At the moment, local select boards have opted to bring the request for local funds to voters at Town Meeting next year. Unfortunately, that means the public transit will not be available until 2010. Can we afford to wait that long?
It's only July of 2008 and gas is over $4 a gallon. In 2009 when gas prices have risen further, it may be all of us needing to ride the bus because property taxes, heating costs, food prices, etc. have risen so high that we have to curtail our car driving.
If not all of us, then certainly some of us are going to need public transit before 2010. This is not just about driving revelers from condo to restaurant to pub -- although that is important too. It's about parents not having to drive their kids to and from Waitsfield and Warren. It's about people having the choice of leaving the car at home and going to Montpelier or grocery shopping in Waitsfield. It's about people being able to get to their jobs and employers being able to find employees.
Is this the best we can do? Do we need to wait until March 2009 to agree to commit $5,000 or $10,000 per town for public transit? Are we sure the whole amount should come from town governments? Can the business community cover more than what it already contributes? Can the costs be split between the towns and the business community?
Is this really the best we can do? Whose leadership is needed to make this happen? This is an issue affecting all Valley towns and it will impact the business community as well.
The leadership needs to come from both areas and it needs to happen yesterday.
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