May 5, 2008
Sen. Coburn Strikes Again
Sigh. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), he of the efforts to add an income test to D.C.'s tuition assistance program and paint WMATA as irresponsible baby killers, is back, this time with an op-ed in the Washington Times. In case you hadn't heard, Coburn feels strongly that the D.C. Metro system shouldn't get another dime from the federal government. In the column, Coburn argues that continuing to allow WMATA to get federal subsidies only removes any incentive the agency has to provide better service:
Metro riders themselves are all too familiar with the system's problems. When trains are late, riders are left standing on the platform not knowing when, or if, it will ever come. Little effort is made to keep escalators working. In 2005, there were typically more than 50 broken escalators on any given day. According to Metro, it would take several months to fix an escalator, forcing people to walk up huge flights of stairs instead while they were inoperable.You get the sense Sen. Coburn has had some of the same annoying Metro experiences that many of us have had over the last few years, and hey, broken escalators and delayed trains are no doubt a pain. But Coburn chooses to ignore a lot about what General Manager John Catoe has been doing to turn the agency around since he took over last year. Both escalator and elevator service have improved, a large budget deficit has been balanced by raising fares, and ridership has increased to the point where we're all busy worrying about increasing the system's capacity.
We also really like how Sen. Coburn implies that his constituents in Oklahoma shouldn't have to see their tax dollars going toward the D.C. Metrorail system because most of them make less money and won't ever come to our nation's capital for a visit. We wonder if they agree with their senator's assessment that they have no interest in ever seeing the White House, the National Portrait Gallery, the Lincoln Memorial, or even, say, visiting their senator's offices at the U.S. Capitol.
Coburn, of course, was one of 57 U.S. Senators who last year voted against a bill that would have given the District of Columbia a voting member in the U.S. House of Representatives. The senator believes the District ought to be treated like an independent local government in some cases (transportation funding) but not in others (having a voice in Congress). If Sen. Coburn thinks D.C. residents ought to be taxed more in order to pay for infrastructure improvements to the Metro system, perhaps he ought to re-think his position that those tax dollars should not also give us the same rights as every other American.
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Oh no! Walking up stairs! Americans can't be MADE to do that! I mean, if an escalator is out, the elevator in the station is most likely operating, so if for some reason someone is physically unable to walk up the stairs, they can easily take the elevator. Americans are fat, they should be made to walk up stairs more often.
How often does Coburn take Metro anyway? I am not always happy with Metro's performance, but that certainly doesn't mean I want them to lose their federal funding.
It's like this, Senator: I can call my mama ugly, but you can't call my mama ugly.
Oh no! Walking up stairs! Americans can't be MADE to do that! I mean, if an escalator is out, the elevator in the station is most likely operating, so if for some reason someone is physically unable to walk up the stairs, they can easily take the elevator. Americans are fat, they should be made to walk up stairs more often.
You clearly have never travelled the Metro with a person who has a disability. Elevators are frequently out at the same stations where escalators are malfunctioning.
(Sorry for pointing out my mama's ugliness again.)
Oh no! Walking up stairs! Americans can't be MADE to do that! I mean, if an escalator is out, the elevator in the station is most likely operating, so if for some reason someone is physically unable to walk up the stairs, they can easily take the elevator. Americans are fat, they should be made to walk up stairs more often.
If there's one thing that would help fix some of Metro's problems, it's definitely less money to fix those problems.
I didn't mean to say that people who are physically unable to climb stairs should be made to (thought I made that pretty clear). I don't have physical disabilities so I rarely need the elevators, so I can't comment about how often they are broken down. I would hope though, that if an escalator is broken, then an elevator would be working. Shame on Metro if they're not.
This apparently, is not what Sen. Coburn was complaining about, "According to Metro, it would take several months to fix an escalator, forcing people to walk up huge flights of stairs instead while they were inoperable."
He doesn't mention people with disabilities having problems, just regular people who can't be bothered to walk up a flight up stairs. Just saying...
If the Senator is going to get all free-market on our Metrorail system, maybe he should also get all free-market on Oklahoma's interstate highway funding.
Remind me, again, what the ratio of federal transportation funding for highways is to public transportation systems?
I think that Coburn needs to answer me this: what is Oklahoma getting in wasteful spending that is keeping my escalator from working? I sit at a desk all day and don't appreciate having to use my near-obsolete knees as I emerge from Columbia Heights station. That is, unless I'm heading to Pete's.
It's way past time to give Oklahoma back to the Native Americans, isn't it?
If there's one thing that would help fix some of Metro's problems, it's definitely less money to fix those problems.
My thoughts exactly. And I wonder how much federal money he has taken to pay for roads in his state. Didn't our tax money pay for them?
I could go on a tirade about this real life "jack ass version" of Forrest Gump, but I won't.
When trains are late, riders are left standing on the platform not knowing when, or if, it will ever come
Unlike in other cities, like say New York, when even if a train is on time we know exactly when it's coming. I often dont see times posted in other subway stations.
I guess metro should get rid of all the signs letting us know how many minutes we actually have to wait. Then, we wont know if and when it is coming at all.
