Comments on: Escambia Pushes Gas Tax Hike To Fund Public Transit

By: randy

randy — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 22:52:09 +0000

NO .. NO .. NO

By: Good Grief!

Good Grief! — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:58:54 +0000

Sounds like our county is having the same economic problems as our state and country. Too much spending, not enough money, tax everyone – remove the choice from the people.

No one else is paying a cent on my auto maintenence or insurance. I understand people helping people and I can appreciate those who are getting a job and trying…but seriously? I don’t use the transit bus system and wonder if there is waste here too. Tighten-up ECAT, tighten-up. (Better yet, set a better example for all of us. That goes for our county commissioners too. Set the example of positive progress and a higher bar.)

Hopefully, since the tax was approved (or pushed through quickly) it can be changed after a while. The more money you give to government – the more they will spend and the more they will need. The longer they receive these funds the more the expect it…just like other people getting free-stuff.

Just saying.

By: Lew

Lew — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:50:32 +0000

NEVER vote yourself a tax increase. When you do you remove all responsibility for accountability from the politicians. They will then have a free hand to do what they will with the revenue. Many times they will use this method to get the public to vote themselves a tax increase then turn around and raise property taxes anyway.

Why so many large buses? Could ECAT downsize to smaller vans to cover routes with fewer than 10-20 riders? Could some of those routes be better managed? Looks to me that once again the union has priced themselves into extension.

If passed, I will just carry my business to Alabama in protest.

By: Bud Clay

Bud Clay — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:49:36 +0000

I was raised in Birmingham. Back in the 50’s Birmingham and Atlanta were about the same size. There was competition between the airlines as to where to build a new hub. The Birmingham fathers must have decided they had it in the bag because the passed an aviation fuel tax. You see where the hub was built and the size difference in the cities now. Incidentally the Birmingham airport is proportionally about the same size it was in the 50’s.

In the 60’s I want to work in B’ham after college. The city fathers decided to levy an occupational tax on businesses in B’ham. Many many businesses shut down, moved in some cases a few blocks into the county and reopened. Downtown B’ham has never recovered. No one lives in B’ham that can afford to live else where.

This will be the fate of Pensacola and eventually Escambia county if this kind of irresponsible leadership continues both in the City and County.

I was at a meeting last week about the Library cutbacks – did you know that the city has voted to build a new library in the western section without the monies to support it or the existing library system and the people in that section of town spoke up and do not want a new library where they are going to build this new one

I am so discussed with the whole bunch – city and county commissioners and mayor – I say throw them all out – we can do better than this.

By: Russ

Russ — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 23:43:58 +0000

Why give these people a free ride when “working county employees ” haven’t seen a raise in over 7 years. The county court secretaries got a raise why not all of the county employees. Answer that Wilson or should we ask Tourat.

By: Trisha

Trisha — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 16:54:05 +0000

Can’t ECAT do what the school system did? Lower the number of buses used? Instead of having three bus drivers driving three buses three times a day, they now have one driver driving one bus on three routes three times a day.

By: T\

T\ — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 16:33:18 +0000

@Betty H : ” If it passes just drive a couple extra miles and buy gas in Santa Rosa..”

REALLY?! For the vast majority of us in ESC County, SRC is more than just a “couple” of extra miles. When you consider the round trip, it’s absolutely does NOT make sense.

Those of us that oppose this tax should speak up. I, for one, am tired of paying for those that feel they have a sense of entitlement. They need to raise the fee to ride the bus.

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 15:49:14 +0000

“Does anyone remember watching the ECAT walking around carring signs on strike?”

It wasn’t ecat although I forget the group it was. I remember the folks with the signs at Texar and 29, but again, not ECAT.

By: Dizz

Dizz — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 12:46:08 +0000

Does anyone remember watching the ECAT walking around carring signs on strike? It seems they always get what they want somehow. Now I’ve held a job for over 20 years working for the State and have not seen a raise in 8 years, only consessions. It’s time for the CC’s and ECAT to concede. No new tax period, cut your drivers, your routes, your maintence personel, and most of those in a supervisory position and keep only enough of what you have to run with with no new funding.

By: bin

bin — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 02:31:50 +0000

voteing, a privlage or right?