A Visit From the TriMet Squad: Blogger Arrested After Repeatedly Texting Spokeswoman
Good story, factually correct
Mr Jensen has never 'threatened' anybody, ever. It's all huff and puff.
Alsdedt admits right here in this story that he never threatened her safety
“I fear the behavior will escalate and threaten my personal safety.” She is playing psychiatrist as she feels his behavior will 'escalate' which is the same as saying 'he hasn't threatened me'.
Then we have Festch making her usual ignorant comments like:
"the agency has had no direct involvement in the case". If that were true then why is this happening:
"TriMet has also barred him from speaking to anyone at the agency except a designated contact person"
Supposedly Alsdedt is the vicitim here, but her victim-hood extends to everybody else that works there? Ya right. And he can't speak at board meetings if she is there? Gimme a break will ya.
Michael Anderson who is the most objective journalist in the area sums it up perfectly
“Lane is often obnoxious, regularly disruptive and probably counterproductive to his own agenda, but none of that is illegal,” Andersen says. “His advocacy journalism isn’t always right, but it’s regularly useful.”
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
TriMet to restore weekday frequent bus service in 2014 (video) | OregonLive.com
TriMet to restore weekday frequent bus service in 2014 (video) | OregonLive.com
"" during the Great Recession.""~~~>Boy do I get tired of that line.""On a frequent service bus, she said, it's $2.63 per ride, compared to $3.93 on a fixed route bus, Altstadt said.""~~~>Completely absurd to start looking at costs during a particular period of the day. Why have any service at all then that is off peak?"""It won't mean world peace," McFarlane said, "but it will mean a great deal to our frequent riders."""~~~>Idiotic comment. """My focus has been to restore Frequent Service, and I'm so pleased we found savings in our current budget to allow us to reinvest in this network,"""~~>Doesn't anybody else find it odd that Trimet always can find several million dollars to fund a whole variety of non transit related projects. """However, OPAL Environmental Justice, which runs the Bus Riders Unite activist group, maintains that the best way to bring more equity to the bus system is to increase fare transfer times to three hours."""~~~>Obviously since this will only help the people that use those lines, the other riders get nothing out of trimet.
I also see Mr Wonderful didn't mention that in 12 years 70% of all Trimet services will be cut. Readers should be made aware that bus riders have suffered cuts for 10 straight years. I also think Mr Wonderful would not have done any of this had he not been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"" during the Great Recession.""~~~>Boy do I get tired of that line.""On a frequent service bus, she said, it's $2.63 per ride, compared to $3.93 on a fixed route bus, Altstadt said.""~~~>Completely absurd to start looking at costs during a particular period of the day. Why have any service at all then that is off peak?"""It won't mean world peace," McFarlane said, "but it will mean a great deal to our frequent riders."""~~~>Idiotic comment. """My focus has been to restore Frequent Service, and I'm so pleased we found savings in our current budget to allow us to reinvest in this network,"""~~>Doesn't anybody else find it odd that Trimet always can find several million dollars to fund a whole variety of non transit related projects. """However, OPAL Environmental Justice, which runs the Bus Riders Unite activist group, maintains that the best way to bring more equity to the bus system is to increase fare transfer times to three hours."""~~~>Obviously since this will only help the people that use those lines, the other riders get nothing out of trimet.
I also see Mr Wonderful didn't mention that in 12 years 70% of all Trimet services will be cut. Readers should be made aware that bus riders have suffered cuts for 10 straight years. I also think Mr Wonderful would not have done any of this had he not been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Joseph Rose: Why won't TriMet use double decker buses? | OregonLive.com
Joseph Rose: Why won't TriMet use double decker buses? | OregonLive.com
"""By the way, TriMet is working on plans to restore some frequent bus service (every 15 minutes) in March."""
~~~>FREQUENT service, is NOT every 15 minutes, its actually every 8 MINUTES or less. The word is being misused here in Portland, as usual. You have 15 minute service and one drops out, well now its 1/2 hour for the next bus, IF IT'S ON TIME and that is not frequent service. FREQUENT SERVICE means you NEVER wait more than 15 minutes for a bus, even if one drops out.
All they really need is to bring back those articulated buses, BENDY BUSES as they are called in jolly old England. That would relieve overcrowding and prevent pass ups which are common now.
