A million dollar waste of your tax money ends March 1st in Newport News (Daily Press Feb 13, 2007). The ‘Jump Over Jeff’ bus service ends. A Federal grant and some city money paid for service between two new urban shopping/living districts, Port Warwick and City Center which are maybe a mile apart – ‘jumping over Jefferson’ Avenue. The tax money paid for two buses and drivers. It cost a quarter to ride. The buses averaged 12 riders a day. Twelve. One Dozen.
There’s $1.5m left on the grant, so Newport News bureaucrats will start up a new bus route connecting Christopher Newport University , the centers and a shopping mall until that money runs out.
It’s wrong that the Federal government has so much money to throw away in boondoogles. A million here and a million there and soon you are talking about real money (to paraphrase Everett Dirksen). A million dollars more in Medicaid would mean what to Virginia? Or in Social Security?
It’s wrong that Newport News would employ a grant writer and covet the money – just because it is there.
It’s wrong for both governments to waste money on a less than brilliant transportation ‘solution’. If there was a economic need for the service a commercial enterprise could provide it. The governments would do well to make sure there are no barriers to bus/taxi/jeepney/rickshaw service – because if it is needed so much, then the citizens will pay for it.
This genius for wasting money is the same thinking for the big six projects for Hampton Roads in the Transportation bills in conference committee – that actually INCREASE the congested miles after 20 years.
This genius for wasting money is found in the same people who will be running the new level of government – the same unelected, unaccountable, unseparated powers Regional Government in the same Transportation abortion bills.
Thanks tax and spend Republicans. Thanks a lot.