Sommer, I wouldn't make this into another DC statehood thing. First of all, Metro is used as much, if not more, by non-DC residents. Second, it's just easier to criticize Colburn for his ridiculous premise that Oklahomans, who are mostly not rich, shouldn't have to pay for Metro, which is used by a whole lot of people who are rich (at least by Oklahoma standards).
This premise is ridiculous because Okalahomans don't pay for anything beyond Oklahoma. A majority of states, including Oklahoma, receive more from the federal government than they pay. So, while federal revenues are fungible, the fact is that there are only 20 or so states that are in any position to complain about how federal money is spent in the other 30 states (plus DC). But before we get to smug about that, keep in mind that VA, MD, and DC are among the freeloaders (although it's not entirely clear that DC is a freeloader because the salaries of VA and MD residents that work in DC are imputed towards the census's calculation of DC's freeloadership).
Another line of attack: "Hey Colburn, I totally agree with your line of reasoning. You know what else has been giving terrible service recently? The interstate highway system. We should stop spending federal dollars on it until it can get its act together."
When trains are late, riders are left standing on the platform not knowing when, or if, it will ever come.
Funny story: the entire Metro system actually stopped running back in 2006; we've just gotten so used to the delays that no one noticed.
One thing is clear: it's time to declare war on Oklahoma. Take all the money for their roads and make them use the Oregon trail or the Trail of Tears or some other trail they have laying around!
Reid, add to your calculus that while only 6% of land in Oklahoma is public land (and thus not taxed) 30% of land in DC is public land (and thus not taxed.)
I would guess that much of our give-back from the Feds stems from the fact that that without them, DC wouldn't exist and without us, they'd have no one to test charter schools on or withhold free needle-exchange programs from.
I think it's ridiculous to expect the DC gov't to be exclusively responsible for Metro funding when there are plenty of MD and VA stations. Unless the MD and VA gov'ts pay for their respective Metro stations... I guess I don't know much about it.
i think that one year they should dedicate the entire federal budget to the Metro and see how much better it gets. no matter what, we'll still have wankers standing on the left and pee stains on the carpet.
anyone who parts their hair down the middle and has super tiny teeth should get a good punch in the nuts.
o-k-l-a-h-o-m-a!!
We also really like how Sen. Coburn implies that his constituents in Oklahoma shouldn't have to see their tax dollars going toward the D.C. Metrorail system because most of them make less money and won't ever come to our nation's capital for a visit.
Oklahoma isn't paying so they can come see the puffy jacket at the Smithsonian, they are helping to pay infrastructure so that Cockburn and every other person who works for the national government can get to work and conduct the business of the country.
Next time Oklahoma needs disaster relief funding to rebuild after a tornado, or to fight off some militia group, they can go begging to Oral Roberts University.
Tell you what, how about we attack this joker on his home turf, and let the voters of Oklahoma know what an idiot he is. Send your letters to www.journalrecord.com.
If there's one thing that would help fix some of Metro's problems, it's definitely less money to fix those problems.
When you're only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
The Feds spend five times as much on highways as they do on mass transit. To people like Coburn, mass transit is just a Great Society relic that needs to be funded out of existence. They won't be happy until all the subway tunnels in America are replaced by underground highways.
Now, of course, those highways will just empty out onto gridlocked highways, but therein lies the beauty of the plan: we'll charge parking fees instead of tolls. And, speaking as a Conservative, I'd bring back hanging and go into rope. Also, to boost the local economy I'd tax all foreigners living abroad. I would also tax the nude in my bed. No - not tax. What is the word? Oh - 'welcome'. And finally, I would cut off the more disreputable parts of the body and use the space for playing fields.
"Oklahoma shouldn't have to see their tax dollars..."
Do Oklahomans even have tax dollars? It's news to me that they have anything but prospectors supplies, piso's-magic-tuberculosis-cure, reservations, and black gold? Isn't Oklahoma pretty much just one little subsidy program paid for by the rest of the nation so that our highways have any easy path from Kansas to Texas? Which seems sort of waste since there are perfectly good states to either side that would love to pick up the extra work with a lot fewer "atmospheric anomalies" if you know what I mean.
He's onto something with: "Oklahoma shouldn't have to see their tax dollars going toward the D.C. Metrorail system because most of them make less money and won't ever come to our nation's capital for a visit"
On behalf of their esteemed representative, Oklahomans should get a $.04 refund on thier taxes every year, and be banned from DC. That just means fewer sightings of old guys sporting white-socks pulled up to the groin under denim shorts, tevas, and cowboy hats taking the Orange line in from the Day's Inn Fairfax (which they reserved: "cause there aint' none of them dark skinned folk and injuns out's there in Virgin-i-aye."
How about we spend some time looking into all the subsidies that Coburn and his staff are receiving:
http://www.legistorm.com/pfd_office/member/Sen_Tom_Coburn/22.html
It doesn't look like the Oregon Trail goes far enough south. They'd have to provide some kind of transportation to get them there and that would defeat the purpose....
