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Bus story

By Robert C. Maynard

The December 5^th story in The Courier-Journal on the bus system sought for Hardin County, Kentucky was an eye-opener.  Low ridership, common?  The real shocker was the figures from TARC operating in Louisville.  In a budget of  $57.1 million, only $7 and a half million come from fares and advertising, a paltry 12.3%.  The story mentions this as though it’s perfectly fine or that’s the way to do business.  Give me a break!

 Someone at TARC needs a little reality check.  A $35million shortfall in a $57.1 million budget is nothing to crow about.  Those federal grants the story mentions aren’t pennies from heaven either; they’re extracted from the paychecks of working stiffs like me.  If TARC were a publicly traded company (meaning it had to operate like a real business), I wonder what sort of rating a stockbroker would give it.  The $34 million in payroll taxes in Jefferson County for TARC is entirely taxpayer-subsidized. Hardin County taxpayers should break out the roofing sealant and pillow stuffing (i.e. the tar and feathers).

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