Editor,
I was pleased to see your announcement of City Hall’s decision to cut bus service somewhat offseason. The city cost is $1.2 million annually.
I noticed on front page just below this article the city pension plan is in trouble with a predicted deficit of $2.5 million by 2022.
I ride an E bike in town to TOW for virtually all my in town errands.
Consequently I see the alarming (feather bedding) at tax payers expense… $1.1 million for predominantly empty buses.
Solution: Simply cut service in half and fund the pension plan with the $550,000 per annum savings.
I’d be most curious exactly how many riders in winter time go to TOW, Bluebird or Arch Beach Heights at 6:30 a.m. or 2:15 p.m.
Thanks for pointing out the problem and solution on the front page.
BTW, I left messages with Paula Faust 497-0303 and Robert Sedita 497-0740, public works and transit managers. Thus far no return call.
Government is best that governs least … so says Thoreau and as far back as Jefferson.
Norman Rest, Laguna Beach
The problem with the budget and the cost of operating the transit system is the majority of the financing is on the books as subsidies from government programs it’s money in the budget yes but it’s main purpose can only be earmarked for public transportation.
Your elected officials are looking at the writing on the wall in Washington to make the needed adjustments to those services that will be affected by their cut backs.
The residents of the surrounding hill top communities would benefit more from the transit service if it was not as frequent a service schedule but later in conjunction with the county buses at least till 9pm. Not that this would help everyone I think everyone that has tried to commute by public transportation soon knows that it’s model for consistently and reliability falls short of ideal.