SIGNS OF OUR TIMES: Politics over Principle/Beware the 'Light' in Light Rail
The fix is in on the Scottsdale City Council. Subtitled: Money Talks, Principles Walk. Advocates of the homosexual agenda have apparently flipped the upcoming vote of enough council members to pass the radical and unneeded "bathroom bill." One council member is approaching what could be her third term -- along with the accompanying pension, if elected. A leftist council member pushing for the bathroom bill promised her campaign cash if she goes along. Getting re-elected is more important than doing the right thing. The fix is in.More on Scottsdale's bathroom bill ... Council members received 98 letters about the bathroom bill. They say six letters, in opposition, from the public were "over the top." And this proves Scottsdale is NOT a welcoming city to homosexuals. Therefore the bathroom bill is needed, say they! Who knew? That Scottsdale, of all places with its vibrant arts community, is "not" a "welcoming" community? One would think homosexual activists would have descended on the city en masse long before it got to the writing of six letters, and -- aided by their left-stream media lemmings -- would have stampeded the city into a bathroom bill before all this supposed hate had built up. The fix is in.Who's to say homosexual advocates didn't write those letters? Homosexuals have been exposed for numerous fake hate crime allegations across the country. And who's to say what is and what isn't "over the top"? Let's see these letters, council members. Release them to the public. The fix is in.***Speaking of homosexual advocates. They are shopping for victims up and down Arizona. They are calling churches and Christian schools. "We're lesbians. Can we enroll our kid in your youth class ... in your school?" The hoped-for answer is a no. That would set the grounds for legal complaints of sexual discrimination and put a big chill on the right of Christians to actually act on their convictions. This is part of an organized campaign to create a climate of fear, to push Christian organizations to compromise. Under the threat of the legal hammer. Advocacy groups will come out with a claim that 80 percent of churches and Christian schools are bigoted organizations and strict new laws must be passed on local and state levels to stop this. Tax exemptions must be revoked. Accreditations must be removed.***Just looking at financials for Valley Metro Rail for the years 2012 and 2013. And talk about UPSIDE DOWN! Hoooly sub-sa-deeeeeeeeees, Batman!For both years, operating revenues were: $31 million. Operating expenses were ... brace yourself: $76 million, for both years. OUCH!!! CRUNCH!!! What a hit!And out of the $31 million in revenue, just $12.7 million came from fares in 2013 and $11.9 million from fares in 2012.The bulk of the revenue came from member city contributions and grants. Nothing like burdening the backs of taxpayers with a losing proposition.But wait a minute. City contributions and grant money comes from somewhere. It comes from you. It is taken out of the hands of taxpayers. To call this "income" is misleading. Member city contributions and grants should actually be posted to the expense side of the ledger.More accurately, Valley Metro Rail should report revenue of $12.7 million in 2013 and $11.9 million in 2012 ... AND ... $94 million in expenses for 2013 and $95 million in expenses in 2012. That's the truth of the matter from YOUR perspective.In an average week in 2013, light rail moved 101,000 people. At a cost of $1.46 million. With fare revenue of $236,000. That's an unacceptable "return on investment" of 1:6. $1 taken in for every $6 spent. And that's on you; you are footing the bill.This is just what the skeptics warned us about a decade ago: that light rail would not be a wise financial investment. It's subsidies on steroids. The "light" in light rail stands for precious little to show for a huge price tag strapped around the taxpayers' necks.Voters: next time, wise up! Don't be taken in by promises of blue skies.
