Peyton seeks to distroy mass transit! (Jacksonville, Mayo: sales, month to, house)

[Ocklawaha]

This has ran in several blogs, and I'm passing it on here for your information:

Peyton Seeks to SINK Mass Transit...
The Peyton disaster is far bigger then just commuter Rail, check this out!
On the subject of Commuter Rail, Charles Hunter wrote the following:

Quote:
by Charles Hunter
Let's see if I can remember what JTA has been saying at their public meetings over the last few years (yes, I have no life, I go to public meetings)
Quote:
by Charles Hunter
The Better Jax Plan has $100 Million for rapid transit right of way - that is, to buy land needed to build a rapid transit system. In this case, "rapid transit" includes just about everything but the Skyway (expressly prohibited in the referendum) - commuter rail, light rail, busway, and so on. The JTA's plan was to use the right of way money as local match to get Federal and State dollars to actually build a system (originally "BRT" but now may commuter rail).

The text of HR 1- the House version of the Stimulus Bill - is online. The section about "Fixed guideway transit" begins on page 214, line 16. There's $2 Billion available nation-wide, BUT JTA only has a feasibility study - no way they could spend any money for actual "stuff" in less than half a year. They haven't completed any environmental work, and if they need any land, there's no way they could buy it in 6 months following the Fed rules.

Of course, the Senate may change it completely, then it would have to go to conference committee.



If you think this is shady? You are right about the money... "it's a Peyton shell game and the ball will always drop into the courthouse hole." Councilman (anom).

Here is how it breaks down:

We Have: $100 Million (about $84 Million left) in a fund for right-of-way. This was done because no one in council at the time of the BJP knew we could build a complete system for this amount...or less. So they limited it to RofW only. THIS IS CHANGEABLE

We Have: A dedicated funding source in budget for Transportation, which was promised to the Citizens when the tolls came off the bridges.

We Have: A Skyway, with plans, engineering etc... FINISHED to the stadium and to Riverside (Blue Cross Area). Yes they are old enough to have to have a recheck, but if JTA couldn't do that in 30 days - they are completely hopeless.

We Have: BRT Plans in advanced study on Boulevard (good idea) which any private enterprise would have already had running. It doesn't take anything but MONEY to add these new headways and phase in the BRT toys.

------------------------------------------------------------

THE PEYTON TRANSPORTATION PLAN:

Removes the $100 Million from the BJP funds and breaks it down into Roads, Bridges, and transportation enhancements. In fact just a hair over 50% of the funds go to mass transit enhancements. But of course there is a catch. The places he is planning to spend the money are "Amtrak", "Jacksonville Transportation Center", "Greyhound", "JTC Parking", and a host of other little things that are no longer funded state projects.

So after stealing the $100 Million, he'll divide it up... When people see he took $100 Million and earmarked perhaps 51% for transportation they will cheer him as the "Transportation Mayor". Nevermind that the other 49% vanished into thin air and NEVER GOT TO TRANSPORTATION.

So at some point he is going to tell us:


Look, I gave us EVEN MORE money for Mass Transportation then for roads and bridges (a lie based on the above).

next:

Since the state isn't going to fund Amtrak, JTC, Greyhound etc... We move the money to the Courthouse project.

Bodda Bing! Bodda Biff! $100 Million drops off the radar screen.

Then to further enhance the cities ability to build the PEYTON "MEMORIAL" COURTHOUSE. He plans to raid the funding sources for JTA's regular operations. No longer will they get the money promised in the toll bridge deal. (again making the city break a promise and making them liars). Rather he is going to use inflated retail sales tax money from the boom period of the last reporting year and tell JTA, "We are going to give you MORE money by placing your funding as a precentage of retail sales tax..." Meanwhile the fixed income from the Bridge Toll Promise is going to the Court House. ...And of course when JTA see's the failure of the funding to cover costs, and realizes this type of subsidy changes month to month or year to year, they will cut services. In effect we will be putting our local transit into the same squeeze as AMTRAK has been in for the last 35+ years. No way plan, no money to spend.

THIS IS PEYTONS STIMULUS !

OCKLAWAHA
__________________
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad has made application with the Interstate Commerce Commission to discontinue trains 9 and 10,
The Palmland, between Jacksonville, Florida and Columbia, South Carolina.

[Huckleberry3911948]

mass transit will not work. the streets have to be safe 1st. if you step out of your car you will find something most interesting has happened in the last 40 years but we car drivers have not noticed.
that is why people in france buy little cars to drive and why angry immigrants burn them.
its hard to mug someone in a locked car.

[coolyfett]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

mass transit will not work. the streets have to be safe 1st. if you step out of your car you will find something most interesting has happened in the last 40 years but we car drivers have not noticed.
that is why people in france buy little cars to drive and why angry immigrants burn them.
its hard to mug someone in a locked car.

What Moderator cut: language are you talking about?

[Ocklawaha]

Originally Posted by coolyfett

WTF are you talking about?

Little cars? Muggers? burn? What Moderator cut: language
are you talking about?
Gotta admit coolyfett, some of these folks make it fun to read!

MASS TRANSIT RULES!

OCKLAWAHA

[Huckleberry3911948]

big money in mass transit, pitching it hard here.
problem is streets got very mean in the last 40 years. which is safer, a locked for escort or a train seat going thru the hood at night?
france is having the same problem, the streets got mean (mechant)
no longer safe to ride the trains.
the streets are foreign territory to americans, when they step out of their car
they are in for a shock.

[Eastern Roamer]

This is a concealed carry state - get a train full of commuters during rush hour and see how safe and polite everyone is.

No one's talking about doing away with cars all-together. You can still have your precious, fuel-sucking 4x4, Huckleberry. In fact, gas prices would go down!

[cricketfan]

Huckleberry has a point. There may be real benefits to mass transit but you'd be foolish to think that trains don't give street criminals better access to what we now call "safe neighborhoods". I should know, I used the NYC transit and lived in NY burbs for many years. It's the same with mass transit in any city.

[HollyinJAX]

huckleberry writes urban poetry I guess

[coolyfett]

Originally Posted by Ocklawaha

Little cars? Muggers? burn? What Moderator cut: language
are you talking about?
Gotta admit coolyfett, some of these folks make it fun to read!

MASS TRANSIT RULES!

OCKLAWAHA

I don't man, the louder transit supporters talk the more they seem to be muffled. Id like to see Jacksonville start something, once the system is in place, Id hope they could plan to where it is there forever and not what happened to all the trolleys in the 40s & 50s.

[coolyfett]

Originally Posted by cricketfan

Huckleberry has a point. There may be real benefits to mass transit but you'd be foolish to think that trains don't give street criminals better access to what we now call "safe neighborhoods". I should know, I used the NYC transit and lived in NY burbs for many years. It's the same with mass transit in any city.

Are you saying that "street criminals" don't have SUVs?