""" As it comes together like a $134 million piece of Ikea furniture""
~~~>How things look here in Portlandia is important, that is true. The tourists magazines write lots and lots of nice stuff about how a place looks and that will definatley help Portlandia's image with the tourist crowd which is so vital to Portland policy makers. (we don't need to mention the fact that 88% of people in Portland will probably never use it, it still looks good)
""""we definitely took emergency vehicles into consideration," says Roberta Altstadt, an agency spokeswoman. "The bridge was designed and is being built so it is accessible to fire trucks and other emergency response vehicles.""""
~~~>Thank god for that! Are they sure the Coast Guard has approved the height limits this time?
"""By the way, TriMet is working on plans to restore some frequent bus service (every 15 minutes) in March."""
~~~>FREQUENT service, is NOT every 15 minutes, its actually every 8 MINUTES or less. The word is being misused here in Portland, as usual. You have 15 minute service and one drops out, well now its 1/2 hour for the next bus, IF IT'S ON TIME and that is not frequent service. FREQUENT SERVICE means you NEVER wait more than 15 minutes for a bus, even if one drops out.
All they really need is to bring back those articulated buses, BENDY BUSES as they are called in jolly old England. That would relieve overcrowding and prevent pass ups which are common now.
""" As it comes together like a $134 million piece of Ikea furniture""
~~~>How things look here in Portlandia is important, that is true. The tourists magazines write lots and lots of nice stuff about how a place looks and that will definatley help Portlandia's image with the tourist crowd which is so vital to Portland policy makers. (we don't need to mention the fact that 88% of people in Portland will probably never use it, it still looks good)
""""we definitely took emergency vehicles into consideration," says Roberta Altstadt, an agency spokeswoman. "The bridge was designed and is being built so it is accessible to fire trucks and other emergency response vehicles.""""
~~~>Thank god for that! Are they sure the Coast Guard has approved the height limits this time?
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
TriMet secret pay raises: After controversy, non-union workers will have to wait until next year | OregonLive.com
TriMet secret pay raises: After controversy, non-union workers will have to wait until next year | OregonLive.com
"""In March, an investigation by The Oregonian found that TriMet's General Manager Neil McFarlane dipped into a rainy day fund to pay for $910,000 in non-union raises, even as he supported cutting service and raising fares."""
~~~>That's proof positive that Mcfarlane is not being truthful when he is telling the public about the financial state of Trimet. He said the agency was going broke but at the exact same time he gave himself a raise. The man and all of his cronies should have been fired right there, but this is Portland, where this kind of corruption seems to be a standard.
"""On Wednesday, Randy Stedman, the agency's executive director of human resources and labor relations, presented a report outlining how an improving economy and "below market" pay, among other things, has accelerated turnover.""""
~~~>First of all, Steadman was hired by Mcfarlane so Mcfarlane would not have to get his hands dirty. Steadman is Mcfarlanes hatchet man so you shouldn't be quoting Steadman, its Mcfarlane that tells him what to do.
SECONDLY....the concept of 'below market' is false. Trimet is not a 'market based' business. It would not exist at all without government subsidy. There was at one time an element of ALTRUISM in providing public service, not any longer apparently. There is no 'market' for government employees. If they can do better in the private sector than go do it. Public should not have to foot the bill for this so called 'talent' (BS)
This is an affront to everybody, riders and union employees. None of those people in the office have to wait 30 years to get Christmas off with their families. None of those people get up in the wee hours or stay up till the latest at night to get the job done. None of those people risk getting stabbed or attacked at their jobs.
Once again we see a blatant attack on union employees, they get 'too much' but the non union employees 'get too little'
It's just disgraceful
"""In March, an investigation by The Oregonian found that TriMet's General Manager Neil McFarlane dipped into a rainy day fund to pay for $910,000 in non-union raises, even as he supported cutting service and raising fares."""
~~~>That's proof positive that Mcfarlane is not being truthful when he is telling the public about the financial state of Trimet. He said the agency was going broke but at the exact same time he gave himself a raise. The man and all of his cronies should have been fired right there, but this is Portland, where this kind of corruption seems to be a standard.
"""On Wednesday, Randy Stedman, the agency's executive director of human resources and labor relations, presented a report outlining how an improving economy and "below market" pay, among other things, has accelerated turnover.""""
