Whoo! An overtime Celtics-Bulls humdinger ends with the first Bulls playoff victory over the Leprechaun. I’m not sure why today’s commentators insist that a shot with both feet on the floor is nonetheless a “jumper”, but I DO know that I’m waiting for Garnett’s messianic emergence from the locker room (in uniform, natch) before the season is done. Remove the parquet tonight, and you have the Stanley Cup contending Boston Bruins taking on their all-time rivals (and my team), the Montréal Canandiens. Expect a seven-game series either way.
Up the street, Deval “the Rookie” Patrick is looking to clinch the renomination by playing against the Legislature, while Tim “Roll ’em” Cahill is gets restless on the bench. Finally, “Mumbles” Menino has a decisive lead over a crowded field as his regular season draws to a close.
Who are you rooting for this spring, and why?
that looked doable, but that’s not happening. In my living district, the Chapter 71 regional transporation cuts combined with the circuit breaker evisceration on the table, it appears we may be more the $1.5 million in the hole AFTER negotiating 0 raise, frozen step in a contract year. HFS. It’s ugly. Pass the hard stuff.
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p>Raise the fucking taxes already.
for the impossible.
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p>Raise the sales tax to 6% in all MBTA districts. Take that extra 1% and put it to the MBTA. The increase would be enough to
* maintain all routes
* maintain all fares
* run a big enough surplus to pay down some of the $8B debt ahead of schedule.
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p>A sales tax of 6% in the MBTA regions would actually be enough to entirely eliminate fares. The T would save costs in fare collection, and while it would gain ridership (good) it would also have better QoS, especially on bus routes and above ground Green Line, because they could open all doors and get people in the vehicle quickly. This would dramatically reduce A to B times.
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p>I’m not arguing to get rid of fares right now, because any buck that helps pay down the massive MBTA debts needs to go there first. I don’t even like the sales tax as a revenue generator because it’s regressive. But look, saving the T is essential. Those who suffer from regressive taxes will, by and large, suffer more from a failing MBTA. Given that the MA sales tax does make an effort to be less regressive (no sales tax on food, Rx drugs, clothes), it seems like the best we could do. Over 25% of the T’s cost is debt services. We’ve got to get that substantially lower to get a sustainable transit authority.