By: Diane Benjamin
We have decades of history proving every form of government eventually fails when those in power do not let the free markets work. Even capitalism will fail when government interferes and large corporations are allowed to write their own legislation to eliminate competition. See Net Neutrality for an example, Google was an author.
The clearest local case that socialism always fails is Connect Transit. Routes have been cut that people rely on. Stops have been moved making it impossible for some people to get themselves to the new location. Common sense plays no role as the huge empty buses prove.
Last night a group gathered outside Normal Town Hall, they weren’t allowed to speak at the Council meeting since Normal’s illegal public comment policy won’t allow comments if the item isn’t on the agenda.
This is from WJBC’s Facebook page:
Connect Transit doesn’t exist to help people. If they did the buses would be half the size and able to navigate to stops where people need the service. Worse, it is impossible to know how many people really ride since transfers are counted twice. Were the latest routes drawn to require transfers to increase the count? We have no way of knowing! How many riders are ISU kids? The college pays a flat fee per month regardless of how many kids ride. Does that fee come close to at least costing ISU the same as these protesters?
Answers are elusive.
Some people think they have a right to public transportation. Rights given by government can be taken away whenever government feels like it or the money runs out. These protesters are wasting their time, the Connect Transit Board pretends to listen and then does what paid consultants think they should do instead. The Bloomington and Normal representatives aren’t on the Board to represent citizens, they are just like the Council people who represent government, not the people who elected them. They are the victims of socialism, become dependent and then get the rug pulled out from under them. It happens every time socialist programs are tried. Social Security will eventually take a hit too, it was never created to pay people for 20 or 30 years.
Want Medicare for all?
The Connect Transit of healthcare is what you will get.
In this controversy, one side is just as ridiculous as the other. One wants the status quo to basically continue thinking that by discontinuing a few routes will save all kinds of money. The other doesn’t want the status quo changed either outside of taking over the board and spending even more money on a broken system while contributing no additional money to the service themselves who are the main beneficiaries. This is just a microcosm of BN as a whole. Nothing changes until people start coming out to vote in droves in local elections and place common sense people in positions of authority that are true guardians of taxpayer money.
Notice that prominently pictured is losing Socialist candidate for Normal Council Joel StudeSnaker! Joel is probably whining that nobody is going to pick him up at his front door for bout 1/8 of the actual cost of his ride!