2008 Woodie Awards
Politicians have missed the bus to reality
Elijah Turan
Issue date: 3/27/07 Section: Opinion
The commissioners of Lorain County may vote on a proposal to reduce the Lorain County Transit service on April 5.
As they sit comfortably within their bureaucratic chambers, paid for by Lorain's tax dollars, I hope they take this article out of their sporty briefcases, straighten up their business suits, and contemplate the following considerations.
First, I hope they discuss money. Certainly, a lack of money has led them to consider this budget reduction, but I want them to consider how this might do more economic harm than good.
How many public employees will be laid off? How many people will lose their jobs, or be forced to cut down on hours, because they can't make it to work?
How many students will drop out because they can't make it to class?
Will this affect the business district? Will customers be apt to go out and spend if it means waiting two hours for a bus? Would they even have the money to do so?
Second, the commissioners should think about the ethics of such a proposition. They should go to a bus stop, sit down and actually wait for a ride.
As they sit there, shivering in the cold, they should remind themselves that some people do this every day, not out of choice, but because they have to.
Next, the commissioners should think about the children of those transit riders. Maybe they should write letters to all the latch-key kids of Lorain and try to explain to them why their parents, already painfully absent, won't be around as much.
Speaking of children, how many of them will be affected by this? How many kids rely on the LCT to get home from day-care, sports meets and church?
Our elected officials talk a good fight about keeping children off the street, but their actions tell us otherwise.
Maybe the criminals and drug-dealers, numerous enough as they are, will see an over-crowded, neglected bus stop as a prospective business venue.
Next, I hope our commissioners think about why they entered politics. If they are conservative, they probably claim to espouse family values.
As they sit comfortably within their bureaucratic chambers, paid for by Lorain's tax dollars, I hope they take this article out of their sporty briefcases, straighten up their business suits, and contemplate the following considerations.
First, I hope they discuss money. Certainly, a lack of money has led them to consider this budget reduction, but I want them to consider how this might do more economic harm than good.
How many public employees will be laid off? How many people will lose their jobs, or be forced to cut down on hours, because they can't make it to work?
How many students will drop out because they can't make it to class?
Will this affect the business district? Will customers be apt to go out and spend if it means waiting two hours for a bus? Would they even have the money to do so?
Second, the commissioners should think about the ethics of such a proposition. They should go to a bus stop, sit down and actually wait for a ride.
As they sit there, shivering in the cold, they should remind themselves that some people do this every day, not out of choice, but because they have to.
Next, the commissioners should think about the children of those transit riders. Maybe they should write letters to all the latch-key kids of Lorain and try to explain to them why their parents, already painfully absent, won't be around as much.
Speaking of children, how many of them will be affected by this? How many kids rely on the LCT to get home from day-care, sports meets and church?
Our elected officials talk a good fight about keeping children off the street, but their actions tell us otherwise.
Maybe the criminals and drug-dealers, numerous enough as they are, will see an over-crowded, neglected bus stop as a prospective business venue.
Next, I hope our commissioners think about why they entered politics. If they are conservative, they probably claim to espouse family values.
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