Port Authority....again..... (Pittsburgh, Penn: sales, bankruptcy, sales tax)

[raubre]

Port Authority: More cuts likely if state doesn't act

[pman]

fall session starts next week right?

[Aqua Teen Carl]

This is just sad at this point.

[UKyank]

This is where it would be nice if you could file criminally or civilly against the officials who made the sweet deals back in the day that are directly responsible for the current mess of things. Oh how one can dream.

[BrianTH]

So the theory was spread the money they got from Rendell out a couple years to prevent a complete disaster, and hope that as more and more places face the looming statewide transportation crisis, the state would finally act.

And it has ALMOST worked--the legislature actually does seem ready to take up a serious transportation bill, and Corbett's own commission has made its recommendations. But the legislature won't act without Corbett leading, which leads me to the same question I keep asking . . .

. . . where's Corbett?

[psychomantis]

While other big cities are making huge strides in rapid mass transit, Pittsburgh is still stuck in the 70s-80s.... and with the last round of cuts & more on the horizon, we're about to get pushed back into the 60s. No T on the weekends? Seriously? The state needs to let the Port Authority fail and start from scratch.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by psychomantis

While other big cities are making huge strides in rapid mass transit, Pittsburgh is still stuck in the 70s-80s.... and with the last round of cuts & more on the horizon, we're about to get pushed back into the 60s. The state needs to let the Port Authority fail and start from scratch.

Ah, but "fail" in what sense?

The precise problem is that the state is preventing PAT from doing more to cut its expenditures--the state limits what it can do with its labor contracts and legacy costs, and in general hasn't authorized any sort of bankruptcy--while at the same time cutting its funding. In fact, the current PAT management under Brand has been pretty good about improving operating efficiency, including moderating labor expenses, and they had just worked up a nice comprehensive plan for PAT, the TDP. Then the state pulled the rug by slashing its funding, which forced PAT to cut its service levels.

"Failure" under those circumstances just means that PAT's service levels steadily decline as the state continues to slash its funding, and eventually PAT is only operating a few key routes. But how does that help move us into the future?

Of course as I have noted many times, if the state wanted to get out of the transportation business entirely, I'd be fine with that. No more PennDOT or state police. Cancel the related state taxes, and also state tax exemptions (like the sales tax exemption for gasoline). Let Allegheny County and the other metro counties impose whatever transportation taxes they like, and fund whatever transportation projects and services they see fit.

I'd love a deal like that, because we pay into the existing system more than we get back, and more local control of expenditures would be good too.

But lots of other people in the state would not like that deal, precisely because they are getting more out of the existing system than they are paying into it. So, instead they are offering a deal in which they still extract excess transportation funding from our area, but they also will now give us less of that funding back to spend on public transit in our area. And that is not a deal we should accept.

[raubre]

At this point, the whole mess is embarrassing. And everyone that should be involved or concerned thta is not stepping up, should be embarrased.

Even though PAT is the county, I keep wondering why the city hasn't spoken up. If all of this will happen, no one will be coming into the city at night or weekends. Isn't that what Boy Mayor and City Council have been pushing for?

I recall years ago when PAT went on strike, the mayor at the time (Sophie Masloff) had to step in and request the court to have them get off teh picket line and get back to work beacuse business was hurting.

What will happen now?

[ML North]

"we're looking at significant curtailment of night and weekend service" including a full shutdown of the Light Rail Transit system on weekends, he said. Another 40 bus routes could be eliminated.

Well that would certainly be terrible news for the North Shore Connector!

[ForYourLungsOnly]

unbelievable... this is embarrassing for the city.