An Open Letter Regarding The Clifton Boulevard Project
To Whom It May Concern:
Our country was created of the people, by the people, and for the people. We chose representatives to do OUR will for OUR BENEFIT. It seems that the peoples' will and benefit doesn't matter to politicians anymore. The will of bureaucrats, big business and profits are getting top priority- not the needs of the people. It's time for "we the people" to stand up, take notice- and act. We cannot let the mismanaged bureaucracy continue to run us into the group while claiming it's for the greater good. It is not true!
I am specifically writing about the way our cities and countries are spending OUR money. As a taxpayer and citizen, we expect the money received by the government to be used for the things we NEED and WANT as a society and will benefit from. The politicians that we vote for to represent us in government are supposed to see that our hard earned dollars are used appropriately to better our society.
In this time of unemployment when funds are scarce throughout the country and especially bad in Northeast Ohio- we really need to look at our priorities. Personally, I think the needs of people come before things that politicians want. New buildings, new roads, new bus shelters, and beautiful plants are not as important to the citizens of Northeast Ohio as food, shelter, health care, and transportation. Why would politicians and political appointees think that these things would be more important to us than the well-being of our fellow citizens?
I understand that monies are designated to be spent on certain items of importance and if not used for that purpose, they are forfeited. I understand that we need to maintain our roads and communities. But we aren't taking care of our children, our elderly and our citizens. I see great amounts of money being used to "improve" the looks of our cities, while our public transportation is failing from mismanagement and a lack of funding. Do we really want to live in a society where the people are going hungry, but our parks are pretty? Where seniors can't get to their medical appointments, but our new median looks beautiful? Where the property values of a few increase, but many more are losing their homes? When unemployment is already high, but we are making it more difficult for people to get to work?
Taxpayer money should be used by those in our government on our behalf for our needs. Why are our needs and wants being ignored? Since when are cross walks, street signs and buildings more important than a community circulator bus that gets children to school, people to work, and the disabled and elderly to doctor's appointments and shopping? There seems to be a lack of common sense at RTA and our politicians have been completely out of touch with the needs of the people for quite some time. How did the "leaders" of RTA get their jobs, when they don't seem to understand what is needed by citizens who use public transportation? We are repeatedly told that there is a financial deficit due to less money coming in from the sales taxes. If this truly is the key problem why didn't anyone at RTA plan for this? In an economic downturn it is expected that people will spend less money and the sales tax base will diminish. Are we expected to think that RTA is fanily planning ahead now with regards to their building projects and improvements when they could not plan ahead for an economic downturn?
Services have been cut throughout the area and citizen's lives have become much more difficult as a result. At the same time money is granted and used to make the rapid stations simply look better. We all still remember the "Euclid Corridor" project, but we are expected to trust that the Clifton Blvd. project is a good idea? Where are we going to improve Clifton Blvd. with a new project including a median with trees and new bus shelters while the actual RTA bus service is still lacking. The so-called "improvements" to the rapid stations only mean longer walks for many of us, escalators that still don't work, and security personnel that still aren't doing their jobs. Millions of dollars have been mismanaged and wasted already. Now we are further burdened by RTA's attempts to justify their stupidity, forcing us to use these improved facilities by reducing our choices. Forcing us to walk farther and limiting our choices to the redesigned rapid stations is simply an effort to justify the past expenditures. It simply doesn't work.
Out bus routes have been cut and we ahve been told that this is the way it will be until we use the current system more to make it more profitable. How can we be expected to use it more when we can't easily access it? Do they expect the fare increases and limited routes to make up for past mismanagement? Additionally, there is the issue of the circulator. We, with much tenacity and help from our mayor and council now have service one-day-a-week. While the RTA officials are patting themselves on the back and publicly saying that they are glad to have worked without community to make this all happen we are still left with poor service. It is a poor compromise that has been set up to FAIL! the designated stops are so few and far between that it will make it virtually impossible for most people to use it. It's obvious that we need the bus to pick upu people at ALL bus stops as before and drop off at stops near our homes. Obviously, this must occur on more than one day a week. Shame on RTA for thinking that we are STUPID! We know your game plan and we aren't going to play. You need to rethink what you are doing because we the people are not going to give up this matter. It's too important to us.
RTA is the Regional Transit Authority. that means more than just Cleveland's needs should be addressed. We want our buses back--- ALL OF THEM. If you need to have fewer runs, or smaller buses in less used areas due to financial concerns then CUT OR FREEZE TOP MANAGEMENT'S PAY. Why do we have to change our lives due to cutbacks and financial concerns while RTA's managers continue to live their lives as if nothing has changed? Let's get rid of those people at RTA who don't know what they're doing- today. The state and Federal governments should know that we need efficient and effective public transportation NOW! We don't need more buildings and improvements if we can't use them. It makes them useless to the citizens. We need to make GOOD use of what we have at this time. The state needs to know we don't want a future rail system to accommodate a few, but we NEED city transportation to accommodate the masses. Let the future take car of itself. WE NEED GOOD LOCAL TRANSPORTATION NOW!
Respectfully,
Gloria Hoeringer
P.S. The undersigned is just one of the people who is concerned about how this issue is affecting us. Many citizens, business owners, RTA employees and consumers are aware of and upset by these issues. Now is the time to have this issue resolved!