You think its bad for PAT now, it's about to get A LOT WORSE! (Pittsburgh: transporting, legally)

[squarian]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Funny but Allegheny County is the 2 largest contributor to PA's tax base after Montgomery County.

So we're a minority in what state dollars get imported to us, but we're the majority when it comes to state dollars getting exported from us. Gee funny how that works.

Yep - so funny it hurts. There might be a better way, of course. A unicameral legislature based on rep-by-pop and responsible government would give the urban interest much more weight. But that's a constitutional experiment unlikely to ever happen here - so it's chuckles forever.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by UKyank

While I may be playing devils advocate & the cuts won't effect me, I'm not completely disagreeing with you - I want a good transit system for the city & see it's importance.
The problem is that you can't just get out from under the aforementioned legacy costs easily & the state funding PATs current budget gap does nothing other then allow current service to continue for a short time until even more $ is needed because those legacy costs are going to do nothing but continuing ballooning larger & larger. This is money that is not helping riders in any way & does nothing but eat away at PATs budget. That needs to be the #1 priority in saving PAT, but neither side is proposing any solution to it.
That whole elephant in the room thing.

We agree....Those same people that can do something now wont until its too late, PAT's all but dead, new agency still isn't in place, and the adverse effects are starting to show signs with the decline of the regions economy and livability status.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by squarian

Yep - so funny it hurts. There might be a better way, of course. A unicameral legislature based on rep-by-pop and responsible government would give the urban interest much more weight. But that's a constitutional experiment unlikely to ever happen here - so it's chuckles forever.

We're all going to hell in the state of PA.

[squarian]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

We're all going to hell in the state of PA.

Um, Commonwealth, if you don't mind. And I do mean Commonwealth. Not.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by pman

the other that wants to fund it without asking tough questions.

Such people seem to be in awful short supply in my experience. I can't think of anyone posting here who has taken such a position, nor am I aware of any involved politicians or advocacy groups who have taken such a position.

Of course that makes sense--if you care about transit, you will likely care about whether your transit agency is actually making good use of its funding.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

As soon as you labeled my opinion a "tea party" movement, I knew the argument was over.

The argument never started because you have consistently refused to learn anything about the issues.

Again, get back to me when you have the courage to read the TFAC report.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by squarian

Perhaps some kind of successor organization, private-public, could be founded under PAT's legal aegis simply to operate those assets, perhaps even with the drink tax allocated specifically as a stopgap funding solution, to bridge the gap until a real solution can be found?

I doubt it. PAT's creditors, including its pensioners, are protected by state law, and I doubt it could get away with contracting out its assets and public revenue streams while stiffing its creditors.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by SuburbanPioneer

Governor Corbett clearly stated that he just does not have that kind of money to keep supporting PAT.

His own hand-picked commission explained where to get the money.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by UKyank

Just speaking for myself, the effects will be 0 on me one way or the other.

Anyone who lives, works, or does business in Allegheny County will be negatively impacted.

Find a way of fixing the legacy cost issue & I'm on 100% for fully funding PAT, until then I just see it as feeding an ever growing problem where more & more funding will continually be needed as those legacy costs continue to eat up an every increasing % of the budget.

We've gone through this a million times before. The effect of cutting PAT's state funding without giving it any means under state law to cut its legacy costs will be to INCREASE the percentage of its budget going to legacy costs.

So you say you don't like that trend, and then support policies which would make it worse.

[Blackbeauty212]

Just keep in mind folks the 35% cuts are not the end.....PAT will be cutting every single year...this issue will not go away...So as soon as the 35% cuts are in place its time to start drafting for FY2014 and more cuts and fare increases. EVERY YEAR like clockwork until there's nothing left, this is not a problem PAT can cut its way out of and be fiscally sound.

At this rate of cuts, I wonder how long until we really face the prospect of No Transit services of any kind in Pittsburgh. I say 2015 is how soon.