Total eclipse of the Sun

October 7, 2015

Do the people at the Times ever read the Times?

In an article the other day about the decline in Sun Metro ridership the reporter wrote:

Sun Metro averages 1,800-2,000 riders each day.

Not that bad

There is no way that the 1,800-2,000 number can be correct.

Looking at their published schedules the regular buses (not including the Brio) make about 1,015 round trips a day.  That would put the average ridership per run at about 2 people.

Sun Metro’s published numbers show that they had about 1,283,000 riders in the month of May 2015.  That works out to about 42,000 riders per day.

According to their report it costs us about $3 per passenger and we collect all of about 54 cents from each one of them if I read the report correctly.

More than $37 million of our sales tax receipts go into Sun Metro every year.

With declining ridership the city plans to add more capacity, particularly through more Brio routes.

We deserve better

Brutus

9 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Ethics ordinance changes

October 6, 2015

There’s talk down at city hall about updating their ethics ordinance.

The last meeting of the ethics review commission was February 19, 2014.

You would think that with all that has gone on at the city this commission would be pretty busy.

The  unfortunate truth is that this group is toothless.  They can’t do anything without council’s approval.

We deserve better.

Brutus

8 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Infighting

October 5, 2015

The political posturing continues unabated at city council.

Their Tuesday October 6, 2015 agenda includes this item:

Discussion and action to initiate a policy/ordinance that any Open Records Request (ORR) by a City Representative, all such request(s) must be paid for and that the use of staff time spent in hours and salary costs on the ORR be disclosed at a regular City Council meeting and placed on the regular agenda. To request that the 1994 City of El Paso Open Records Resolution be updated in accordance with the Administrative Code, Title 1, Chapter 70 and Government Code, Chapter 552.

Our elected officials are also citizens and have the same rights as citizens.  They have the right to make Public Information Act Requests.  They also have the right to request government records in the performance of their duties–at no cost to themselves.

This is a petty attempt to discourage council members from making this type of request.

We deserve better

Brutus

10 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

No options on the table

October 4, 2015

The west side pool is just going to have to wait.

At the September 15, 2015 city council meeting our council rejected all seven bids for the construction and management of the west side pool.  The action was on the consent agenda and was passed with no discussion.

After getting the seven contractors to invest considerable time and money in developing the bids and getting to look at their prices, the city has decided that it should use a different purchasing method.  City staff is saying that this will save the taxpayers money.  That remains to be seen.

Council did not vote on approving the new purchasing method.  Our west side representative was absent and the other council members did not want to take action without him.

As it stands now city staff is telling us that they should be able to get through the new bidding process by May of next year.

Other than gasoline I don’t know of anything that is getting cheaper on a day to day basis.  We also need to consider what will happen to interest rates during the delay.  The eight month delay that they are proposing will probably cost us money in both materials and labor.

We deserve better

Brutus

4 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Dead right

October 3, 2015

In the last few days I’ve witnessed a dangerous practice that I hope all will take warning of.

No less than five times I have approached or passed through a stop-light controlled traffic intersection and have seen a driver deliberately run a red light.  Traffic was always light.

All of the drivers were male and all were young.

Be careful!

We deserve better

Brutus

5 Comments | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

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