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Not surprised by this we live in Miami nothing can get done right. One of the local news station did a similar story recently. I have to say that the busway down to Homestead is done and looks nice. Not sure how many people use it... Anyone that votes yes for any future half penny tax again isn't that knowledgeable.
I think Miami should partner with a private company. Allow the private company to run the system and they just over see the whole thing and tax the company. I read a few articles where Brazil and Argentina have done that and both have been able to turn their mass transit systems around to the point where they are actually making a profit.
I read it and it's disgusting. I love transit and I use it all the time, but they need to get things right. Regardless, with gas the way it is now, a lot of people are riding the buses and trains instead of cars. Transit really is a million times more convenient than driving, especially Metrorail and Tri-Rail.
I think Miami should partner with a private company. Allow the private company to run the system and they just over see the whole thing and tax the company.
I think that would be a wonderful idea and it is really the only fair way to work mass-transit. It shouldn't be subsidized by unwilling tax-payers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinkagy
Transit really is a million times more convenient than driving, especially Metrorail and Tri-Rail.
I won't use mass-transit because I get motion sick in buses if I can't look out the front (and even then I feel a little queesy). For some they can read or work on a laptop while on mass-transit but that is not an option for me so I'd rather just drive myself. Airplanes are a diffferent matter though since there is so little relative motion. Of course, even then I'd prefer to fly myself if I had a plane.
I think that would be a wonderful idea and it is really the only fair way to work mass-transit. It shouldn't be subsidized by unwilling tax-payers.
this arguement is ridiculous. there will always be goverment entities that exist for the people that you dont use to say the taxes shouldnt pay them because not all use them is ludacris. i hate taxes just as much as anyone but this statement is just too far out there.
think of it this way. some people feel the police are a waste or dont use them. should the police also be a private company and charge you to rescue you from a robber, because some people might be unwilling to fund their work?
i know its really out there for a comparison but the principle is the same
Quote:
Originally Posted by wild style
I think Miami should partner with a private company. Allow the private company to run the system and they just over see the whole thing and tax the company.
as for this i agree and dont agree. i agree a private company should run a trust of the money. only doling out the money to completed plans which follow the promises laid out during any said campaign to get said funds. this would prevent the money from being used by self serving commissioners trying to get re-elected in their districts and transit officials trying to save their jobs by shoring up the holes in the operating budget
also by having one entity squarely controlling the money it allows us to have one entity to hold accountable for where the money goes. look at the current situation there are so many people to blame. even the fed's dont trust miami transit right now! they wont help back projects they promised to because we cant even keep our promises to ourselves
giving the money to the transit officials is like making your child promise only to spend the money on a certain toy then giving them the money taking them to the store and not monitoring them.
now to where i dont agree, the private entity should not run the entire system for the following reason: it will behave like a private company. at first this would be ok as it would as any company try to right the ship and get out of the red, this is the desired effect. eventually after they accomplish this they would get to the second effect of being a private company and thats making money as shrewdly as possible. they would cut whatever is reasonable but not making enough money to be a profit. i.e: if your route is busy enough not to cost money but still isnt really making much its liable to be cut because its not generating. as a private entity your only pursuit is the pursuit of profits and this would hurt the citizens as its no longer for the people
a better solution would be to have the county hire another a private entity not to run the system but to intensely monitor the system. allow them to specifically override the transit officials on direct day to day operations to help them turn around and create profit. basically just like airport screeners before the TSA days. they were independent agencys operating many systems but airports could watch them. if they deemed they were doing what they were hired to do they could be fired and replaced and in a system like i'm proposing this would be the ideal.
finally i would propose having this citizens independent panel bull**** brought back. this time they wouldnt oversee the transit officials which they couldnt control they would oversee both private companies. they would be your whistleblowers for if they werent doing what they were hired to do. in this whole mess this committee which never received the powers it was promised was the only non-corrupt portion of the system. so when you find one thing that almost worked you try again but tweek it. the 'tweek' is they would be looking at the companies which they could fire if they were not accomplishing what they were set to do. since obviously you couldnt have the transit in charge of that task since it would be a conflict of interest having a company tell them what to do but they could look back and say oh well you changed my idea or cut my idea your fired
lastly to mr kevin kagy who loves the damn transit as is, my friend please realize no one is saying your stupid but understand we see the transit system works for you and there are others out there that just like you get the same thing, but there are also many many more like my self who the transit system has failed horribly. proposed changes from members of the forum are to eliminate problems not eliminate the few things that are going well. when a connecting bus route drops you a block or more away from the rail station (and not small ones) then yes its time for a change same thing when the rail only runs every 30 minutes in the evening and still not many people get on its time for a change it shows its not meeting the needs of the people!
I think that would be a wonderful idea and it is really the only fair way to work mass-transit. It shouldn't be subsidized by unwilling tax-payers.
