From: Dehede011@aol.com
Date: Tue Feb 11 2003 - 17:49:49 MST
In a message dated 2/11/2003 6:28:46 PM Central Standard Time,
charleshixsn@earthlink.net writes: Still, this isn't a good example for mass
transit. Not yet. But from San Jose to San Francisco is. And people who
make the trip regularly tend to prefer the train, because it's faster and
less hassle. (To be fair, that should be "some people who make the trip
regularly".
Charles,
I come from a family that is frequently involved in politics. Your
letter and others set off warning bells in my mind.
I have to wonder how much this example you submitted is subsidized out
of the public trough and who the beneficiaries are? Your or someone
mentioned that GM was able to get a public transit system that worked removed
and that now you have a system that doesn't work. Unless they used political
pressure how did they manage to get that done? Did they pay someone off?
Let me give you example of how politics can pay off where folks
wouldn't expect it to. In my native Missouri we passed a law that each
driver getting a new driver's license has to pass a written test as well as a
performance test to get the license. Of course that law was sold as
beneficial to driving safety. But was that the motive for the Pols that got
out and sold the new law.
Let me explain my doubt. My uncle was a State Representative and
Chairman of the State Ways and Means Committee. That may have a different
name but I relate it to the US Congress names. My uncle got ambitious and
ran for State Treasurer -- the party had told him not to and consequently he
had to run against the party. He lost and after the party considered him
sufficiently punished he was brought back as manager of one of the State
Driver's License Examing Station. The party parked him in that position
until they had an office they wanted him to fill.
This is very common. As an elected official he was given certain
civil service jobs that were his to fill -- naturally his campaign workers
got those positions.
Charles, I could go on. There is a famous civil rights leader here in
the Chicago area. He had worked down South with a civil rights organization.
When he came to Chicago he was supposedly sent to whoever handled jobs for
the old Mayor Daly. The leader was offered a job as ticket taker or
something equally lowly on the Tri State Tollway. The leader was insulted
because he considered the job beneath him.
My point is that when we look at something like a publically owned
mass transit system you and I probably don't know what the real criteria or
intention is in operating that system. We don't know what graft is involved
and we don't know what the real payoff is.
Ron h.
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