Did you know about this?
Let’s see, 7 new bike share stations with 80 bikes for $720,000.
That comes to $9,000 per bike.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak
City of El Paso debt=$2,670,400,000, county and school district debt=$1,600,000,000. Total $4.27 billion. Your share $19,350
elpasospeak 
Anyone know what the usage and attrition rates are on these?
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‘Anonymous’ just submit a Texas Open Records Request to the city for the data. It can be done via the internet at the city’s website.
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What happened to the downtown rental bike program they already had ?
Is it making money ?
(I’ve just never seen a person on one of these rental bikes while downtown.)
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I often see people on the bikes evenings and weekends.
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Have never seen the bikes in Kern Place used. .. maybe because the rental fee is pretty high. Last I looked it was six bucks for the first half hour…
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So typical. Follow the money.
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Last week, City Council was so panicked by the lowered state cap on tax increases and their $7 million budget shortfall that they were talking about cutting back on property tax exemptions (remember, the bond was passed because seniors on fixed incomes were promised an exemption that would give them relief from higher property taxes.) plus they are talking about cutting back on swimming pool hours. How can we suddenly afford this expense. I understand the benefits of these downtown but expanding them along bus routes (vs encouraging bikers to use bike racks on buses and take their own bike) is fiscal irresponsibility. What has been the revenue on the downtown program? How long do these $9k bikes last?
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> the bond was passed because seniors on fixed incomes were promised an exemption that would give them relief from higher property taxes.
Sounds like a bought vote to me.
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It did not buy this senior who voted against the 2012 QOL bond issue.
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‘ANONYMOUS’ below are some thoughts reference your post: “Last week, City Council was so panicked by the lowered state cap on tax increases and their $7 million budget shortfall that they were talking about cutting back on property tax exemptions (remember, the bond was passed because seniors on fixed incomes were promised an exemption that would give them relief from higher property taxes.)”
If they take those exemptions away, my guess is it will spark a local property taxpayers revolt. Didn’t Oscar Leeser announce he would be running again for mayor?
Don’t forget those Lost Dog Trail supporters sparked a very interesting community ‘shit storm’ and revolt!
BRUTUS has a powerful blog forum here, so here’s an additional thought. Encourage blog readers and their friends, to start calling or emailing their city reps, plus calling the city’s 311 number and report street potholes and faded road stripping. And also ask how the city can support this bike station program, when the city has such shitty streets? Also copy the TV stations.
Some locals are upset about it, but look what those citizens are now doing by building at border fence on private property. It sure looks like there are a lot of really ‘pissed off’ people out there!
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And we’re doing something about it ourselves proactively because our various levels of government just won’t.
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Ride the Trolley or walk….
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Does not make sense, such a waste of our money when we are so far in debt already..
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It seems to me to make more sense to let the private sector run these bikes as a rental.
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The city is paying a vendor in Wisconsin for the hardware. Mesilla Pedicab is being paid to manage the program. Everyone makes money except the taxpayers.
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At $9k per bike I am surprised the city hasn’t bought 10,000 of them
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Be patient. The purchase order is being processed.
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QUESTION for BRUTUS:
If some really ‘pissed off’ and engaged citizens, wanted to start a PETITION, plus create their own WEBSITE PAGE, would it be possible for you to post a link to that website page?
What I’m trying to find out is, with a blog like your’s, can you reference a link to a website without getting in legal trouble?
Basically, could those citizens who were against the current downtown area site, have expanded the reach of their message and petition effort by having a website, along with a petition form that could be downloaded, and mailed in?
Years ago there was a group against an issue that ran a mail in petition form in the newspaper, plus in that weekly advertisement bundle we receive each week in the mail.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
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There are no restrictions that I am aware of regarding links that the blog can contain.
In fact there is a button at the top of the page (More blogs) that has links to several sites.
I hope that you are successful.
Brutus
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