MARTA to mark 1/3 of its fleet with red X's (Atlanta: sales, transfer to)

[toll_booth]

Red "X" on MARTA buses and trains Tuesday shows impending cuts *| ajc.com

Interesting. One wonders if this will wake anyone up.

[AcidSnake]

It won't.

The hillbilly conspiracy has this game wrapped up. Everytime someone puts the language into a state transportation bill to release MARTA from the 50/50 rule & that bill makes it thru committee, somehow that language is mysteriously removed from the bill when it comes to the final vote.

I just wish our so-called local media who consider themselves the "supposed" guardians of the fourth estate would call those Boss Hoggs out. This petty southern politics of Atlanta V. everybody-else crap is getting so old & so tired.

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Red "X" on MARTA buses and trains Tuesday shows impending cuts *| ajc.com

Interesting. One wonders if this will wake anyone up.

[toll_booth]

At some point, rural Georgia is going to have to understand that Atlanta is THE driving force of Georgia's economy. As we go, they go.

If nothing else, why won't they just release the 50/50 expenditure requirement? That wouldn't increase taxes by one dime!

[neil0311]

Solution is simple. Raise fares and those who use the service can pay for it instead of taxpayers. Problem solved.

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Solution is simple. Raise fares and those who use the service can pay for it instead of taxpayers. Problem solved.

This argument holds zero weight with me for the following reasons:

1. The residents of Fulton and Dekalb Counties specifically voted to tax themselves to build and fund MARTA. To my knowledge no one person, politician or group in either county has seriously suggested abolishing this tax.

2. The method the residents chose to tax themselves for MARTA was through sales tax. Thus, when it comes to the residents who live in the MARTA service area, everyone pays taxes for MARTA. Even the wino vagrants.

When it comes to the State's role in MARTA, I could be forgiving and open-minded by saying that their hands are tied due to the recession. After all, you can't give what you don't have.

BUT

The State's inaction on this matter is no new thing. The State government has refused for over 40 years to fund MARTA. Period. To add insult to injury, due to the multi-jurisdictional nature of MARTA, they get finally say in how the funds are spent. Thus the stupid 50-50 rule. I'm not going to even get into the literally billions of dollars MARTA has generated for the State due to it being connected to the Georgia Dome, GWCC and other State owned properties.

This last session has been the most heartbreaking. The county and city leaders basically begged the Legislature to allow them to tax themselves further and abolish the 50-50 rule to pay for expansion and operational costs. All the fat cat's did at the Gold Dome did was laugh in our face.

I notice there are a lot of people complaining about over taxation this and blah, blah, blah. In reality, the real problem for the residents of the City of Atlanta, Fulton and Dekalb is the State's ability to legislate without taxation.

[FlyiMetro]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Solution is simple. Raise fares and those who use the service can pay for it instead of taxpayers. Problem solved.

Way to focus on the BIG picture neil!

[AcidSnake]

You just gotta love the "cut off the nose to spite the face" style of politics that goes on in this state. It's so laughable, it's sad.

I agree with you on this statement. If we kill Atlanta's ability to attract business, we kill the rest of Georgia as well, and in many parts of Georgia, state overnment is really the only major jobs force in town. Can't have those nice state jobs without the major money that Atlanta offers.

Those bubbas will only hurt themselves by continually feeding into the devilish glee of seeing Atlanta suffer.

Originally Posted by toll_booth

At some point, rural Georgia is going to have to understand that Atlanta is THE driving force of Georgia's economy. As we go, they go.

If nothing else, why won't they just release the 50/50 expenditure requirement? That wouldn't increase taxes by one dime!

[mike7586]

Since some people still think that MARTA is run inefficiently, take a look at these links. A state audit performed last year, which was requested by GOP leadership in the state legislature, found that MARTA has not mishandled its finances and is a very efficient organization.

http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/S...-finances.aspx

http://www.atlantaunfiltered.com/wp-...cial-audit.pdf

But then again, I’m sure the naysayers will find a way to ignore facts and invent their own.

[midtown mile girl]

The fact that Cobb & Gwinnett drop people off by the busload at the arts marta station says to me that those counties need to join the marta system,or there needs to be a state system. Giving people a way to get to work helps companies fill jobs. The rural counties tend to forget that Atlanta is the welcome mat for Georgia and the main economic engine for the state that brings slivers of development to thier parts.

[SAAN]

I bet if Marta stop letting CCT and GCT get a free transfer to Marta from there systems, things might change a bit when it comes to funding. The sad part is, im sure if you search these forum you will find that in 2008 we were discussing Marta not getting funding and going where people need it to go and probably in 2020 will will still be discussing this same issue, assuming GRTA does take over in the future when marta goes broke. There comes a point in which if the service is too infrequent, people will just drive or save up for a car and skip marta all together.