Corbett and Public Transit? (Pittsburgh: fit in, buses, authority)

[raubre]

I can't seem to find anything about where transportation and transit was mentioned (if at all) was mentioned in the budget. What now for PAT?

[BrianTH]

Full Text of Gov. Corbett's Budget Speech. #PABudget - Capitol Ideas Blog

These are his remarks on transportation:

Lastly, it is also critical that we address our transportation issues. This is not a budget item. It is too large for that. Transportation must be confronted as its own distinct and separate topic. This problem has grown for the past several decades and it will not be solved overnight. But, whatever solution we enact must be a lasting one.

I have spent significant time considering this issue with my transportation team and developed some workable solutions. However, those solutions will only be possible with your input, assistance and support. I look forward to working with you.

I guess I'll withhold judgment while waiting for the experts on PA-state-government-tea-leaf-reading to provide some analysis, but to me that didn't look too bad--it seems to acknowledge the magnitude of the problem and announce a willingness to work with the legislature on it.

[Impala26]

Agreed with Brian. Given Corbett's mute stance on transportation up to now, this sounds more like he's actually willing to make a deal... fingers crossed.

[raubre]

I know it's his words, but how is it not a budget item? I thought it had to fit in somewhere....

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by raubre

I know it's his words, but how is it not a budget item? I thought it had to fit in somewhere....

There will be budget sections on transportation (which will be terrible), but I take him to be saying that those sections are not intended to be a final solution, and instead that such a solution will need to be worked out in a separate deal.

To me that indirectly implies a softening on increasing revenues--at least I certainly hope so.

[squarian]

Corbett has acknowledged (as tersely as possible) a problem with "transportation issues". I suspect many here see the word "transportation" and understand by it "buses". That may not be what Shaler Tom understands by the word.

Moreover, when he said "I look forward to working with you", I very much suspect he meant his party, and his party's priorities.

Don't count your Kremlinology before your commissars hatch.

[BrianTH]

Oh sure--but I do think it will be hard to ram through a massive change in how the state allocates transportation funds. Vetoing is easy, changing how business is actually done is a lot harder.

[BrianTH]

Looks like we more or less got the issues right:

Governor makes little mention of transit

The budget itself would be a disaster for transportation (including transit), and Corbett didn't propose a solution, but his remarks about working on a solution outside the budget process could be interpreted as promising.

[SammyKhalifa]

Corbett 'not going to go into' transit-cut solutions now

Corbett 'not going to go into' transit-cut solutions now


Wednesday, February 08, 2012
By Jon Schmitz, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Gov. Tom Corbett today again declined to give details of how he plans to deal with the state's transportation funding crisis, and said he couldn't guarantee a solution that would avert record transit service cuts in Pittsburgh.
In an interview on KDKA radio, Mr. Corbett dismissed a question about what he meant on Tuesday when he said he had "developed some workable solutions," saying "we're not going to go into this right now."
Moderator cut: quote shortened, copyright protection

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

I translate Corbett's "I don't know" answers into "I don't care". I don't know who to dislike more, a useless (and hopefully one term) governor or our pathetic transit authority.