Comments on: Dear Pam O’Connor http://la.metblogs.com/2008/01/24/dear-pam-oconnor/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:41:08 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: BusTard http://la.metblogs.com/2008/01/24/dear-pam-oconnor/#comment-42021 BusTard Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:34:39 +0000 http://la.metblogs.com/2008/01/24/dear-pam-oconnor/#comment-42021 I agree with what Sean has to state, even if I am more cynical about it all. (Having worked for years on the inside of the machine, I know damn well just how uncaring and inately callous are those folk who "oversee" things; I would not argue that I am not too different. And I feel that if I make myself a big enough pain in the arse, then half-assed reform programmes such as the Bus Riders' Union as well as teh MTA will do enough to get me off people like me off their collective back.) Anyhow, the one thing that I feel needs to get done is to get the word out to people about those who should be doing things. Roger Snoble is the worst. Know who he is? Would you recognise his mustache? We all should: He is the MTA CEO and one of the single most responsible schmucks for the failing Los Angeles metro. Pam O'Connor looks nothing like the little headshot she puts up for her little chats. And Wendy Greuel, whose district is home to one of the newspapers at which I work, does teh best she can with what little she has. (Who can tell me where Tujunga is, let alone the two buildings beside Mrs. Greuel's office?) Let us first put a face to the fiasco, then make them earn their money. Moreover, the advocacy would do well to reach into the non-english speaking working class. I fee that it is an untapped resource that would benefit first and best were they--and I do indeed mean the spanish-speaking peoples that ride the buses--to be inspired to not accept the ridiculously over-crowded conditions and buses that fail to show up, the unused bus benches placed for no other reason than advertising, the criminally mismanaged budget, the glaring hypocrisy and the outrageous idea that those who cannot even keep escalators and simple on-line "chat" applications working, could build and maintain a subway system, let alone a first-class public transit. I agree with what Sean has to state, even if I am more cynical about it all. (Having worked for years on the inside of the machine, I know damn well just how uncaring and inately callous are those folk who “oversee” things; I would not argue that I am not too different. And I feel that if I make myself a big enough pain in the arse, then half-assed reform programmes such as the Bus Riders’ Union as well as teh MTA will do enough to get me off people like me off their collective back.)
Anyhow, the one thing that I feel needs to get done is to get the word out to people about those who should be doing things. Roger Snoble is the worst. Know who he is? Would you recognise his mustache? We all should: He is the MTA CEO and one of the single most responsible schmucks for the failing Los Angeles metro. Pam O’Connor looks nothing like the little headshot she puts up for her little chats. And Wendy Greuel, whose district is home to one of the newspapers at which I work, does teh best she can with what little she has. (Who can tell me where Tujunga is, let alone the two buildings beside Mrs. Greuel’s office?)
Let us first put a face to the fiasco, then make them earn their money.
Moreover, the advocacy would do well to reach into the non-english speaking working class. I fee that it is an untapped resource that would benefit first and best were they–and I do indeed mean the spanish-speaking peoples that ride the buses–to be inspired to not accept the ridiculously over-crowded conditions and buses that fail to show up, the unused bus benches placed for no other reason than advertising, the criminally mismanaged budget, the glaring hypocrisy and the outrageous idea that those who cannot even keep escalators and simple on-line “chat” applications working, could build and maintain a subway system, let alone a first-class public transit.

]]> By: frazgo http://la.metblogs.com/2008/01/24/dear-pam-oconnor/#comment-42020 frazgo Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:12:24 +0000 http://la.metblogs.com/2008/01/24/dear-pam-oconnor/#comment-42020 I care a lot. AFter having been to cities like you pointed out where mass transit works I'd really like to see it happen here too. Unfortunately what keeps showing up on the books doesn't make sense especially when you look at where the freeway plugs are between major employment centers. After years of sprawl we actually need to look at some straightlines across several centers to make it work. Downtown LA isn't the only employment center and can't be the center of it all. I'll chime in, I do locally, will do here as needed if you think anyone on the Metro panel really cares what we think. I care a lot. AFter having been to cities like you pointed out where mass transit works I’d really like to see it happen here too.

Unfortunately what keeps showing up on the books doesn’t make sense especially when you look at where the freeway plugs are between major employment centers. After years of sprawl we actually need to look at some straightlines across several centers to make it work. Downtown LA isn’t the only employment center and can’t be the center of it all.

I’ll chime in, I do locally, will do here as needed if you think anyone on the Metro panel really cares what we think.

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