MTA Transit Strike

[pro-fusion]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

I wouldn't feel to bad for the MTA workers--they currently get to take full retirement at, like, 55 years old, and they complained because the MTA was only willing to reduce that to 52. Also, they don't have to pay any contributions toward their health insurance, and their average salary is well over $50,000. A judge just ruled the strike illegal, and if I were the MTA, I start firing people. Of course, those are all probably patronage jobs, so who knows what's really going on.

[Tekky]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

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Ahh, you think that's a viable form of revenge, but trying to get across town in a car in the middle of rush hour and you may as well forget it. I moved here to Chicago about 5 years ago and after the first 7 months, I got rid of my car because I was paying for something I wasn't using.

Living and working in the city is a way of life for some people and public transportation is a big part of that life. You'd be amazed how much a good transportation system becomes part of your daily life. Before my wife moved to Chicago, I used Amtrak to visit her. I used a commuter train to go see my parents in NW Indiana. When I went to NAMM in Anaheim, I studied their public transportation system in the event I had to use it. (same for Nashville, though theirs was pretty much non-existent)

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But then that's by design of the MTA and those in the city guvmint who reap the profits of the mass transit system. You think they were honestly worried about traffic jams and such? Nope. It's all about the Bennies. They knew waaaaaaay back then that individual vehicles doesn't generate as much revenue as a public trans system.
One person buys a car and can carry up to 15 people at once (large vans and such). One person pays insurance, one person pays for gas, one person pays the road tax.
However, with a mass transit system, each of those 15 people pays individually. While it's an admittedly smaller amount than even splitting the costs associated with the personal vehicle among 15 people, on the larger scale (read: if everybody did it) the city loses more money that way.
More specifically, the city officials have less money to stuff in their pockets.

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I don't know what to tell you Newc. You seem to have your mind clouded with some pre-conceived notion that everyone is crooked.

[lerxstcat]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

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Ahh, you think that's a viable form of revenge, but trying to get across town in a car in the middle of rush hour and you may as well forget it. I moved here to Chicago about 5 years ago and after the first 7 months, I got rid of my car because I was paying for something I wasn't using.

Living and working in the city is a way of life for some people and public transportation is a big part of that life. You'd be amazed how much a good transportation system becomes part of your daily life. Before my wife moved to Chicago, I used Amtrak to visit her. I used a commuter train to go see my parents in NW Indiana. When I went to NAMM in Anaheim, I studied their public transportation system in the event I had to use it. (same for Nashville, though theirs was pretty much non-existent)

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But then that's by design of the MTA and those in the city guvmint who reap the profits of the mass transit system. You think they were honestly worried about traffic jams and such? Nope. It's all about the Bennies. They knew waaaaaaay back then that individual vehicles doesn't generate as much revenue as a public trans system.
One person buys a car and can carry up to 15 people at once (large vans and such). One person pays insurance, one person pays for gas, one person pays the road tax.
However, with a mass transit system, each of those 15 people pays individually. While it's an admittedly smaller amount than even splitting the costs associated with the personal vehicle among 15 people, on the larger scale (read: if everybody did it) the city loses more money that way.
More specifically, the city officials have less money to stuff in their pockets.

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Newc, the real problem is that NYC is just too dense for cars to be practical anymore. It's not just traffic getting there, it's parking when you get there. Need a parking space within a few blocks of work? That'll be $200-$300 a month, unless it's gone up. That doesn't count gas money, time and aggravation. In densely packed cities like NYC, Chicago, and many European cities, a car is just less practical than using public transit in most cases. Those systems are a necessity, not some evil government plan.

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

Someone should be taking an example from Ronald Reagan here.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

Aren't those guys in the Capital One commercials still looking for work? That would be appropriate.

[donf]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

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That'll be $200-$300 a month

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That would be a deal! I go down to Manhattan to see a show and end up spending $40.00-$60.00 just for a couple hours a night.

[StukaJU87]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

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I wouldn't feel to bad for the MTA workers--they currently get to take full retirement at, like, 55 years old, and they complained because the MTA was only willing to reduce that to 52.

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I think the MTA wanted to increase it to 62.

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Also, they don't have to pay any contributions toward their health insurance, and their average salary is well over $50,000.