Oh Cockburn how you sadden us!!
stmove - That's a pretty narrow view of Oklahomans. They're not all rednecks and poney-pokers. What about the legions of ass-chaps-wearing Oklahomos?
Tom has Dysentery. Stop and look around?
let us not forget that Oklahoma is the state with Sally Kern, who thinks gays are a bigger threat to society than terrorists.
Goooooooooooooooo Sooners!
Okay, so they don't have the Oregon Trail, but they do have the Chisholm Trail, which I'm guessing was named after Shirley. She was a nice lady and all, but Oklahoma has got to pay for having such a piss poor senator. Therefore, I say we boycott all products from Oklahoma.
Coburn made a big stink several years ago about how girls' bathrooms in public schools were rampant cesspools of lesbian activity.
[Insert Monkey comments here.]
Seems like John Catoe needs to sit down and make nice-nice with Coburn. Coburn may be a loon, but he's consistent with his lunacy and ticks off Dems and GOPers alike. Catoe needs to have a long chat with Coburn and his top staffers before Coburn screws Metro's federal funding.
Another great quote:
"the average Oklahoman, who earns $40,000 a year, subsidizes the Metro rides of federal workers in D.C. who earn $90,000 a year. Those federal workers who earn very good money make up nearly half of Metro's riders. Asking them to pay a little more would hardly be unfair or burdensome."
Apparently, Coburn has invented a magical income-detection device that will sense passengers' salaries as they pass through the turnstile and adjust the fare accordingly.
I like how Coburn assumes only rich federal workers ride the Metro and thus can afford to pay a few bucks more.
Even his photo screams "douchebag."
Don't federal workers ride for free? They get metro cards every few months or so. At least that is the way it was a few years ago when I worked for the federal government.
I dunno. He doesn't so much scream "douchebag" as he does "Cousin Sven."
One thing I am having a tough time understanding is what problem DCers have with this this statement:
"The real solution for Metro is to return to local control, even though that means more local funding and less federal funding. If more funding came from local sources, Metro officials would have no choice but to be more accountable to local governments that are elected by local citizens."
And I cannot speak for the Senator but I imagine that he would be a strong proponent of paying for the federal highway system with tolls rather than the federal highway trust fund gas tax.
That letter is just awful. It's written like DC is is on welfare and we're begging for more money.
"Washington, DC, have you even tried looking for a job? Of course not, when you can just get handouts from the Federal Government!"
Lets not forget about that other douchebag Senator James Inhofe(R)Oklahoma...who in 2003 claimed global warming was "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people".
Is it worse that he doesn't think the earth is getting warmer? or that he can't think of any of the other...better hoaxes perpetrated on us?
oklahoma's congressional delegation=bad
(busy day at work...yeah, i actually have a job, and can't read through EVERYONE'S comments right now)
that's all i gotta say about that.
Guys, guys. Before we get in an uproar, it's only the Washington Times. It's not like anyone really reads it anyway.
One thing I am having a tough time understanding is what problem DCers have with this this statement:
"The real solution for Metro is to return to local control, even though that means more local funding and less federal funding. If more funding came from local sources, Metro officials would have no choice but to be more accountable to local governments that are elected by local citizens."
My first problem would be that Metro is under local control. My second problem would be that I can't imagine that there are a lot of people right now that think "Geez, I'd love to hold my local representatives responsible for the performance of Metro, but damnit, so long as Oklahoma is subsidizing my farecard, I just won't do it."
What Colburn really means is that if the local people felt the cost of Metro more acutely, they'd agree with him that it ought to be decommissioned.
It's too easy just to look at federal expenditures and say "hey, you should pay your own way". The federal government benefits in inumerable ways by the Metro. It keeps the (effective) salaries of government employees down (in other words, since Metro riders put less money towards transportation, they're that much more likely to accept a lower salary). It improves the environment around DC, which helps keep government health insurance down. It increases real estate values sharply, which produces more capital gains taxes. It keeps people off the roads, which saves federal highway money. Etc., etc., etc.
In the bathroom stall this afternoon at the National Gallery, Senator Coburn told me that his words were totally taken out of context.
Thank you, naalex.
1. How is it that Sen. Coburn, one senator out of 100, can individually hold a bill in Congress? He's not the chairman for the GA committee, it's not a filibuster, what's going on?
2. Much as I feel that Sen. Coburn's methods and conclusion are unjustified, some of his criticism is correct. WMATA needs to be more directly accountable to the people. I recommend two members of the board of directors, elected by the ridership (TBD how to figure out qualifications).
The RAC is nice and all, but it's underutilized now, their blog has been inactive for years, seems like they don't stretch out for comments from ridership, they aren't seeking input on what initiatives to get widespread support, etc.
Yes there is local control but because of federal subsidies the correlation between who rides and who pays is muddied. Because of this Metro can get away with taking 3 mo. to fix an escalator and get away with the many other operational problems that folks always complain about. The lack of true local investment and knowing a guaranteed federal bailout is availble creates a culture of unaccountability that would not be there if us local residents (VA/DC/MD) paid for the actual services we receive.