The news hasn't been dealt out to the riding public as I write this but guess what's right around the corner Bus riders? That's right more of the annual service cuts. However if you live along the "T" somehow you're service is increasing this coming March of 2012. I know some who may read this think that our views are tainted and cynical and downright wrong. Let me be clear on what this blog is about and has always been about. This is about a timeline on how the Citizens of this County have been misled from day one by Authority management and County Executive now Highmark One Million a Year lackey Dan Onorato.
From day one of Dan's administration his goal has been to create a transit crisis.http://www.alleghenycounty.us/news/2006/260315.asp (read the caption) Unending service cuts since 2005 (Dan came into office in January 2004) The public needs to realize that it's not overpaid employees,legacy costs,fuel,etc. Enjoy your free ride everyone over to the Casino's,Bars,Ballparks,Stadiums,Entertainment venues, we've paid for it and we'll continue to pay for it. Sorry but's it's way more than a coincidence that since that mile long tunnel was built that buses have been in constant downsizing. Management at our beloved Authority has failed to operate a damn thing under cost estimates, with one huge glaring exception . That's right the TUNNEL is the exception,on time,on budget. Answer me this naysayers. How could such a seemingly inept Goverment Agency that succeeds in nothing since Steve Bland was appointed, and on his 1st week on the job (June 2006) gave the go ahead of a tunnel to the 1% who play in the palaces that taxpayers are financing be such an exception to this? Guess what, it's NOT!
As the Law stands now no transit agency serving a area of over 200,000 can use Federal capital funds to run the day to day operations of a transit operation,unfortunately the reverse is not true. Thats right the revenue that is used to run the day to day operations so that it may function to provide the services it's there for, can and ARE used to finance Capital Projects like the Tunnel. So you see while others play over at the Palaces built by TAXPAYERS the Janitor or Nurses Aide waits an extra 60 minutes to get to or from their destination with Blands enless Bus service reductions to finance this gift to the 1%. How is this so you ask? The almost total destruction of Bus service in this County follows a direct path of the Subway extension, a simple matter of robbing Peter to pay Paul or in this case Paying the Rivers Casino,PNC Park,Stage AE,Heinz Field and robbing the Postal worker or the blind guy living in the East End. Absolutely amazing how this one thing is so efficient and the Media reports no cost overuns but the rest of Blands operations are going Bankrupt. Oh yeah he does have a Boogeyman on why this is so, the bus driver. Our local media continue to voice these lies and in time these things will be fixed by more contract concessions and Gasp, service reductions to finance the next thing on the 1% horizon. Yes, soon to come to UPMC and the area between Downtown and Oakland. Bus Rapid Transit, to be financed by more concessions,more service cuts,more crisises. And transit workers standard of living will continue to decline along with the other 99%. And when it's all fixed and everything is back as it was, i'll guarantee Dan 1 million a year Onorato and his amoral appointee Steve Bland will be residing elsewhere in comfort as the rest of us wonder how we'll afford the next bill,or the next threat of a Job loss. Follow the money is the simplest rule to follow when you want to find the truth. I have no idea on where this money trail leads, but I do know it's not anybody working for an hourly wage who's able to cause such endless heartache and grief . Click on some of Blands gifts to the transit riders below
( 2007 Service reductions Blands scorecard introduced )
( Transit Development Plan announced )
( Local 85 annouces a 18.5 million concession to save service. Bland said no)
( Steve Bland's Profile, How could such a brilliant man destroy this system? Unless of course that's the idea to begin with)
( Steve announces that he needs 15 million a year in concessions (9-2011) even though as you can see above he rejected 18 million a year to stave off reductions in March of the same year )
(Dan Million Dollar Onoratto clarifies his intentions March 2006 3 months before Bland is hired)
( 3 years and 1.3 million before Nelson-Nygaard supposedly invented it in 2009 with the Transit Development Plan or Connect "09" the transportation action team suggests in 2006 a Oakland circulator system connecting Bloomfield ,South Side,Lawrenceville and a rapid transit system between Oakland and Town . I believe the Transportation action team was voluntary but to validate their service reductions that mostly failed with Steve Blands famous "Scorecard" of 2007 they hired Nelson-Nygaard to sell swampland to the Transit rider of Allegheny County with "Connect 09")
( And this action annnouncing the Transportation Action team members almost a year after the idea was broached is where it all started to begin a transit overhaul to implement the crisis that was necessary for all the changes that have come and will come to Port Authority stakeholders)
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