Regional Transit Authority: I've seen the enemy, and it is us.
To add insult to injury, getting the RTA approved would save the city some of the $60MM a year from its budget which is currently being used to subsidize DDOT. That's money that could go toward more cops, firefighters...even toward Belle Isle. So who's in the way? Is it L. Brooks Patterson? The Tea Party? The Mayor of Troy? Detroit City Council?!!
None of the above.
http://www.freep.com/article/2012102...xt|FRONTPAGE|p
Quote:
It's politics. And race. And time-worn squabbles over power and control. Some legislators are concerned about how many appointees Gov. Rick Snyder will get on the transit authority board. Some are worried they'll look "weak" to Detroiters if they willingly cede control of the city's transportation infrastructure -- as if preserving control of a costly and dysfunctional bus system were a sign of strength...
Unfortunately, this no-show behavior tends to confirm outsiders' worst impressions of Detroit, and it overshadows the strong contributions of legislators who did show up, like state Sen. Bert Johnson, state Sen. Coleman Young II, state Rep. Fred Durhal and state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, among others. And for the record, folks at the meeting say the participants left LaHood with assurances they're ready to move forward.
Feeling motivated? Send an E-mail to one of the following, asking them to come to the table and make fair-minded compromises to do what has taken over 40 years: get a regional transit authority.Please reference State Bills S909 and S911.E-mail are here, phone numbers below...
LisaHowze@house.mi.gov,
AlbertaTalabi@house.mi.gov,
MaureenStapleton@house.mi.gov,
JohnOlumba@house.mi.gov,
FredDurhal@house.mi.gov,
JimmyWomack@house.mi.gov,
ThomasStallworth@house.mi.gov,
shanellejackson@house.mi.gov,
HarveySantana@house.mi.gov,
DavidNathan@house.mi.gov,
RashidaTlaib@house.mi.gov,
PaulClemente@house.mi.gov,
GeorgeTDarany@house.mi.gov,
bobconstan@house.mi.gov,
PhilCavanagh@house.mi.gov,
Michigan Representative
Please note, for locations, HOB = House Office Building and CB = Capitol Building.
State Rep. Lisa Howze Clarifies Her Position
Dear xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you for contacting me. I support legislation to create a Regional Transit Authority in Southeast Michigan. The article that you read today in the Detroit Free Press misrepresented my position and the importance I place on regional transportation.
As I commented in a post on the article, my absence from the meeting was due to me not having personal knowledge of the meeting.
Please note that the status of the legislation is that the bills remain in the Senate. If given an opportunity to vote on the bills in the House, you can be certain that I will be supportive.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again.
Sincerely,
Rep. Lisa Howze