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What are you going to do with 50K a year in NYC? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

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A judge just ruled the strike illegal, and if I were the MTA, I start firing people.

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That's the spirit. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] These guys took a beating on their last contract. Are you a union man? Have you ever been? Sure the MTA wants them to start paying into their medical and such, maybe by a small percentage, but once that is on the table, it sets a precident for the next contract. The MTA will start increasing the percentage paid by the empoyees with every succeeding contract.

[Newc]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

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I don't know what to tell you Newc. You seem to have your mind clouded with some pre-conceived notion that everyone is crooked.

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Aren't they?

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]


Infamy! Infamy! They all got it infamy! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Believe it or not, even way out here in the woods in a trailer, I know how "big city" governments work, I know how politics works, and I know how business works. I know how screw jobs are devised and implemented. I know how deals are made between "elected" officials (pay-as-you-go) and those who own/operate/rely on the income from taxi and "public" transportation services.

I was not born and raised on a turnip plantation, I grew up in and around New Orleans, so I got to see all this first-hand for 22 years straight [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

What I don't know about it would fill a thimble and leave room for the Empire State building and the ashes of all the dead from Day 1.
[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Tekky]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

My dad had a saying... "Don't try to teach a pig to sing... it wastes your time and it annoys the pig." I'm done.

Everyone's corrupt!

By the way, pay me before you post again or I'll have your f*cking legs broken. I am from Chicago you know.

[img]/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[IrfaanSE801]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

Hang tight, here it comes: [img]/images/graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

This is getting a little rediculous now. I can't afford to take a cab back and forth to work, and even if I did, it wouldn't be worth it because business is dead since this strike. I don't know why, but I'm genuinly pissed off now. The first day was ok, but if this goes on for more than 2 days I wouldn't care about the MTA workers anymore. They have it better than I did when I was working my last job and to have most of the city slow down to a crawl for this is nonsense. Their average salary is what, $50k, mine was MUCH less and I still survived. I had no benefits for 2 years and when I did I payed for them without complaining. God forbid ya have it good for years and ya gotta pay a small premium for something people pay out the ass to have, eh? Both sides are being unreasonable, but it shouldn't have come to this. I don't make a lot of money where I work now, but especially with the holiday season too it's bothering me that I can't do what I have to do and buy what I need to buy because I can't get to work. I feel like a scumbag saying screw them, but when it effects me as much as it does, it hurts me as much as it hurts them and I think I have a right to be pissed off. Damn I'm in a pissy mood....sorry all, needed to vent a bit.

[img]/images/graemlins/rant.gif[/img]

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

I'd be getting pissed too. A crappy time of year to do this. A lot of people who NEED their paycheck aren't able to get to work to earn it, or get to somewhere to buy a gift for a loved one or food and other vital necessities, and the store owners that are having to be closed because employees and customers can't even get to their stores, how many will lose their businesses because of this? If I had close my biz for more than a few days it would totally trash us economically. We're barely making it as it is... . Then let alone the cold weather. Ugh, what an effect this is having...

This is costing 300-400 million a day... Wow...

I know 50k don't go to far in NYC though, 80k in NYC and you're still poor... But the med bennies add roughly 6k base to that pay, let alone if they have to actually use the bennies and that could add a lot of dough to their "technical income" .... Sheeesh, some people don't even HAVE jobs that want them. Sooooo...

I make a lot less and have no benefits... So, IMO opinion, get back to work.

[IrfaanSE801]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

Exactly...

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

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I wouldn't feel to bad for the MTA workers--they currently get to take full retirement at, like, 55 years old, and they complained because the MTA was only willing to reduce that to 52.

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I think the MTA wanted to increase it to 62.

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And the union apparently has demanded that they lower the retirement age to 50. Fuck unions, they've *CLEARLY* outlived their usefulness.

[Hollywood]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

Hope things get cleared up with that ASAP. Hate to see you, and others having to suffer because of it. Life can be difficult when things are going okay, let alone when things like this come up. You have a great bunch of people here that have your back, so you're never alone as long as The JCF is around. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Deneb]

Re: MTA Transit Strike

You always ask lower, because the boss wants to fuck you, and make it higher, then you meet.

We could be like the current administration, and want to eliminate overtime, and increase the retirement age. What's so wrong with retiring younger? With so many things killing us sooner, we may as well.