How bad does it have to get! (Boston, Worcester: 2015, apartments)

[brightdoglover]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I've said it before and I'll say it again... people at the T see this stuff. They may not post responses, but they see it. So the intent of posting on C-D may not be sweeping systems change, but you'd be surprised by the number of high level eyes that see posts on forums like this.

A friend of mine who is very active in transit activism said that reporters and other eyes see posts on Twitter, and that it's not just complaining there.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

A friend of mine who is very active in transit activism said that reporters and other eyes see posts on Twitter, and that it's not just complaining there.

Definitely. I was lucky enough to get to do a behind the scenes tour of the T back in 2011 - beneath the tunnels, the generators, the T control center, etc. I'm not a T/MassDOT employee and never have been, nor am I well connected (friend of a friend who knew I was interested sort of thing). But I took a few photos (I was allowed to) and posted them to a forum. Within hours I got an email from a senior MassDOT official politely but sternly asking that I remove them. Between google alerts and people just scanning similar channels (and C-D is a big one), the comments here have reach.

[lrfox]

Someone asked via reputation points “how did massdot know your email?” - friend of a friend who worked for MassDOT hooked up the tour, and when the pics were noticed, I’m sure they gave my email. MassDOT knows all. All hail MassDOT.

[Taffee72]

If posts are actually being monitored, can we please (pretty please) improve the Worcester Line? I still have PTSD from that dreadful commute.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

I know they invest their money but I don’t really believe in voodoo economics (trickle down economics) who’s to say they’re investing in companies and products that will benefit our local economy? How many products are they investing in that are created or manufactured locally. Poor infrastructure and financial mismanagement also stifle economic growth. Clearly the jobs are coming here as evidenced by record low unemployment and the UTC Raytheon merger. There needs to be more balance. “Trickle down economics” can’t be some vague reason to stop any new taxes for the foreseeable future. Millionaires would need to be held accountable in some sort of tangible/transparent way for all these job they’re supposedly creating for me to think it’s unreasonable to tax them.

All those people standing in the rain waiting for a shuttle in Quincy are going to be taxed on July 1 with fare hikes, why not the millionaires??

That is not even the main problem. It's not so much losing the jobs they supposedly create (which is a smaller factor but still relevant), but the fact that many of these people have the flexibility to live and pay taxes wherever they want. They are already paying a disproportionate share of taxes. We don't want to chase them away.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/miltone.../#474ec7b35b64


https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrick.../#46341e854189


https://thefederalistpapers.org/opin...rnia-heres-why

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by GeePee

the fact the Unions here have so much power and not one person has focused on that aspect. Sure, they'll get more money. But then where do they put it.

As we see, people have given up. It's akin to getting beat up for your lunch money, and asking Mom for extra so you can buy lunch for both you AND the bully. Bottom line is, undoing the system will take muscle, resilience, and strong leadership. None of our "leaders" possess any of those qualities. Heck we don't even HAVE "leaders". They say Baker the Faker now wants a 3rd term.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Definitely. I was lucky enough to get to do a behind the scenes tour of the T back in 2011 - beneath the tunnels, the generators, the T control center, etc. I'm not a T/MassDOT employee and never have been, nor am I well connected (friend of a friend who knew I was interested sort of thing). But I took a few photos (I was allowed to) and posted them to a forum. Within hours I got an email from a senior MassDOT official politely but sternly asking that I remove them. Between google alerts and people just scanning similar channels (and C-D is a big one), the comments here have reach.

Back around 2008 I got to see some of the abandoned tunnels and stations such as the old underground trolley line through Andrew Sq. Pretty neat, I thought...never knew there was so much to the T that is now long forgotten.

[GeoffD]

The real question is how to apportion the state budget. Only 12% goes to transportation and little of that is commuter rail and subway. 34% goes to health care. ~25% of that is Medicaid spending. 13% goes to welfare. Of the 13% that goes to education, the lion's share is propping up K-12 in the poor cities and towns. Roughly half of state spending goes to prop up the bottom 20%. I don't think anybody wants the 5.05% state income tax rate hiked. I don't think anybody wants the sales tax hiked. The millionaire tax would be a mistake since most making that kind of income can move 30 miles to New Hampshire and avoid the tax completely. Right now, the 5.05% flat tax is a competitive advantage against NYC tri-state, California, and metro DC where the tax burden is lower for most tech, biotech, and finance people who earn into the 6 figures. Among the high cost of living regions with the high wage jobs, Massachusetts is now a low tax state for the 5%ers who drive the economy. Go figure.


I hate to sound like a Mitch McConnnell/Ted Cruz but if Massachusetts wants to keep the economic engine churning, money has to be diverted from propping up the bottom-20% to infrastructure projects. Transportation needs to be 25% of the state budget. If people can't get to work, those gold plated employers leave.

[LLCNYC]

Originally Posted by Taffee72

If posts are actually being monitored, can we please (pretty please) improve the Worcester Line? I still have PTSD from that dreadful commute.

They're not.

[BosYuppie]

I am all for periodic fare increases. Otherwise the fares would still be a nickel or somesuch. I think the fairest way to handle it would be to tie to a well known inflation rate.

It’s pretty obvious that fares and the current t streams are not providing enough revenue. There is such wealth in the city now, huge well funded companies bringing more and more people to back bay, downtown and Seaport every day. Something has to give, I don’t want it to be like the CT case of causing companies to flee, but there must be a way to extract more revenue from the major employers and divert it to transportation.