It does not sound like the language of normal debate on state financing at septa and other public transport:
Got in the ass of progress.
Two [expletive] No speed.
Block the ramps of senators.
These spikes towards GOP Senators came to social media from transit supporters. Republicans of the Senate are not afraid of expenses more, they issued their own challenging remarks, mainly about Sept.
State financial support for public transport is often a matter dividing in Pennsylvania, but the financing veterans say that rhetoric this year is sometimes more unpleasant and more personal than usual.
“In this way, politics is already being made. Every page is beating the other,” said Barry Schoch, who was a transport commissioner under the government of the Republican governor Tom Corbett.
The state budget is almost two weeks slow, without eyesight. The leader of the majority of the house Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery), leader of the majority of the Senate Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) and Governor Josh Shapiro meet in closed negotiations to try to narrow the expected budget gap in the amount of $ 5.5 billion.
According to a source similar to negotiations, they still have to find a solution to the problem with mass transport, and this may last weeks before reaching the budget agreement.
Although the debate concerns up-to-date money for 32 constant transit services in the whole condition, as the largest of them, septa dominates in the discussion.
»Read more: Not only septa: public transport is in trouble throughout Pennsylvania, including in GOP districts.
State Republicans claim that Septa always asks for a leaflet, ineptly run, tries to protect people from crime, and must do more to aid themselves, including by arresting the Evaders of Tariffs.
It seems that the debate has developed over the past few months, because the cuts of transit services and tariff increases are approaching reality.
Senator of State Vincent Hughes, a democrat of Philadelphia, is the one who threw the comment “boiling on the ass of progress” at the beginning of April in the Republican Senates for opposition to financing Sept.
“I don’t even know what it means,” said the leader of GOP Pittman, who had previously opposed the boost in financing, he said on Government matters show a few days later. “People at home would probably see it as a compliment, but this kind of rhetoric does not move the ball.”
Personal stabs and inappropriate guilt
Dust came between Hughes and Pittman Immediately after SEPTA presented the proposed budget that would reduce almost half of her service if up-to-date state money on transit was not coming – and the frustration was high in Philadelphia.
Around the same time The influence on social media and shocking comedian Alex Pearlman attacked the meaning of the Republican state. Frank Farry from Bucks County and Joe Picozzi from the north -eastern Philadelphia, saying that they were obstacles to obtaining a financing solution.
Pearlman told his followers to blame two “f -fi” for commuting to Philadelphia, which was supposed to become unbearable when former Septa riders would start to go to work.
»Read more: Planned sept cuts can add 70,000 hours to the morning commuting
The only problem? Picozzi, which is in its first semester, supports more transit financing. And Farry has been a SEPTA lawyer in Harrisburg for years.
Commentators on the post of comedian suggested going to the homes of senators and blocking their driveways along with other confrontational tactics.
“They publicly called my members, quoting,” striking in the face “, if they do not solve the situation of sept,” said Pittman on PCN, a public channel. “Septa and their acolytes must come up with a better way to convey messages.”
Rural division-ozb
Of course, Septa did not attack the legislators. A team for government relations and contract lobbyists bring their case in Capitol. CEO of Scott Sauer met several times in Harrisburg with Pittman and other leaders. He also talks to Picozzi, a Republican from Philadelphia, about proposals.
But as you pull the debate about financing, similarly to dividing rhetoric.
Last month, Senator Cris Dush (R., Jefferson) sent an e-mail a response to the form to people who contacted the support of mass transit support. Dush was blunt. His message was: we have no money, and even if we did it, septa does not deserve it.
And now, he said, residents of the south -eastern Pennsylvania will experience the feelings that people from rural parts of the state know well: devaluated by the state government.
“You will get stuck now, dealing with what the rest of the community of nations has been standing for years,” wrote Dush. “You take money from the area that is bad through decisions to attract our tax dollars to your area, while you have a luxury so that you can sit on a bus or catch up on work or social media, while our people must pay attention to the road to avoid deer and other drivers.”
The choice of Dush, Alex Casper from Bradford, had a 14-hour trip from Greyhound from the headquarters of McKean to Harrisburg, changing buses three times, to a rally organized by Transit for All Pa!, A coalition of groups in favor of financing.
He was hoping to meet Dush with several other supporters to talk about the need for a state subsidy in the case of ATA TRANSIT, which provides services at McKean and five other North Central Pennsylvania. It didn’t happen.
So, 28 -year -old Casper wrote to his senator, when he returned home, he argued about more solid financing of state transport in both rural and urban areas. He was outraged to get a letter about sept, apparently addressed to people in the southeast.
“Dush basically says that Septa takes ATA money,” said Casper, a former social service employee who moved from Philadelphia to McKean’s Film after he was excluded in a road accident and needed subsidized apartments.
The third most essential status transit system is located in Dush’s District: Center Area Transportation Authority. Cata has already constrained some of its lines except State College, including in Bellefonte and nearby cities.
Dush said in an interview that he saw his community “again became good neighbors”, and churches and residents aid people move after cutting off the service.
Dush’s wider argument is that the policy pushed by urban and suburban democrats has a constrained growth in rural parts of Pennsylvania, on which cities depend on energy and other resources.
“I know that there will be many people who never … want to see what is going on outside of Philadelphia,” said Dush. “The people I work for definitely support what I do. They are also tired of falling and want to see our area again.”
Looking to the future
Not everyone in the Senate Republican Club perceives this problem as a game of zero. At least three GOP senators, whose districts rely largely on mass transit, said that they would support more funds: Picozzi, Farry and Sen. Devlin Robinson (R., Allegheny).
Just before the date of the state budget of June 30, SEPTA adopted the first stage of 45% of the reduction of service to prepare for any up-to-date state money. Shapiro proposed about $ 300 million expenses a year for five years to support transit operations throughout the state. SEPTA’s participation would be around $ 168 million.
Picozzi said he worked behind the scenes to get GOP support for a certain level of transit financing with a package of accounts that would attract sept more responsible in matters such as public safety and reduction of tariff avoidance.
I plan to present proposals this week. Picozzi gave little details, except that he wants to see more public-private partnerships, such as recent in Conshohocken, in addition to “goals”.
“We need to focus on a safer, reliable and responsible public transit,” said Picozzi in an interview, adding that he is approaching bills as a SEPTA rider.
He has a much better view on the debate: “We don’t want to save anyone. What we want to do is invest in the future,” added Picozzi.
