QG's Boston Protests You Might Like Thread

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

From time to time the people I yell at buildings with decide to yell about something that may be relevant to everyone's interest. When that happens, I'll post em here, unless people complain in which case I won't.

Today, Occupy and a bunch of other folks are going down to the State House to yell about the MBTA situation. If you haven't been following it, it's a steaming pile of shit. Basically, the MBTA got saddled with a lot of Big Dig debt for no sensible reason, and as a result they can't make ends meet despite their best efforts. The two plans on the table are: HUGE FARE INCREASES (with service cuts) or MASSIVE SERVICE CUTS (with fare increases). Neither one is tolerable. I don't pretend to know where the money should be coming from, but I do know that the DOT shouldn't be using the MBTA as their piggy bank.

Public Hearing: 3 pm at the State House
Rally: 5 pm outside the State House
Oh, yeah, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated 44 years ago today, we should probably have like a vigil or some shit: 8 pm

Any Boston are a spags are strongly encouraged to come. I don't have to tell any of you how important the T is for this city.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Argh the t!

[LMNO]

Much as I hate to do this...

Aw, who am I kidding?

The key point is that despite the moniker "Big Dig Debt," all of these projects directly relate to transit expansion or improvements like extending the commuter rail on the South Shore and to Worcester, adding parking spaces, building out the Fairmount Line — not roadways and, certainly, not the Big Dig. They came about as a result of an agreement that had to be signed in order for the environmental permitting around the Big Dig to take place. Some suggest that another driver behind the signing was to lock in a commitment to transit expansion and that the air quality justification for the agreement was flawed.

http://blogs.bostonmagazine.com/boston_daily/2012/02/29/mbta-big-dig-debt/


So, yeah.  The fact of the matter is that the T is one of the cheapest Metro Transit programs in the country; and by trying to minimize administrative costs, they've created huge inefficiencies, which leads to greater debt.  It has nothing to do with the Big Dig, and everything with people who want more service for less money.

[Cain]

"I want tomorrow's hamburger at last week's prices" does tend to be a poor policy, yes.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

an agreement that had to be signed in order for the environmental permitting around the Big Dig to take place.

You bolded the relevant bit. If you're not up for it that's cool, I just don't want to lose the school bus.

[LMNO]

Yeah, if they were going to increase the potential number of cars pumping out exhaust into downtown Boston, they needed to offset that with increased public transportation.

I suppose it depends how you veiw the linking of expanded rail service to digging a tunnel, but I really don't think the MBTA costs are "from" the Big Dig.  All that debt is directly related to expanding the subways and commuter rail.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

This could be completely wrong, but when I lived on the North Shore and took the T from Lynn to Danvers to work, one of the bus drivers used to slip me a transfer to ride home free when I got off work. He said fares didn't mean shit to the T, fares were pocket change and they got tons of state funding.

This was late 90's through 2001 or so. The Big Dig was going on and there was a big embezzlement scandal around it, don't remember the details but there was a ton of money missing. Everybody's crooked, just sayin'.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

"Big Dig" is Bostonian for "cronyism, fraud, incompetence, corner-cutting, embezzlement, and corruption of public officials."

[LMNO]

...and, "a highway that slows down to 45mph while driving under massive shit-tons of rock and water."

[Doktor Howl]

"I want tomorrow's hamburger at last week's prices" does tend to be a poor policy, yes.

Making a sticker out of that.

[Cain]

"I want tomorrow's hamburger at last week's prices" does tend to be a poor policy, yes.

Making a sticker out of that.

Hamburgers, time and prices have surpisingly effective powers of explanation.

I could probably write a popular book based around the concept.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

...and, "a highway that slows down to 45mph while driving under massive shit-tons of rock and water."

"Driving under shit-tons of rock and water" combined with the "corner-cutting" QGP mentioned doesn't bode well.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

"I want tomorrow's hamburger at last week's prices" does tend to be a poor policy, yes.

Making a sticker out of that.

Hamburgers, time and prices have surpisingly effective powers of explanation.

I could probably write a popular book based around the concept.

Am in favor, A++

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

...and, "a highway that slows down to 45mph while driving under massive shit-tons of rock and water."

"Driving under shit-tons of rock and water" combined with the "corner-cutting" QGP mentioned doesn't bode well.

It's only killed two people so far... 

[Freeky]

"I want tomorrow's hamburger at last week's prices" does tend to be a poor policy, yes.

Making a sticker out of that.

Hamburgers, time and prices have surpisingly effective powers of explanation.

I could probably write a popular book based around the concept.

I'd buy it.  Hardback, too.