So you thought you were done paying for that expensive $317 million train that provides nothing more than an expensive, heavily subsidized ride for a few commuters who want to live in the exurbs and work in Minneapolis?
Guess again. In addition to the $317 million cost to build the rail line, there are the millions in operating subsidies required to keep the train running. After all, we can't expect those who use the train to actually pay their way. Not even close.
If you live in Anoka County, you get to pay operating subsidies through the additional sales tax we pay in the Metro that was instituted over Governor Pawlenty's veto thanks to Jim Abeler and Kathy Tingelstad.
In a brazen case of copycat taxation, Sherburne County is now looking for authorization from the legislature to institute a local sales tax in that county to help pay for its share of the Northstar operating subsidy.
According to the Saint Cloud Times,Sherburne County would like to institute the same sales tax rate as was passed for Anoka County and the Metro area.
Assistant county administrator Luci Botzek was quoted as saying their
county was "left out" of the tax increase for the Metro and wants to be "treated the same way." Translated, this means "We want to tax the crap out of our citizens during a recession in the same way Anoka County abuses their taxpayers."
Hey, Luci. Anoka County isn't a unit of government you want to emulate if you at all give a rip about the people you represent.
It appears they don't give a rip at all. The article indicates that the county has no plans to let taxpayers vote on the sales tax increase if they get legislative approval. That's because they know what the outcome would be.
And don't forget this little fact about Northstar rail. It costs $16.8 million to operate Northstar each year. Riders contribute only $3.1 million of that cost, making for a farebox recovery of under 20%.
What a deal.
(fromThe Anoka County Watchdog-3/8/10)
I’ll guess that these all-seeing, all-knowing officials haven’t considered lowering fares.
ping!
Yup, we all knew the coo coo would cost us millions. But it was shoved down our throat anyways.
This reminds me of the Las Vegas monorail. I don’t live in Las Vegas, but based on news stories I’ve read, and the fact that when I go there the cars are almost always three-fourths empty, they’re not getting very much in the way of custom. My advice to them and these people is to reduce their damned high fares. Somehow it never occurs to them that by reducing fares they’ll increase ridership.
Passenger trains have a minimum loading target they have to
hit to be “fuel efficient”. If the trains are only running
at 20% capacity, the people that are driving to work are the ones that are being “green”.
Not that I disagree with this editorial, but it is quoting yearly figures after one-third of its first year of operation. I heard an interview yesterday, with an MTC flak, in which he was saying that ridership in the first year is about 15-20% below projection, but average fare intake was higher than predicted, so they were actually operating in the black. Of course, he was never asked if all of that $16.8mil was fares or if it included subsidies!
“As the Northstar Commuter Rail line nears its first birthday, ridership has fallen below expectations.”
WOW! Never saw that one coming.
BOHICA