Last week on Penny For Your Thoughts on WDWS, Bill Volk was asked whether he rode the mass transit district. He told the caller "rarely". He then proceeded to justify this by saying that one didn't need to have diabetes (or some sort of disease, I can't remember exactly) in order to support efforts to fight diabetes. Similarly, he is able to be an advocate for mass transit without being a rider.
I can't really think of a more inapt or offensive comparison to make. Having diabetes is not a voluntary act or a chosen way of life. As such, those who fight against diabetes without having it are not somehow being hypocrites.
I can find more apt comparisons. Like a businessman who advocates for the disabled but doesn't have a ramp that allows them to enter his business. A politician who votes to ban SUVs but drives one himself.
The proponents of mass transit and their high density growth partners seem to love telling people what our community should look like and how we all should act. But when it comes to actually doing what they tell others to do, many of them, like Bill Volk, leave a lot to be desired.
It was a well-rehearsed response. I am sure he gets that question a lot.
I don't care if he doesn't ride - but it should clue him in as to why a lot of people don't. If you are physically able, have good parking available at your job, like freedom in your schedule, don't like to stand around waiting for a bus, can afford a car and gas, ......, then you drive. With that in mind, he should work to help those who need and want bus service, not ram the service down the throats of people who don't.
I heard Volk's analogy on Penny and wondered if anyone else was offended by the comparison. It was in poor taste. Can't he think of a better example than that?
And even when he rides "rarely", what do you bet it's to check something for his job, NOT to get to work?
Bill Volk and George Friedman are both a piece of work. Even pro-MTD people are cringing at the PR disaster. They seem to be intent upon proving the case against MTD expansion.
Volk sure didn't help his cause by also stating that "C-U has no traffic congestion right now-we have the shortest commute time in the country." (we'll have a problem in the next 25 years).
Out of the mouth of babes...
:)
Wouldn't you just love to see Bill Volk get off a bus on North Prospect to go to Dick's Sporting Goods?
Isn't diabetes considered one of the most preventable diseases in the nation? If so, getting out of cars and walking might help.
Perhaps MTD realizes expanding mass transit service areas would only encourage more outward growth to escape taxes? Maybe they really just want a fixed rail between C/U and bringing in Savoy would make that too difficult? Maybe it creates small and politically insignificant Savoy as the local safe haven for conservatives, while Champaign revenues gradually fall into the hands of liberals? Maybe not.
The ruiling class knows what is best for all of us. That is why they are the ruling class.
MTD---the epitome of the ruling class knowing what's best and using questionable statistics and "facts" to back them up. Other than the 10 MILLION riders, my personal favorite is their constant "25% of population rides the bus (or walks or bikes)". Funny how they don't break it down to just regular bus riders, huh?
We get the government we deserve unless we stand up and object. Hats off to Dykstra and Savoy and Tapley and others in SW Champaign. This is hard ball politics and MTD is the 800 pound gorilla.
They should say 99% of the population uses their feet, or MTD buses, to get from point A to point B.
That's a wonderful piece of propaganda.
Volks too busy worrring about his retirement package to care about the masses. The whole entire problem in this community is the makeup of it's workers. Having lived in various communities across the USA, moving to CU was a bit of a shock. I don't think I have lived anywhere that had so many, " Assistant to the Director ,Administrative Assistant to, Office of SO AND SO", with so many citizens pulling these tax dollars and converting into paychecks and overly generous retirement plans, it's difficult to put some sense into spending. You sure won't get a sympathatic ear from a goodly amount of folks around here. The bigger the MTD, PARK DISTRICT, etc. grow...the more money to play with and distribute amongst themselves. KING VOLK is the perfect example. " I got a paycheck and a raise, don't matter if unemployment is 25%, 35%...I still get my check....heck if inflation goes up, I just raise the tax rate" This type of attitude is pretty engrained here.