Wednesday, July 06, 2011

You Say Fiscal Challenge, I Say Lack of Leadership


In the Sunday Journal, Mayor Larry Abraham, also the vice chairman of the Rio Metro RTD, wrote about how it was our fiscal responsibility to cut weekend service. He went on at length to explain how it was inevitable given falling tax revenues and ending government subsidies. This is the typical, exhausting, lazy leadership we hear excuses from time and time again.

What about the money that 4,000 plus people save on a daily basis. Their money in turn goes toward purchasing more goods and services in the community rather than paying for gas (which in turn doesn't nearly pay the price of roads). Then there's vehicle maintenance. Did I forget air quality? The railrunner has spurred development in downtown Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Los Lunas, Belen, etc. Does that economic development get counted?

With real leadership at Rio Metro, we'd have more transit oriented development around our stations, which would lead to a more viable system that is more useful to greater amounts of people as well. This eventuality is the only means to making this system truly viable.

Thanks for taking the lead on that questionable vote, next time keep your hand down. Thanks. Perhaps next he'll suggest an enlarged 4th Street through Los Ranchos?

2 comments:

lion said...

Each year New Mexico spends hundreds of millions on our roads and bridges that don't pay for themselves. but I don't here the anti Rail Runner people clamoring for toll roads (ala the East Coast) to make up these deficits. An interesting web site is www.smarthrowthamerica.org which goes into detail what every state spends annually on roads. Plus it points out that traditionally public transportation creates more permanent sustainable jobs and development (e.g.: Santa Fe Railyard area) than road projects that often become boondoggles for various political districts.

Tim said...

Thanks for that link, lion. It's a goldmine. Hopefully the coming election cycle will give us some leaders that truly understand this