~~~>First of all, Steadman was hired by Mcfarlane so Mcfarlane would not have to get his hands dirty. Steadman is Mcfarlanes hatchet man so you shouldn't be quoting Steadman, its Mcfarlane that tells him what to do.
SECONDLY....the concept of 'below market' is false. Trimet is not a 'market based' business. It would not exist at all without government subsidy. There was at one time an element of ALTRUISM in providing public service, not any longer apparently. There is no 'market' for government employees. If they can do better in the private sector than go do it. Public should not have to foot the bill for this so called 'talent' (BS)
This is an affront to everybody, riders and union employees. None of those people in the office have to wait 30 years to get Christmas off with their families. None of those people get up in the wee hours or stay up till the latest at night to get the job done. None of those people risk getting stabbed or attacked at their jobs.
Once again we see a blatant attack on union employees, they get 'too much' but the non union employees 'get too little'
It's just disgraceful
Monday, October 7, 2013
TriMet hits bumpy road in critics' eyes
TriMet hits bumpy road in critics' eyes
"""TriMet officials disagree. They say the fare increases and service cuts
were necessary to stabilize the agency’s finances, which were undermined
by the Great Recession."""
~~~> the fact that Trimet has brought back the service PROVES that OPAL was correct in its evaluation of the Trimet budget.
"""In addition, TriMet still has not resolved its long-running contract
dispute with the union that represents most of its workers. Although the
state Employment Relations Board upheld the contract imposed by an
arbitrator earlier this year, Amalgamated Transit Union 757 recently
appealed that ruling to the Oregon Court of Appeals."""
~~~~>That appeal is routine. Trimet appeals every single decision that does not go in their favor and so should the union. It's highly unlikely that that will be reversed.
"""According to Franz, TriMet data shows the majority of the riders hurt by
the two-hour transfer limit are low-income and people of color. A
TriMet analysis says such a change could reduce expected revenue by
between $2 million and $3 million, however."""
~~~> The Trimet executives gave themselves raises totaling $1,000,000. They did that at the exact same time and the increased the fares and cut service. And they hid the fact that they did that with the complicity of the trimet board.
"""While they argue over a couple million dollars what people never question the is the HUGE AMOUNT of pork being funded by trimet:
http://toptrimetstories.blogspot.com/2012/10/trimet-pork-operating-budgets.html
"""The delay proves an old political adage: It is frequently harder to increase government spending than to cut it.""
~~~>I've never heard that before and its a completely ludicrous remark
""" Now the union has appealed the ERB decision to the Oregon Court of Appeals, which could reverse both decisions.""
~~~>The odds of that happening are 100:1.
""" And it is unclear if TriMet would have to reimburse the union’s members for unpaid raises and increased health care benefit costs if the union prevails.
~~>Trimet is still fighting the ruling that ordered them to pay back union personnel for illegally charging them for health insurance. The don't pay anything for years anyway, takes 10 years to winde through the courts.
"""The uncertainty does not matter to OPAL, however. Its mission is to help low-income people and people of color. OPAL believes last year’s fare increases and service cuts disproportionately hurt those populations, and it has focused on the transfer policy change as the solution. OPAL does not oppose increasing run times on the frequent service lines. But it believes changing the transfer policy would help more riders."""
~~~>OPAL is too polite. The fact of the matter is is that Trimet set up a dynamic of 'one or the other' and never even notified OPAL to that affect.
""" Stovall, who is working on the Strategic Financial Plan, said the board should decide whether that additional revenue should be dedicated to a specific purpose — such as restoring service cuts — or be set aside in a rainy day fund to prevent future cuts if the economy turns bad again.""
~~~>Interesting that his board all of a sudden wants 'input'. This is the exact same board that doubled the contingency budget and awarded $1,000,000 in raises to executives without bothering to inform the public or public feedback. Whatever caused this %100 turn around
OPAL should be getting more mainstream coverage. These are the people that called out Mcfarlanes budget 'shortage'. The fact that Trimet is restoring the service they just cut proves they called it correctly.
"""TriMet officials disagree. They say the fare increases and service cuts
were necessary to stabilize the agency’s finances, which were undermined
by the Great Recession."""
~~~> the fact that Trimet has brought back the service PROVES that OPAL was correct in its evaluation of the Trimet budget.
