I drove today. I know, I am such a bad person! But I overslept, and by overslept, I mean my cell died in the middle of the night so it didn't go off this morning. So I drove, because there was no way of me making that 10b. And it is way too cold to wait the 15 minutes or so for the 50 if it's even on time. So there you have it, I am lame.
Back to my soap box.
Yesterday I tried to give you the quick and dirty history of MARTA's problems. So now here's what to expect from the Gold Dome this session.
1. FUNDING - For two years now legislation that would create new transit funding has been proposed, hacked to pieces, and left sitting alone to die in some back corner of the Dome. What started out as a promising bill to fund the "brain train" through a regional sales tax option was distorted into one favoring highway contractors.
2. MARTA - in 2009 the Senate passed SB120 which would drop the 50/50 restrictions on MARTA's tax revenue, allowing them to use its own money to save its own butt. The bill was then passed onto the House Transportation Committee, where it still sits today, necessitating the ARC bailout.
Of course, we need SB 120 to be passed so that MARTA can operate without cuts. But that's not a solution, it's a bandaid, and a cheap bandaid that's half falling off at that. MARTA will quickly race through those funds and decimate their reserves without additional funding from the state (i.e. a real funding bill for public transportation).
So contact your senate and house reps and ask them to support SB 120 and legislation allowing for a regional sales tax for transit. Also, mark your calendars for Transit Lobby Day Thursday, Febuary 18th, and the MARTA pub crawl Saturday, Febuary 20th.
In other news, Atlanta should find out soon whether we got the TIGER grant for the street car, like in the next 10 days or so. Keep your fingers crossed and I'll let you know as soon as I hear something!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
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I have had the unpleasant fortunate to spend a lot of time with oil company executives and a handful of lobbyists. The depth of there pockets is only rivaled by their lack of morality. This is why a lot of bills SB120 maybe don't get completely crushed but instead "lost". You can appeal a decision that does not go your way, those that don't have a decision you cannot.
ReplyDeleteMass transit assisted bar hopping, that sounds like fun. Sorry I have to miss it, I bet you a fun little camper drunk. . . Hung over would be hell on Earth. But drunk