I won't use mass-transit because I get motion sick in buses if I can't look out the front (and even then I feel a little queesy). For some they can read or work on a laptop while on mass-transit but that is not an option for me so I'd rather just drive myself. Airplanes are a diffferent matter though since there is so little relative motion. Of course, even then I'd prefer to fly myself if I had a plane.
my wife has that motion sickness thing, but never on mass transit. So you are ready to pay whatever gas goes to, just so you can drive yourself? What about dramamine
this arguement is ridiculous. there will always be goverment entities that exist for the people that you dont use to say the taxes shouldnt pay them because not all use them is ludacris. i hate taxes just as much as anyone but this statement is just too far out there.
think of it this way. some people feel the police are a waste or dont use them. should the police also be a private company and charge you to rescue you from a robber, because some people might be unwilling to fund their work?
i know its really out there for a comparison but the principle is the same
as for this i agree and dont agree. i agree a private company should run a trust of the money. only doling out the money to completed plans which follow the promises laid out during any said campaign to get said funds. this would prevent the money from being used by self serving commissioners trying to get re-elected in their districts and transit officials trying to save their jobs by shoring up the holes in the operating budget
also by having one entity squarely controlling the money it allows us to have one entity to hold accountable for where the money goes. look at the current situation there are so many people to blame. even the fed's dont trust miami transit right now! they wont help back projects they promised to because we cant even keep our promises to ourselves
giving the money to the transit officials is like making your child promise only to spend the money on a certain toy then giving them the money taking them to the store and not monitoring them.
now to where i dont agree, the private entity should not run the entire system for the following reason: it will behave like a private company. at first this would be ok as it would as any company try to right the ship and get out of the red, this is the desired effect. eventually after they accomplish this they would get to the second effect of being a private company and thats making money as shrewdly as possible. they would cut whatever is reasonable but not making enough money to be a profit. i.e: if your route is busy enough not to cost money but still isnt really making much its liable to be cut because its not generating. as a private entity your only pursuit is the pursuit of profits and this would hurt the citizens as its no longer for the people
a better solution would be to have the county hire another a private entity not to run the system but to intensely monitor the system. allow them to specifically override the transit officials on direct day to day operations to help them turn around and create profit. basically just like airport screeners before the TSA days. they were independent agencys operating many systems but airports could watch them. if they deemed they were doing what they were hired to do they could be fired and replaced and in a system like i'm proposing this would be the ideal.
finally i would propose having this citizens independent panel bull**** brought back. this time they wouldnt oversee the transit officials which they couldnt control they would oversee both private companies. they would be your whistleblowers for if they werent doing what they were hired to do. in this whole mess this committee which never received the powers it was promised was the only non-corrupt portion of the system. so when you find one thing that almost worked you try again but tweek it. the 'tweek' is they would be looking at the companies which they could fire if they were not accomplishing what they were set to do. since obviously you couldnt have the transit in charge of that task since it would be a conflict of interest having a company tell them what to do but they could look back and say oh well you changed my idea or cut my idea your fired
lastly to mr kevin kagy who loves the damn transit as is, my friend please realize no one is saying your stupid but understand we see the transit system works for you and there are others out there that just like you get the same thing, but there are also many many more like my self who the transit system has failed horribly. proposed changes from members of the forum are to eliminate problems not eliminate the few things that are going well. when a connecting bus route drops you a block or more away from the rail station (and not small ones) then yes its time for a change same thing when the rail only runs every 30 minutes in the evening and still not many people get on its time for a change it shows its not meeting the needs of the people!
Countries have been partnering with private entities to run mass transit for years. Argentina did it and their mass transit is now self reliant and providing good service and the same goes for Brazil, also in some Canadian provinces this has happened from my understanding. The key is, the government needs to have extreme oversight of these private companies to make sure they do not abuse their position. I would say have a public oversight committee of citizens also involved but, maybe give the public citizen committee the ability to fire people or something so their role is meaningful. it can be done, has been done and can be efficient. If I have time later on, I will post links to where this has been done before and successfully so. Not say the systems are 100% perfect but, then what man made system is?
Also check out this site link, great site on mass transit in Miami. I have been going there for awhile. Had me thinking about moving to Miami IF I don't find a job up North by years end. I know gas is going to keep going up so I need to go to a place with some symbalance of mass transit and unfortunately Ft. Lauderdale's mass transit is a joke. They have plans to build a light rail but in my opinion it set up to serve a wealthy few.
think of it this way. some people feel the police are a waste or dont use them. should the police also be a private company and charge you to rescue you from a robber, because some people might be unwilling to fund their work?
Maybe I would. It would depend on what they charge. Since I've never used the police I would have ended up ahead. Or, better yet, charge the families of the felons they convict to support the police. Call it a 'processing fee'. A pay-per-call for police isn't much different than paying for a security company that then turns around and calls the police. Still, let's start with privitizing hte mass-transit system first and if it works out well we can move on to other government services.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wild Style
my wife has that motion sickness thing, but never on mass transit. So you are ready to pay whatever gas goes to, just so you can drive yourself? What about dramamine
Dramamine definately works but it makes me very sleepy. The "less drowsy" pills are better but still make me tired. I use it when I'm on vacation and know I'll have to take a bus somewher (espicially from one city to another). Man, I could tell you a story about a bus ride between two cities in the Philippeans on bumpy pot-holed roads....
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