April busing info

I have been asked by a regular blogger to excerpt from the April issue, and have done so below this paragraph. I probably will not have the opportunity to return to this blogging forum, but if, after reading, you find yourself thinking, gee this is really something but what can I do, here is the bottom line, and I quote Pascoe below: "If city officials do not care about me when it comes time for me to get to work and back, then I do not care for them when it comes time for me to vote them out." Put your city officials on notice by phone or e-mail or letter: fix this or go home. Then, be fair, give them until this June to fix it when they declare their annual budget from 7/1/09-6/30/10. Fixing the shortfall gives them a second chance. Not fixing it sends your vote to each of the differently-minded and right-thinking challengers in the February 2010 primary and April 2010 general election for mayor and both at-large seats. And there will be challengers this time; the three of them are already writing their platforms, incorporating beneficial programs, and making ready to run. Same for the 2012 four district seats. Out of about 110,000 Independence citizens (2007 census), about 77,000 are currently registered to vote. However, in the general (local) elections, only 22,000 to 28,500 actually do vote. If you are one who voted, let them know that the vote they count on is in jeopardy. If you did not vote, let them know that you will add to that jeopardy. You have the right, and the duty, to flex your citizen muscle.
"Independence city officials pulling their small but required $45,445 co-contribution of the public bus transit funding in October 2007 resulted in cutting the #291 Yellow/#293 Red dual line set of bus runs that largely serve the fixed-income elderly, the disabled, and the socio-economically deprived. At one end of the bus line is the largest projects in the greater Kansas City metro area, Hawthorne Place with 2500 people and 744 units. At the other end of the dual route is Blue River Community College of 3100 students, many of them from Hawthorne Place, who lost their Pell and other educational grants when they could no longer get to school on time to attend. The #293 Red/#291 Yellow dual line set of bus runs that ran directly opposite were left intact. The dual line set that was cut was specifically the one that could get the students to the college in time for their morning classes. Justification? Obsolete PTAC (Public Transportation Advisory Committee) study findings dated a full year earlier from research numbers culled even earlier than that, all of which had completely reversed in terms of heaviest and lightest usages. Also was ignored the summary statement that repeatedly warned against any cuts; that the least of the cuts would still be dangerously destructive. Preference of where to spend the monies? Pet projects also benefitting affluent elitist business associates, such as spending $150,000 per block to "streetscape" 95 blocks of the local Square so that there will be matching flower pots, matching garbage cans, matching benches, widening of the already wide boulevard-type sidewalks, and cute little arches. The dual route also served 2 HUD low-income elderly housing facilities, 9 other large HUD low-income projects, a nursing home, a HUD low-income disabled home, a home for low-income emotionally disabled veterans, a homeless shelter, a group home, and the center that treats those in the group homes. It also served a local middle school and high school, and students not being bused by school buses used it to attend. It even served a local elementary school. This dual-line set of bus routes bus that also connected with 5 other bus routes was the only hope for a future as well as for survival for literally thousands of good people who are trying to better themselves so that they can turn around and help others get a leg up, and the city officials revoked the funding. This particular public bus line double route of 10 daily runs typically removed an average of 18 cars every single hour and 180 cars per day off the streets; cars that are typically very old and in disrepair, and therefore greater contributors to the pollution and fouling of the air quality factor, because of the socio-economic deprivation of the groups (disabled, fixed-income elderly, and working or job-seeking or school-attending poor) who would be forced to drive such as they could afford were it not for this bus line. That is only the October 2007 cuts. Now we have even more severe service reduction on 4 of the 5 remaining bus routes when the January 2009 withholding of co-contribution funding occurred. Failure to pay $198,000 gouged a 2-hour chunk of weekday service in the middle of the morning on the remaining 4 intra-city bus routes, effective January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009. The 4 newly endangered lines are: #183 Green, #284 Purple, #285 Blue, #292 Orange. They affect more thousands of citizens in areas running the full gamut of Independence, and together represent cutting critical survival service for an additional 2 HUD low-income elderly housing facilities, 6 other large HUD low-income projects, 3 nursing homes, 3 HUD low-income disabled homes, 4 group homes, 3 State office buildings, 4 children’s schools, 2 adult colleges, a public library, Centerpoint hospital, Amtrak, and numerous medical offices, dental offices, vision care centers, churches, and pretty much every single bit of retail except for the newly developed area at I-70/I-470/291 Highway. To suddenly eliminate and/or restrict the current level of public busing upon which the community has learned to trust and rely upon constantly and consistently for over a decade without providing equal alternative realistic options is not only unfair, but exemplifies a frightening and offensive lack of social responsibility as well as common sense and ethics. To invoke this wrong onto the socio-economically deprived, the working poor, the disabled, and the fixed-income elderly is bordering on that which is criminal. Failure to provide, keep, or not reallocate elsewhere funding required and slated for public busing on the part of local government is not and should not be the fault, burden, or problem of the citizenry not responsible for it. Citizens who elect public officials do so with the intent of having confidence of receiving fair and ethical treatment in public services and in leadership as well as ethical and dependable financial responsibility. Local businesses, merchants, schools, and healthcare concerns understand that many clients, customers, and employees all depend on current levels of busing to conduct business, shop and spend money, increase education, and receive treatment to rehabilitate, get well, stay well, or even just to survive. Many see a reduction and/or elimination of bus services, and rightfully so, as a restriction of free trade imposed by local government thwarting their right to do necessary business and thrive. Besides SAFETEA-LU, TANF, and WtW, there are at least 10 other government grant programs available to the City of Independence for public bus transit