[PRCo] Re: pat__service__cuts__2007.01.23-changed to 2/1/07

[John Swindler]

Who appoints the PAT board?



>From: Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net>
>Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>Subject: [PRCo] Re: pat__service__cuts__2007.01.23-changed to 2/1/07
>Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2007 13:36:29 -0500
>
>So, John, which friend of the Port Authority owned the Heinz
>Building?   Why would they move out of their own building and leave
>it emply so they can rent space and pay more money?
>Whose reelection campaign got kissed?
>
>And the blokes wonder why Fred is cynical.
>
>On Feb 2, 2007, at 1:10 PM, John Swindler wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > From today’s Post Gazette.
> >
> > One could ask the question: why did PAT need more space when system
> > ridership was declining.
> >
> > John
> >
> >
> >
> > Port Authority urged to move to less-expensive office space
> > Friday, February 02, 2007
> > By Joe Grata, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
> >
> > The Port Authority could save money by moving out of rented office
> > space in
> > the Heinz 57 Center, Downtown, and going back to its partly vacant
> > former
> > administration building in Manchester, state Auditor General Jack
> > Wagner
> > said.
> >
> > At a news conference yesterday, he urged the authority to cancel
> > its lease,
> > saying his agency determined the cost to be $7.8 million for rent
> > and $7.7
> > million for renovations and furnishings as part of a 10-year deal.
> >
> > He also claimed the cash-strapped agency is paying for parking for
> > "executive management" that was free at the Manchester building.
> >
> > Mr. Wagner said he called attention to the lease now as a "significant
> > interim matter" that came up as part of a comprehensive, long-range
> > audit of
> > authority spending.
> >
> > "It is unconscionable that management would continue to lease prime
> > space at
> > taxpayer expense that is unnecessary," he said in a statement.
> > "Your fiscal
> > crisis requires that immediate steps be taken."
> >
> > Port Authority spokesman Bob Grove said a return to Manchester has
> > been
> > under consideration.
> > He said the authority has estimated the move would cost $8 million
> > -- $4.3
> > million for repairs and renovations to the Manchester building and
> > $3.7
> > million for the remaining 3 1/2 years on its Heinz lease "unless we
> > could
> > find someone to sublet to. Given the Downtown office vacancy rates,
> > we're
> > not sure that's very likely."
> >
> > The authority leases the entire third floor and part of the fifth
> > floor of
> > the Heinz 57 Center. The administrative and nonunion staff moved
> > there more
> > than six years ago for what was then a lack of space in Manchester
> > and to
> > put employees closer to transit, riders and people with whom they
> > work.
> >
> > Last year's rent was $835,000.
> >
> > Mr. Grove said the authority has 17 reserved parking spaces, 13 for
> > pool
> > cars shared by staff and four for administrators, including
> > construction and
> > operations managers who often need to go on the road. The authority
> > doesn't
> > pay for the spaces but, in exchange, employees do cleanup around
> > the First
> > Avenue T station that's part of the First Avenue Parking Garage.
> >
> > The Post-Gazette reported in November that authority officials were
> > contemplating a return to Manchester for long-term cost-savings in
> > light of
> > recurring budget crises.
> >
> > The five-story building in Manchester, at Beaver and Island
> > avenues, was
> > built in 1972 at a cost of $9 million, most of it coming from the
> > federal
> > government. It contains a parking deck and a sprawling ground-floor
> > garage
> > that houses the main bus repair, major overhaul and repair shops,
> > with 165
> > employees.
> >
> > About 100 treasury, technology and training personnel use the
> > office space,
> > but about two-thirds of the remaining space is vacant. Efforts to
> > lease the
> > space to private interests have failed.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> From: Jim Holland <prcopcc at p-r-co.com>
> >> Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> >> To: "- 1714 PRCo__WP__JTC (WP-Cleveland;__DCT) -"
> >> <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>,        "- 1717 PRCo__WP__JTC
> >> (WP-Cleveland;__DCT) -" <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> >> Subject: [PRCo] ({[pat]}__service__cuts__2007.01.23
> >> Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:12:27 -0800
> >>
> >>  From another list:::::::
> >> .
> >> .
> >> .
> >> There was outrage in Pennsylvania's second largest city to proposed
> >> transit cuts and fare hikes by Port Authority of Allegheny County,
> >> Pittsburgh's light rail and bus operator. A series of public hearings
> >> began today:
> >> http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07022/755895-100.stm
> >> In a story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, staff writer Jim Ritchie
> >> traced Port Authority's troubles since it acquired Pittsburgh
> >> Railways:
> >> http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/search/s_489650.html
> >> .
> >> .
> >> .
> >> Jim___Holland
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
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>
>
>

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