Marta to lawmakers: "Entire" rail ines could be cut without state help (Atlanta: sales tax, buses)

[wxjay]

The state of Georgia needs to shape up and realize that if they don't contribute state money to the system they should have no right to dictate how MARTA spends its money.

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by wxjay

The state of Georgia needs to shape up and realize that if they don't contribute state money to the system they should have no right to dictate how MARTA spends its money.

Absolutely!

They have been hamstrung by the State since their inception.

How DARE the State to dictate anything to them with not one thin dime of support.

[Psykomonkee]

Originally Posted by wxjay

The state of Georgia needs to shape up and realize that if they don't contribute state money to the system they should have no right to dictate how MARTA spends its money.

VERY much agreed

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by Atlantasfinest

So it has come to this...

MARTA is distributing to state lawmakers a memo that raises the possibility that it could cut rail service —“either certain days or times, or entire lines altogether” — if the Legislature doesn’t pass a measure that lets the transit agency direct more of the cash raised by a sales tax toward operations...

“Without new revenue sources from the state or region…MARTA will be forced to dramatically reduce service levels, eliminating bus routes, cutting rail service (either certain days or times, or entire lines altogether), and potentially seriously impacting the overall economic well-being of this region and state."

Read more below...

MARTA to lawmakers: 'Entire' rail lines could be cut without state help | Political Insider

Man, I am at a loss for words! Since when did Georgia become the new Mississippi in terms of *****-backwardness?

[gt6974a]

Another example of using scare tactics. Thought they already cut routes and service.

Fine, I say let them have 100% say-so over all the money AND make MARTA free. Worst thing that could happen is they continue to operate at a loss. Best thing would be the continue to operate at a loss and a private firm takes over.

[johnatl]

^I can't think of a single metro in the country that has a private rapid transit system.

Why do you want it to be privatized?

[gt6974a]

Originally Posted by johnatl

Why do you want it to be privatized?

B/C the govt. has already proven time and time again that they can't handle it. Time to give someone else a shot. If a private firm can't handle it, the govt. can take it back and try again.

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by gt6974a

B/C the govt. has already proven time and time again that they can't handle it. Time to give someone else a shot. If a private firm can't handle it, the govt. can take it back and try again.

Well, along that line of thinking then we should privatize all roads.

Sorry, but I don't agree at all. This type of set-up doesn't exist anywhere in the country - probably for a good reason.

MARTA has never been funded properly. Given a chance, we could have a system equal to D.C. IF we had the proper funding and support. Public Transit, just like roads - isn't supposed to be profitable.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by Atlantasfinest

“Without new revenue sources from the state or region..."

Have they completely ruled out raising fares? The last fare increase was in 2000, and MARTA has one of the lowest fares of any major transit system, and includes a free transfer system. How about exhausting the revenue sources they can control before they start threatening to cut service.

Adjusting the capex and opex ratio seems like an easy fix, as long as MARTA doesn't cry poverty when it needs to buy new rail cars and buses.

[AcidSnake]

This obssession with attaching a neoliberal solution to every problem is annoying. Privatization only works in a pure competition type of situation when two or preferably more parties are constantly in perfect competition with each other and that the end result is a satisfied customer. If MARTA was privatized it would simply be replacing one form of transit governance for another, and monopolies in either situation will never truly drive down the costs.

I'd stick with the transit system being public owned simply for the fact that the taxpayer is ultimately the boss of the system... that is of course, if most of the taxpayers in Georgia actually had a brain and chose to use it to vote realistically on bread and butter issues rather than overly partisan wedge issues like confederate flags and the like.

What a drag...