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2. July 2, 2009 - The Bus
Are Taxpayers shouldering the financial burden for a transportation "system" that is dysfunctional and broken?
I have made it perfectly clear from the beginning that I think the BUS was premature and ill conceived. I agreed with Jim Adkins when he said to just take the keys out of the BUS. However, it seems that the other Commissioners don’t feel that way.
Let me share some background on the BUS with you. Originally the contract for the BUS was 1.7 Million dollars a year. The Feds were to pay 50%, the State 25% and the County 25%. Well that didn’t last long, the State quickly started reducing its share and at last count is down to about 12%.
That means the Federal Government pays $850,000. “WE”, the taxpayers of Hernando County, pay $650,000 and the State chips in $200,000. This also includes the vans that transport those people that have special needs.
The County renegotiated the contract a while back when they were under pressure to stop the BUS and cut the contract by almost $100,000. Which means we were paying too much to begin with?
The Commissioners want to keep the BUS not to transport the people, but to maintain the Counties’ membership in TBARTA, (Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority) which is the mass transit system Hillsborough and other Counties want to make happen. This system is years out at best, so we are expected to pay thousands of tax dollars to be part of something that may never happen.
I addressed the Commission a few weeks ago, telling them,” The BUS would never work just running up and down 50 and 19. Why not go to all the gated communities and arrange to make a schedule through them, having them supply an area for the residents to park their golf carts or cars and put up a shelter for the residents to use. For the open neighborhoods find churches or community centers that would allow their parking lots to be used as a pick up point for people to go shopping.
Finally if they are taxed for the BUS, why not have a BUS go to the outlining communities like Ridge Manor, Masaryktown, Istachatta, and Hernando Beach once in the morning and afternoon. If not, then Park It! We could still continue to contract the special need vans servicing those who need them.
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Political advertisement paid for and approved by Wayne Dukes (R) for Hernando County Commissioner District 2
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