that do not offer substantial opportunity for cost savings through privatization. According to KPMG auditors, for example, it costs MARTA seven times as much to process an invoice as it would to outsource that function. It costs MARTA more than twice as much to cut an employee’s paycheck as it would through privatization. By outsourcing those two functions alone [payroll and invoice processing], the agency could save $1 million annually.

Altogether, easily outsourced functions could save the agency some $27 million over a five-year period, KPMG estimated. More difficult outsourcing projects could save another $115 million over five years, although in some cases that would require renegotiation of labor contracts. (MARTA’s contract with the Amalgamated Transit Union expires June 20, 2013).

Audit a red-letter day for MARTA and its board | Jay Bookman

[MattCW]

And Dr. Scott is somehow single-handedly responsible for that? That's like blaming the president alone for the financial crisis.

[cqholt]

Corndog, I stated that she has over 30 years experience. You don't work that long if your no good at your job. She has always won numerous awards.

[gtcorndog]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Corndog, I stated that she has over 30 years experience. You don't work that long if your no good at your job. She has always won numerous awards.

And KPMG ripped the financial incompetency of MARTA a new one.

Longevity in governmental organizations doesn't equate to excellence.

[cqholt]

No, it pointed out where the agency could save money by outsourcing. The benefits are high, but the pay is lower than average. Higher benefits shows an aging work force that would rather keep good benefits. The report did acknowledge areas where MARTA does a good job. Give the agency credit for paying a well known, third party company to report on its finances, & then publicly publish them. Don't see GDOT or another state agency doing the same thing.

[dgreen]

Add Cobb and Douglas county (well at least to six flags) stations.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by dgreen

Add Cobb and Douglas county (well at least to six flags) stations.

Those counties need to approve a binding MARTA sales tax vote then lines can be extended.