Young Detroiter angrily denounces bus route cuts announced by by Detroit Mayor Dave Bing in 2011.
From Tom Barrow, 9-BARROW (922-7769),Option 4
TEXT: Keyword “BARROW” to 313131
MAY 1, 2013
DETROIT — Detroit mayoral candidate Tom Barrow today criticized the vote by the SEMCOG Board that deprived the Detroit Department of Transportation of its much-needed federal subsidy of $7 million when the panel voted 22-8 last week.
Mayoral candidate Tom Barrow and family.
When the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments voted to change its funding formula to population rather than usage, which favored ridership and the users of the bus systems, for many years of allocations, it dramatically changed the relationship between Detroit and its suburban neighbors.
“This is not the regional cooperation envisioned by even Dave Bing’s administration, this is regional theft,” declared Barrow, 64, “and as we contemplate more regionalization of Detroit’s assets, Detroiters must evaluate the benefits of this concept because the reality in this instance just stinks to high heavens.”
Prior to this decision, federal funds for DDOT maintenance were targeted to Detroit’s bus system, DDOT, with a formula that was based on bus ridership, receiving 65% of the funds due to its dominance with approximately 115,000 daily ridership; SMART (Southeast Michigan Rapid Transit) has just 36,000 riders daily.
SEMCOG Executive Director Paul Tait
The new formula is now illogically based on population, not riders, with Detroit buses now receiving less than half of its historical allocation and SMART now receiving 51 percent of federal funding, and Detroit 49 percent.
The much-touted regionalization model fails the most basic test of its concept, and that is cooperation and coordination, Barrow said.
“Here is the most likely scenario: the loss of this subsidy will force the suspension of bus lines and loss of maintenance dollars, allowing the Emergency Financial Manager to then use this as an excuse to give away the bus system to the newly created regional authority, and then raise bus fares on Detroiters” Barrow stated.
In a Barrow administration, any talk of regionalization will begin with an agreement that Detroit officials will appoint the majority of the board.
Child carries sign: Jim Crow is dead, during Dr. MLK Day march in 2011 from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. High School.
Barrow asserted “We must always be in a position to protect our assets, our jewels, from this kind of rapacious behavior that reeks of the old South and its poll taxes, grandfather clauses and rewriting of the rules to benefit one group over another, and that will end when I am elected.”
“The essence of cooperation is mutual respect, and this decision clearly and unequivocally says to Detroiters that our suburban partners have neither respect for us as citizens and most certainly do not respect the current City leadership. That has to change or we are in for more stripping of federal dollars in the regionalization hoax that has been perpetrated against us.”
Barrow plans to address this issue in a letter to Transportation Secretary LaHood and his recently announced successor, Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx.
“We cannot rely upon this present Mayor or Kevyn Orr to represent our interests in the forceful way needed that results in protecting Detroit, not surrendering it,” concluded Barrow.
Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh addresses the RTA supporters crowd in the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) office in 1001 Woodward. Transportation Riders United and regional transit supporters held a march, from Rosa Park Transit Center to the SEMCOG offices in 1001 Woodward, and birthday party including balloons and cake for the first meeting of the Regional Transit Authority with its county representatives. (Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com)
D-DOT FUNDING CUT A DIRECT RESULT OF BING AND CITY COUNCIL MAJORITY’S COLLUSION WITH SNYDER ADMINISTRATION, FEDS
May 1, 2013
By Diane Bukowski
Detroit — Why Detroit Mayor Dave Bing or the City Council majority should express shock at the cut in D-DOT funding is beyond comprehension. Their collusion with the administration of Michigan “Ric-tator” Snyder, as well as unfortunately, President Barack Obama’s Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, opened the door for the complete dismantling of Detroit’s transportation system.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and Mayor Dave Bing in Detroit Oct. 12, 2012.
LaHood came to Detroit last October to champion regionalization of transit along with Snyder and Bing, allegedly to open up the door for a light rail system. Their hidden agenda is now plainly revealed.
Bing said from the beginning that he and Synder were “joined at the hip,” while Council members Charles Pugh, Kenneth Cockrel, Jr. and James Tate journeyed to Lansing to help the state draft the Public Act 4 consent agreement which opened the door to current Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr. Five council members voted for that on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination April 4, 2012.
The Council majority of Pugh, Cockrel Jr., Tate, Gary Brown, Saunteel Jenkins, and Andre Spivey has since voted to approve costly contracts with Miller Canfield, the firm which helped draft PA 4; Ernst & Young, being sued by New York and New Jersey for complicity in the downfall of Lehman Brothers in 2008; Miller Buckfire, now owned by Stifel Financial, repeatedly sued for fraud, Milliman, notorious for attacking pension systems, and finally, the crowning blow, the contract with Jones Day, Orr’s law firm. They have willingly handed over control of Detroit to the banksters who are gang raping the city.
- These five Council members voted for the consent agreement; Andre Spivey joined them in other disastrous votes.
Now they want to sue to stop the de-funding of D-DOT, and guess what–ORR SAYS NO! Today, Council members Saunteel Jenkins and Gary Brown complained about cuts in the City Council’s budget which will eliminate their Detroit police security detail. They have good cause for worry. How much longer can they remain in office before Detroiters rise up in fury and exact justice for the people of the poorest city in the country?
Related articles:
http://voiceofdetroit.net/2013/01/18/the-gang-rape-of-detroit/
