[PRCo] Re: Transit Taxation/Tom Johnson

[Fred Schneider]

I GUESS I'M BACK A FEW YEARS JOHN.   IT USED TO BE THAT THE FEDS  
WANTED CHARTER REVENUE TO COVER ALL COSTS.  I GUESS WE JUST DON'T  
CARE ANYMORE.

On Dec 25, 2006, at 6:15 PM, John Swindler wrote:

>
> Tom Johnson was the mayor.  He didn't have to make a profit on a  
> three cent
> fare.  All he had to do was tell the voters a sufficiently good  
> fairy tale
> to insure his re-election.  "I'm fighting for cheap fares for you"
> apparently worked at that time - in a lot of cities.   And the  
> times haven't
> changed, just the story line, but probably best not to go there.
>
> As for Herb's special service run, as far as the RTA is concerned,  
> the bus
> is a freebie.  There is no depreciation.  Federal/State/Local  
> grants from
> taxpayers paid for the vehicles.  Today the profit motive is in  
> making the
> local public officials look good.  There is no profit in trying to  
> deny
> anyone their free lunch.  Just look at the song and dance occuring in
> Pittsburgh and Philly over transit financing.  (just to bring theme  
> back to
> Pittsburgh)
>
> Before I get into more trouble - John
>
>
>
>> From: Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net>
>> Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Transit Taxation/Tom Johnson
>> Date: Mon, 25 Dec 2006 17:22:15 -0500
>>
>> But we had one standard then, Herb.   You made money.   You made it
>> off a 3 cent fare.   You made it hauling funerals.   You made it with
>> any charter.
>>
>> Today there is a distinction.   You loose it with the regular fare
>> paying rider but at least you try to make it on a charter.
>> Hopefully, if you have a railfan charter, you charge enough to pay
>> the fare, the special trip insurance, and the operator's wages.   So
>> you should be collecting somewhere around $7.00 per passenger per
>> hour.....
>>
>> On Dec 25, 2006, at 5:12 PM, Herb Brannon wrote:
>>
>>> (NOTE: Not really PRCo related--delete if necessary)
>>>
>>>   Yesterday (12/24) would have normally been a regular day off for
>>> me. Off days this pick are Sun/Mon. However, I worked a "Football
>>> Flyer" taking fans to see the Browns. The trip was from Brecksville
>>> Park and Ride to Lakefront Stadium and return. I had 24 people
>>> going and 20 returning. Had bus #1015, a 40' MCI interurban/over-
>>> the-road type. The fare is $2.50 per person both going and again
>>> returning. Thus, 44 x $2.50 = $110. This was my day off, therefore
>>> I got time and a half and the piece of work paid eight (8) hours.
>>> Thus 8 hours plus 4 hours (for the half-time) equals 12 hrs x 22.30
>>> = $267.60. Also, don't forget the costs associated with moving the
>>> bus (fuel, depreciation, etc.) from the garage to the route and
>>> back to the garage again. If they had to depend on the farebox
>>> these days there would be no transit service at all. Back in Tom
>>> Johnson's day the farebox was all they relied upon. No transit tax
>>> back then. Wages and operations costs must have been really low
>>>  then. They ran many more vehicles then than now and usually used a
>>> two-man crew per vehicle! Amazing!
>>> Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>   You're telling me that taxation to pay for public transport was
>>> alive
>>> and well even then? I wonder what share of the the cost of the
>>> ride came out of the fare box. Certainly a lot more in 1901 than
>>> the 25% or so we consider normal today.
>>>
>>> For those who want to read about Tom Johnson (1901-1909), the first
>>> URL is an Amazon.COM URL for a book on Johnson. The second URL is
>>> wikipedia's writeup on Johnson and his various transit escapades
>>> including the Johnson farebox.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Johnson-Times-Clevelands-Greatest/dp/
>>> 0965987116
>>>
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_L._Johnson
>>>
>>>
>>> On Dec 25, 2006, at 11:16 AM, Herb Brannon wrote:
>>>
>>>> Here's to a happy, safe, and peaceful holiday season.
>>>>
>>>> Herb Brannon
>>>> Cleveland, Ohio
>>>>
>>>> Attached photo is Cleveland Public Square with turn-of-the-
>>>> century (19th to 20th) mayor Tom Johnson (ran as the "3-cent
>>>> trolley fare" candidate" and won) basking in the glow of this years
>>>> Christmas lights. Terminal Tower in background.
>>>>
>>>> Herb Brannon
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -- Attached file removed by Ecartis and put at URL below --
>>>> -- Type: image/pjpeg
>>>> -- Desc: 196581517-PublicSquare Christmas2006.jpg
>>>> -- Size: 1699k (1739830 bytes)
>>>> -- URL : http://lists.dementia.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/
>>>> PublicSquare%20Christmas2006.jpg
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Herb Brannon
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
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