MBTA....

 

 

So the commute in Boston in 2015 has been a nightmare.  The MBTA has failed time and time again.

 

 

I know people are sick of me bitching about it but it really does have an impact on your life.  First off, I leave earlier and get home later.  The trains are PACKED.  The death march after you get off at South Station is unbearable.

 

 

This is all because it snowed in January and February.  That's what people can't understand from real cities with real transit.  Like- it's not snowing now so why the delays?  Or more importantly, why is this happening until the end of fucking March???!!!

 

 

Incompetence.  Corruption.

 

 

The sequence of events is amazing and defines Massachusetts.  Turns out the GM they hired racked up 8 grand in expenses before she started.  It's probably important to note here that the MBTA is 8 billion dollars in debt.  You read that right.

 

 

So storms come and they have to shut down service for a couple days in January.  Since that time- they are on a "recovery" schedule and can't get back up.

 

 

The GM quit.  Claims she wants to spend more time with her granddaughter after raking in 220K in taxpayer funds.

 

 

Special board set up to determine what the hell is going on.  Head of the board misses first day...as he is chilling in Jamaica.  Then has to resign.  Little tax problem.  About hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes.

 

So to summarize....they hired someone to figure out why the debt ridden agency can't get it's trains to show up who didn't show up and is a tax cheat.

 

 

Another day at the MBTA.

 

 

What a disaster.  That's why I laugh whenever anyone says Boston can support the Olympics.  No it can't.

 

 

So how to fix it?  Easy.  Long....but easy.

 

 

1). Pensions are done.  It's killing the taxpayers and the agency.  If you are in the system now....congrats.  You can retire at 41.  Any new hires- no pension.

 

2).  Put the T in receivership.  Obviously they can't find a GM that can handle the situation.  Get someone (NOT FROM MASSACHUSETTS) to run it.  Cut the fat.  Get a budget.  Figure out how to pay the debt.

 

3). Fuck Keolonis.  That is the company that supplies the trains.  Get someone else- may cost more but have to do it for the long run.

 

 

Overall, this problem will take DECADES to fix.  The short term solution is going to be more taxes of course because that's all this state does.  But if they don't know how to spend the money you could give them billions and they'd fuck it up.  During all this they gave their top executives raises!

 

 

So the long and short of it is....fuck the MBTA.