illusionofjoy | More letters about mass transit

Preaching to politicians generally doesn't work, seeing as how most of them lack souls. However, this doesn't stop me. In a democracy, everyone gets a chance to mouth off:

To: Rep. Brett Feese <bfeese@pahousegop.com>, Rep. John Maher <jmaher@pahousegop.com>
Subject: Your comments about mass transit funding
Representatives Feese & Maher–
In today's edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, I was privy to an article entitled "Angry GOP accuses Rendell of creating 'false' transit crisis." In this article, both of you are quoted saying that Governor Rendell did not provide the legislature with all of the facts regarding transit funding, specifically regarding his final decision to "flex" federal highway funds in order to prevent cutbacks that would effectively cripple mass transit systems in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

As a regular user of mass transit in the city of Pittsburgh, I have sat on the edge of my seat, so to speak, for quite some time now, waiting for the state legislature to secure dedicated funding for mass transit in the state of Pennsylvania. There is no false crises here - the fact that there remains no dedicated funding for mass transit in of itself is proof of that. The governor should not be forced to transfer funds already earmarked for other projects in order to prevent users of mass transit from being left in the lurch - if only temporarily. It is the legislature's apparent apathy on the issue of mass transit that has forced the governor's hand, not the other way around.

More to the point, the comments you two have made greatly disappointed me because they are unbecoming of individuals who have chosen careers in public service. For far too long, the issue of funding mass transit in Pennsylvania has been "a political football," and your comments only serve as an attempt to pass the blame when, in reality, you are merely fumbling the truth. It is my greatest desire to see those in the field of public service - which you, Rep. Feese and Rep. Maher are - to eschew the myopia of their party alignment and focus on the people of the whole state of Pennsylvania. You have a duty to do what is best for all citizens of this state, not just those who have registered Republican and not just those who reside within your respective districts.

Once again, as a regular user of mass transit, I am thankful that Governor Rendell was able to flex federal highway funds to prevent service cuts and fare increases. However, this is not a permanent solution. Now is the time for the legislature to work with the governor in order to procure dedicated funding for mass transit in Pennsylvania. To do any less would not be in the interest of public service, and would serve to further distance you from your job descriptions.

–
Seth Warren
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Pittsburgh, PA XXXXX
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http://www.illusionofjoy.net

Then, there are those individuals who are so stupid and self-centred that they deserve to be kicked in the head - even if it is only via my superior linguistics. In four paragraphs, Brad Wheeler drew an image of himself in my mind of a morbidly obese Caucasian man, sitting in a "hummer," drinking expensive mineral water. Never mind that none of that may be true - that is simply the mental image his letter to the editor brought to my head. Once again, in a democracy, everyone gets a chance to mouth off:

In response to Brad Wheeler's letter on March 8th ("Irresponsible bailout"), I have to say that he needs to stop being part of the problem and become part of the solution. His main argument centres around the fact that the bus line which runs past his place of residence is underused, therefore it is yet another example of Port Authority wastefulness. It is his assertion that an organisation that wastes so much funds does not deserve to be saved via Governor Rendell's fiscal deus ex machina.

Might I propose a small step in solving Mr. Wheeler's underused bus problem? Instead of watching the nearly-empty bus roll past every day, perhaps he should ride it for himself in order to get to where he may be going on a daily basis. Being as the route runs right past his house, convenience isn't an issue; he should be able to walk right to the stop, unless he has an exceptionally long driveway. Then again, Mr. Wheeler might have some anxieties about riding with a handful of people who would likely have been quite put out had the Port Authority taken his suggestions to cut the route to heart.

Here's to the 1^st Amendment - may it never die! Cheers!