Grand Rapids Pundit Forums » Tag: millage

Grand Rapids Pundit Forums » Tag: millage - Recent Posts http://www.grpundit.com/forums/tags/millage Grand Rapids Pundit Forums » Tag: millage - Recent Posts en-US Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:42:30 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.3 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.grpundit.com/forums/search.php baloneys on "Grand Rapids Bus to nowhere 50 million dollar tax hike" http://www.grpundit.com/forums/topic/grand-rapids-bus-to-nowhere-50-million-dollar-tax-hike#post-584 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:31:38 +0000 baloneys 584@http://www.grpundit.com/forums/ <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIr01qncpaY" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIr01qncpaY</a> shows what we are going...nowhere baloneys on "Kent county, West Michigan The Rapid Transit 20 year tax hike" http://www.grpundit.com/forums/topic/kent-county-west-michigan-the-rapid-transit-20-year-tax-hike#post-583 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:27:44 +0000 baloneys 583@http://www.grpundit.com/forums/ PAID FOR BY KENT COUNTY FAMILIES FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY – 600 BROADWAY AVE NW, STE 406, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49504 VOTE NO MAY 3rd ON THE 31% BUS TAX INCREASE… AGAIN! Attention voters in Grand Rapids East Grand Rapids Walker Wyoming Kentwood Grandville You are being asked for a property tax increase of 31% for The Rapid’s bus system on May 3rd. That’s a $26 million tax increase – A $190 tax increase per household. Voters said NO to this tax increase in 2009, but the politicians didn’t get the message! Fast Facts on The Rapid bus system: The average Rapid bus operates 90% empty The Rapid loses $4.31 for each and every rider that uses the system The Rapid just spent over $30 million on a new garage so that their buses could be stored indoors The Rapid spent $250,000 on a piece of art for their headquarters The Rapid is giving their employees raises while most other government entities are cutting back The Director of The Rapid is one of the highest paid government employees in the county The proposed Rapid Silver Line would clog up Division Avenue during rush hour by closing one lane so that only the Rapid Silver Line bus could use it The Rapid Silver Line bus would actually run slower than the bus that currently runs nearly the same route Voters already said NO to a tax increase for the Rapid Silver Line bus in 2009 – but the politicians at The Rapid didn’t get the message! The Rapid needs to do a better job of spending the money it already has before asking for more! VOTE NO TUESDAY, MAY 3RD! Learn more at <a href="http://www.ITPWatch.org" rel="nofollow">http://www.ITPWatch.org</a> GRPundit on "Rapid Silver Line Bus Millage - Big Boondoggle!" http://www.grpundit.com/forums/topic/rapid-silver-line-bus-millage-big-boondoggle#post-19 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:41:34 +0000 GRPundit 19@http://www.grpundit.com/forums/ UPDATE: 2/25/2011 - For the latest updates on The Rapid's attempt at passing this boondoggle again in 2011 through a 31% property tax increase, please visit the <a href="http://www.watchtherapid.org">ITP Watch</a> web site. The ITP/Rapid transit agency is again asking taxpayers for a tax increase on Tuesday, May 5th. Once again, they are using an off-election date to try and get as few voters as possible. If you live in Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Walker, Wyoming, Grandville, or Kentwood, you should vote no on May 5th. The new “silver line” that is proposed is what’s called a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line. What’s that? Basically, they will cut off two of the four lanes on Division and squeeze regular traffic into one lane each way so that these new “rapid” buses get their own lanes. Did you think rush hour was bad before? If this passes, Division will be a traffic nightmare. Some common-sense reasons to vote no: This is a $70 million tax increase in the middle of the worst recession since the Great Depression - plus another $40 million in taxes that will be spent from the Federal and State governments - bringing the cost to over $110 million for buses There is already a bus line that has the exact same route The residents of Grandville, Walker, and East Grand Rapids will see absolutely no benefit for their increase in taxes How many people do you think live and work right along Division Avenue? This is another waste of money on a ineffecient and inconvenient fixed-line bus system As previously mentioned, the “Silver Line” will absolutely choke up traffic on Division during rush hours UPDATE: (4/16/09) Since this original post, I’ve had several people contact me with more information: The Rapid Silver Line will travel 9.8 miles from 60th Street to the Rapid Station near downtown. The total travel time is 36 minutes, which factors out to a whopping 16 miles per hour! Wow, Bus Rapid Transit, indeed! The pro-Silver Line web site names one source for their claim that this spending will result in a 400% return on investment. However, a quick search on the Internet reveals that this “source” is just a three page article with no data to back up the claim. The Rapid has supposedly done years of studying of this issue. Why don’t they publish any of that information on their web site? What do they have to hide? The Rapid has a history of not publishing data - they still refuse to publish their budget online.