"""In addition, TriMet still has not resolved its long-running contract
dispute with the union that represents most of its workers. Although the
state Employment Relations Board upheld the contract imposed by an
arbitrator earlier this year, Amalgamated Transit Union 757 recently
appealed that ruling to the Oregon Court of Appeals."""
~~~~>That appeal is routine. Trimet appeals every single decision that does not go in their favor and so should the union. It's highly unlikely that that will be reversed.
"""According to Franz, TriMet data shows the majority of the riders hurt by
the two-hour transfer limit are low-income and people of color. A
TriMet analysis says such a change could reduce expected revenue by
between $2 million and $3 million, however."""
~~~> The Trimet executives gave themselves raises totaling $1,000,000. They did that at the exact same time and the increased the fares and cut service. And they hid the fact that they did that with the complicity of the trimet board.
"""While they argue over a couple million dollars what people never question the is the HUGE AMOUNT of pork being funded by trimet:
http://toptrimetstories.blogspot.com/2012/10/trimet-pork-operating-budgets.html
"""The delay proves an old political adage: It is frequently harder to increase government spending than to cut it.""
~~~>I've never heard that before and its a completely ludicrous remark
""" Now the union has appealed the ERB decision to the Oregon Court of Appeals, which could reverse both decisions.""
~~~>The odds of that happening are 100:1.
""" And it is unclear if TriMet would have to reimburse the union’s members for unpaid raises and increased health care benefit costs if the union prevails.
~~>Trimet is still fighting the ruling that ordered them to pay back union personnel for illegally charging them for health insurance. The don't pay anything for years anyway, takes 10 years to winde through the courts.
"""The uncertainty does not matter to OPAL, however. Its mission is to help low-income people and people of color. OPAL believes last year’s fare increases and service cuts disproportionately hurt those populations, and it has focused on the transfer policy change as the solution. OPAL does not oppose increasing run times on the frequent service lines. But it believes changing the transfer policy would help more riders."""
~~~>OPAL is too polite. The fact of the matter is is that Trimet set up a dynamic of 'one or the other' and never even notified OPAL to that affect.
""" Stovall, who is working on the Strategic Financial Plan, said the board should decide whether that additional revenue should be dedicated to a specific purpose — such as restoring service cuts — or be set aside in a rainy day fund to prevent future cuts if the economy turns bad again.""
~~~>Interesting that his board all of a sudden wants 'input'. This is the exact same board that doubled the contingency budget and awarded $1,000,000 in raises to executives without bothering to inform the public or public feedback. Whatever caused this %100 turn around
OPAL should be getting more mainstream coverage. These are the people that called out Mcfarlanes budget 'shortage'. The fact that Trimet is restoring the service they just cut proves they called it correctly.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Ohio transit attorney eating through BART tab for ongoing labor negotiations | Transportation | San Francisco | San Francisco Examiner
Ohio transit attorney eating through BART tab for ongoing labor negotiations | Transportation | San Francisco | San Francisco Examiner
Look folks, the story is told in the money being paid out to the professional strike breaker. This guy is getting paid even though there are no negotiations going on?
Who are the criminals here? The people making fortunes off BART or the ones making a decent paycheck providing transit to the bay area?
It's important to point out that the EXECUTIVES WILL STILL GET PAID EVEN IF THERE IS A BART STRIKE while the BART workers won't.
The BART executives have no reason to settle since they personally have nothing to lose!
This is exactly like the congress shutting down congress, The congressman will still get paid, its just the people that are doing the work that don't get paid.
Don't be fooled by the attempts to demonize and privatize the workforce, this situation is created completely by the executive class at BART which has NOTHING TO LOSE if there is a BART strike!
Look folks, the story is told in the money being paid out to the professional strike breaker. This guy is getting paid even though there are no negotiations going on?
Who are the criminals here? The people making fortunes off BART or the ones making a decent paycheck providing transit to the bay area?
It's important to point out that the EXECUTIVES WILL STILL GET PAID EVEN IF THERE IS A BART STRIKE while the BART workers won't.
The BART executives have no reason to settle since they personally have nothing to lose!
This is exactly like the congress shutting down congress, The congressman will still get paid, its just the people that are doing the work that don't get paid.
Don't be fooled by the attempts to demonize and privatize the workforce, this situation is created completely by the executive class at BART which has NOTHING TO LOSE if there is a BART strike!
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