George Nemeth · One for Polensek, one against

August 5th, 2008

Last week I found myself disagreeing with Polensek over the proposed carwash for 185th St. While I’m glad he’s taking a stand against the RTA’s proposed cuts (particularly the elimination of ALL community circulators), I don’t think he’s helping the case by being angry:

An angry Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek spoke for most of the people at the Tuesday afternoon meeting when he said “the cuts you are proposing are falling on the backs of working men and women, the elderly and the poor.”

He said elimination of some circulator routes will harm riders and the businesses who serve them, noting that RTA will stand for “Return To Automobiles.”

Polensek acknowledged to role of fuel prices, but blamed some of RTA’s costs on “million-dollar articulated buses,” the $200 million Euclid Corridor Project, and the Lakefront Line extension of the RTA rapid system.

Interesting that the deficit for public transportation is equal to the revenue from the new Cuyahoga County tax set aside for the proposed Medical Mart (that isn’t happening). Which would you rather invest in? Public transportation or convention center space? What’ll have more of an economic development impact?

RTA riders decry proposed cuts, price hikes

Category: Collinwood, Economic Development, Sustainability

10 Responses to “One for Polensek, one against”

  1. Chris Alvarado Says:
    August 5th, 2008 at 8:03 pm

    I wish that Polensek had George Zeller providing him information on why RTA is proposing cuts: namely because state funding has not kept up with public transportation needs. Some of that anger would be better directed towards the state or the feds, rather than RTA. It’s like getting angry at the checkout person for the cost of groceries.

  2. George Nemeth Says:
    August 5th, 2008 at 8:10 pm

    Thanks, Chris. I doubt he reads BFD, or he’d better understand the situation. Nice grocery metaphor.

  3. Derek Arnold Says:
    August 5th, 2008 at 9:06 pm

    Chris is right.

    We live in a state of, by and for the freeway. Those who hold the purse strings and ODOT seem to forget about folks that don’t drive, whether it’s an optional choice (such as for commuters) or for people who use transit as their primary conveyance.

  4. Carole Cohen Says:
    August 5th, 2008 at 9:39 pm

    If they could pump that tax money into public transportation instead of the medical mart and let the funding for the med mart come from private enterprise or not happen, I would not be disappointed. Yes we need more jobs in NE Ohio but we need a viable public transportation system in order to make our economy thrive. That foundation is not there.

    Also, has RTA and Cleveland and Cuyahoga County done everything they can to increase the amount of State funding which supposedly has dropped 63%? Are there companies (like the big ones, Eaton, etc) who would be willing to provide funding for a tax break? Someone can tell me if this is reasonable, but it came to me while I was pondering.

  5. lmcshane Says:
    August 5th, 2008 at 9:51 pm

    This SHOULD put Chris Ronayne’s recent plea to prioritize for the Opportunity Corridor in the trash can, but, of course, it won’t. Any state transportation monies should be spent in shoring up public transportation, not constructing superhighways for the uber-rich.

  6. lmcshane Says:
    August 6th, 2008 at 1:00 am

    Polensek found redemption by learning to see without blinders. Some of his early detractors now love him, because he SEES commonality, not differences.

  7. lmcshane Says:
    August 6th, 2008 at 1:04 am

    Where are Cimperman, Santiago and Cummins at these meetings? Or our other east side representatives. They still have a chance to redeem themselves by speaking out against these proposed changes.

  8. George Nemeth Says:
    August 6th, 2008 at 1:11 pm

    What was the commonality he saw with the woman who opposed the car wash? What about Arsenio Winston?

    Maybe those 3 were turned away at the door.

  9. Carole Cohen Says:
    August 6th, 2008 at 3:12 pm

    Now that the ‘committee’ is supposedly recommending the Med Mart and Convention Ctr be located at Tower City (big surprise), I most definitely think we should scratch the idea and use the tax monies for public transportation.

  10. will Says:
    August 7th, 2008 at 3:44 pm

    Lmcshane,

    I figure that the west side councilmen will be at tonight’s meeting in Brooklyn. I’ll see tonight.