Like most cities, Cincinnati has a chubby for building a street car system in the city.
But if you look at photos and videos of streetcars in other cities you'll notice two distinct characteristics of those cars.
1) They look kind of cool
2) They're almost always empty
Case in point, this photo of the Tampa cars. Notice the one person on this car the photo is taken in and notice the whopping two passengers in the car across the way.
Here's another.
So while the city is spending valuable resources trying to get these crime magnets into the budget, they might actually consider using those funds for cops.
More....
7 comments:
Libs are still smarting from the '80's when President Reagan made the case against large public transportation investments.
He brilliantly, and correctly, pointed out that ridership on Miami's expensive train system was so low that it would have been cheaper to provide a door to door limosine service for each rider.
It can be shown that the streetcar would be the same situation. It will be a net loser for the city. If it had profit potential it would have been built privately by now.
Unfortunately, liberal logic dictates that's the reason it needs to be built publicly. Only after cincinnati takes on another huge debt obligation will our leaders recognize the failed business case. By then it's conveniently too late.
Building the Streetcar will not use funds that could be spent on Police Officers and Fire Fighters. The Streetcar will be funded with funds from the Capital Budget (the budget used to make investments in bridges, roads, rail, etc.) Police Officers and Fire Fighters are paid with funds from the Operating Budget (the budget used to pay salaries and fund the pension). By law, Capital Funds cannot be used to pay Operating expenses.
1) As Brad mentioned above, the City's portion of the project would come from a completely separate funding source (legally separated) than that which funds cops etc.
2) The Streetcar project WILL NOT RAISE TAXES!!!
3) The increased taxes generated by the (re)development and re-population of the areas around the line will create additional revenue for the city to spread over other services/projects and neighborhoods.
4) Miami's rail system is actually quite successful.
5) Every public transportation system in the US is subsidized (as are all road networks and increasingly the auto industry). The payoff comes in the form of additional jobs and taxes and an overall more accessible and vibrant city.
6) FWIW, the Tampa streetcars look in no way like those that Cincinnati is proposing. Cincy's will be a much more modern version.
First, I'm guessing that Mayor Mallory's trips and the people assigned to get the federal funds for this project directly come from the city's operating budget.
Second, I don't care where the money comes from, a waste of taxpayer dollars is a waste.
Third, instead of chasing Quixote type rail cars systems how about all you rail guys put your energies to something useful like getting the Brent Spence bridge replaced. A certifiably needed project.
Fourth, none of you objected to the empty rail cars outside of saying that all public transportation is subsidized.
Not a persuasive argument for the system.
Second, instead of the city soending it
I forgot. The rail system won't raise your taxes...... Today. But just like Union Terminal, The Zoo, and Queen City Metro....
When you build a trough they will come.
Then you'll have your tax increases.
"Miami's rail system is actually quite successful."
The system is designed for 250,000 passengers a day and it carries 20,000 a day. Yes, in government that type of overcapitalization creates jobs. Namely lobbyists and union lawyers.
In that sense I'm sure it was a huge success.
Regarding the wall between capital and operational: It seems ironic to me that counsel creates and strictly follows a law that protects the city from spending money that it HAS. But it doesn't have a law to protect it from spending money it DOES NOT have. I'm referring to Cincinnati borrowing $27M from our children to finance this year's fiscal budget.
Paying for cops will do far more to enhance city business than a toy train shuttling hobo's around town.
I say if it's a choice between going into debt vs. dipping into capital to head off insolvency, you use you capital and delay the pet projects for a while.
What we are doing now is analogous to my family taking a $10,000 cash advance on my mastercard to make mortgage payments so I still have that $20,000 that I set aside for the down payment on the lamborghini. And I sill don't have a plan for funding the $4,000 oil changes.
Yes. I know about the law that prevents mixing of funds. That law should be amended to allow drawing of capital funds during operational shortfalls. Or, at the very least there should be an amendment that explicitly prohibits major expenitures from the capital budget if the operational side is carrying revolving debt. Balance sheet 101 people. This is how I run my personal finances and it does wonders for my stess level. It could do the same for our city.
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