(originally written as one post, now divided for your convenience)
Our first correspondent disagrees with the notion of a resolution before the Common Council of the City of New Albany. This resolution is titled, " Resolution Recognizing the Value of Human Labor in the Collection of Tolls in the New Bridges Project". Our correspondent avers,
"Again, the bridgeS project sucks. I just can't see how a few tolling jobs would even pay for itself, considering all the problems it would create, much less give us a return on the project as it now stands.
What am I missing?"
What you may be missing, dear reader, is the value of the light of day shone upon a fingerprint-less heist. You may fail to recognize that something close to $3 Billion will be withdrawn from our local economy with scarcely any return to that economy, in the form of daily jobs on that specific project, for the next thirty or so years.
Those jobs-not-filled represent all of the daily activities in the lives of citizens-not-added to the ledger of participation in our collective well-being.
Those jobs-not-filled represent debts-not-repaid to the veterans of our serial wars. Unfulfilled are opportunities to help those wounded, damaged, returnees who can't quite work their way back into our society.
You may be missing the intangible value of calling attention to the fact that those who lead the Bridges Authority, and claim to speak on behalf of others have never once, truly, listened to the wishes of many of those on whose behalf they claim to speak.
You may miss the fact that in the face of monolithic indifference, a body of elected officials has the opportunity to say to those who will not listen, simply, that, "if we had some say in this process we might consider that those whom we represent have to live, they have to feed their families, they want to participate in their communities. And, to do those things they need jobs. And, since this project is designed to extract nearly $3 Billion from our lives, we should be compensated in some small way. We value funding the necessities of life over convenience, speed and efficiency."
A body of elected officials has the opportunity to make that statement. A simple statement will not cause the indifferent ones to move away from their chosen path. Efficiency and speed; the drone warfare of commerce and travel will out. But, a simple vote to say that, at least in one of the communities, we see what is happening, what is planned, what we value as a metro region; a simple vote is not asking too much from the elected officials who represent the ones who won't be heard.
5 comments:
Gee, John, I didn't expect you to tell half the story. When did you turn into Fox?
Where is the answer to the question I brought up about the ecological impact(& cost)of slowed and stopped traffic for manual tolling? Where is the answer to my concern(& yours)of the negative impact of tolling and increased traffic on New Albany which would only increase if manual tolling is adopted?
Where is the answer to what is the direct cost of manual tolling vs automatic tolling? What is the total cost of manual tolling-direct and indirect(ecological, extra impact on NA, etc)? You speak of getting a minimal return on our "investment". Can you not see that your proposal could very well take more $'s away?
I see nothing in your formal resolution mentioning veterans although you do mention here and in your intial post.
You know very well that I was against the bridgeS project as it was proposed. Knowing that, you had to also know that I was and am aware of much of the cost. I emailed you in good faith with my concerns. I asked in good faith "what am I missing". I don't know how anyone could read your answer and not feel insulted. I do.
Since you chose to print just part of my email I would like to have the whole thing made public:
John,
I'm having real trouble with your "toll worker" resolution. The project is too big, too expensive, too everything but "manual" tolling would just make this bad project worse.
It would slow traffic tremendously and this project is to make it more efficient to move traffic.(remember, we already agree this is a bad project but it is now reality). Slow and stopped traffic is bad for the air quality. We are assuming increased traffic and the associated problems for New Albany with tolls. Add slowed traffic for manual tolling to the $ amount of tolls will push even more traffic and problems our way. Would it cost more for manual tolling? If so, that would make tolls even higher.
Again, the bridgeS project sucks. I just can't see how a few tolling jobs would even pay for itself, considering all the problems it would create, much less give us a return on the project as it now stands.
What am I missing?
Iamhoosier:
The last thing in the world I intended with this post was an insult to you. I simply used "what am I missing?" as a rhetorical hook around which to write the post.
I didn't intend to evade any of the questions you highlighted in your response.
My SOLE reason for the resolution is to raise visibility on the issue that a public/private consortium, with at least some profit motive underlying its very existence, has decided that human beings will not work in the collection of tolls on its project. Implicit is the fact that this is not THEIR project. It is our project, and a sizable part of the community didn't and doesn't want it as it is structured.
I feel that too few people have noted that human labor is xed out of the project. I believe people should know that, and for the reasons I stated.
I am not delusional enough to believe that a resolution from New Albany's City Council will suddenly make the drivers of the Bridges Project suddenly do an about face and hire human toll takers. If they took such action all of the concerns you raise would need to be considered. And, I'll freely admit that from an emissions standpoint that the delay of manual toll collection may work against that method. I hardly doubt that such concerns led the Bridges Authority to make such an altruistic decision, but of course we'll never know since the public was not included in that decision-making process.
While I didn't do an exhaustive amount of research on the issues you raised, I don't feel that any research is needed to corroborate my position that unemployment is a problem, the Bridges deal will take money from our community, and a behind-the-scenes action set in place a drone-style collection scheme that leaves humans out of the equation.
Again, your concerns are completely valid and no dissing of your points was intended.
Now who's insulted? Fox News, indeed.
Fair enough. You are not a blonde airhead.
http://www.urbanophile.com/2013/09/19/louisville-bridges-project-proceeds-from-tragedy-to-farce/
Farce doesn't lend itself to rational thinking on the part of the oligarchs.
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