funding. In 2007, Lee’s Summit got $712,727 from SAFETEA-LU alone. If we do not apply, we will never know how much we could and should be getting. So the question is: Why are we not applying for and using our portion of their available money? Finally, from President Obama’s stimulus plan final formulas, the state of Missouri now has, among otherwise designated monies, $85 million strictly and only allocated to be spent on transit and nothing else. Due to where transit exists in Missouri, almost all of it was split between the greater Kansas City and St. Louis areas, with far more than what all of Kansas City needs to cover their current economic shortfall for the deficit impact to the whole KCATA, leaving a whole lot extra to spread around. Again, this begs the question to Mayor Reimal, his council members, and deputy city manager John Pinch: Why are we also not officially lining up for our cut of that nice piece of pie? The $198,000 needed to fully restore all public bus transit cuts is now far less due to the fact that the full figure was for all of calendar year 2009, and as of this moment would have 3 months prorated down from it. If amount due were to be paid today, it would be only $148,500 for the rest of 2009 fully restored, both the January 2009 and October 2007 cuts. We do not ask for that which is new or unreasonable, only to maintain what precious little is in place to be kept in place and to restore the cuts of October 2007 and January 2009. We want city officials to step up to the plate because this is financially doable. Erin Burroughs, CPIBT Chair (Committee to Preserve Independence Bus Transit)”
“R.O.A.M. (Riders On A Mission)
I want to know if Heacock is going to start riding the buses that he is cutting now that he’s convicted of drinking and driving. Oh, but wait a minute. Final outcome of his case: dismissed, as though it never happened. Those of us who have ever paid just one traffic ticket are outraged that a totally different set of rules apply to Heacock despite his many prior DWI offenses. No one else who rides the buses gets a chauffeur-driven designated driver, and they didn’t even drive drunk, but he gets rewarded for his misbehavior. Rhonda Owen
Independence causing their buses to be cut will only hurt their own city in the long run, because large numbers of people will not be able to get out here to spend taxable money. Chris Miller
The city of Independence has a first-class, state-of-the-art bus facility. Hopefully one day, the bus service for the city of Independence will be first-class and state-of-the-art to match. Charles Wilmore
I believe that Independence city officials do not wish to have any kind of public transportation whatsoever. The powers that be are inept and incompetent. M. Statham
If it weren’t for the buses, my whole family would be on the street for lack of finding a job. Corwin Golden
We should have people on the city council who are more sympathetic to the bus riders. Cutting 2 hours out of the morning service is a dangerous inconvenience. We paid more money, but now have less bus service. It is a breach of contract to withhold their small part of the funding formula caused by the bad economy. The bus system is an integral part of the Independence community. Joe Wrinkle
How are you supposed to get around to and from work? Many who work over here in Independence depend on the bus. Are they trying to make it a ghost town out here? D. Eskridge
Cutting buses definitely effects people’s jobs. People are already losing 3 hours of their life per day waiting for morning buses to resume running or forced to go hours too early for their jobs to start. Kerigan Kennedy
It is not right the way they are doing with citizens, not caring whether people have jobs or have any way to get to doctor appointments. P. Kane
The situation stinks. People at City Hall are idiots. A. Friedman
Is anybody out there? Does anybody care if I get home or to work or die? The city certainly does not. Howard Higgins
If there is not enough busing, you cannot get to your doctor appointments or the hospital. Why do the city officials want that on their conscience? Mary Butler
If city officials do not care about me when it comes time for me to get to work and back, then I do not care for them when it comes time for me to vote them out. Rick Pascoe
The city officials are supposed to be representatives of the people, not dictators funding only their own elitist pork barrel projects and dumping the people out the back door as so much trash. Barbara Darr
I am completely disabled and ride a scooter wheelchair. This service is so needed not only for the disabled, but for the elderly and working poor. Independence city officials: Please take our requests to heart and we will thank you by voting for you again and believing in you. Joyce Simpson
My wife and I are both totally blind. Cutting the bus service takes away our access to Independence Center, Walmart, and other shopping areas. David Plumlee
Independence city officials: Please do not take bus service away from Independence and its people. I feel this would be a shame if service was slowly taken away because it would ruin the lives of hardworking people and their families, the elderly, disabled, and those with children trying to make ends meet. God bless this effort; please let it be upheld and passed for the good of our people and children. Lorraine Tonelli
I worry that if the city officials keep up with cutting more and more bus service, I won’t be able to keep my job that I need or get to my Special Olympics sporting events, and I have won many awards for how good I do in them. I also worry that my mom won’t be able to get to her many medical and other appointments. I would also lose my volunteering at the fire station if I couldn’t get there by bus. Antonio Owens
I have no car; the only transportation I have is the bus. I work downtown; I take the express bus. The bus is how I get around town in Independence to get groceries and other shopping. With the cuts in service, it takes longer to shop, and some I cannot get to for lack of time. People who do not own cars depend on the bus, and with cutting service, they cannot get to where they need to go. For one week, city officials should park their cars and depend on the bus. Kathy Kelley
I am a homeowner living in Independence, and own and operate a small business of 12 people in Independence. I choose to be part of the solution, and not part of the problem, so I elect not to drive, and only have employees who are willing to depend on public transit to and from work. I also encourage them to use public transit rather than drive outside of work. Cutting bus service is committing an undeserved death sentence to my tax revenue generating business and the ongoing livelihood of my environmentally and economically conscientious employees. Further cuts and clear-cut bad intentions on the part of the city officials will cause me to willingly sell my home at a deep discount, and move my family and business to a more right-minded community governed by common sense rather than greed. Kate Meghan O’Sullivan
My question for the corrupt city officials is: What would Jesus do? Randy Owen”