Slush Funds -- Absolutely Nothing To Do With The Bakken

The "T" in the Boston metropolitan area is fantastic: this is the public rail and bus system. It is clearly one of the best systems in the world. It is showing its age, but all-in-all, it's a gem.

There are several rail lines, mostly subway, identified by various colors. The Green Line is the oldest and its quaintness is part of the charm. Even underground, one can walk across the tracks in front of stopped subways to get to where one is going. It's a bit disconcerting to see others do it and I've never dared; my wife would "kill" me if I tried, especially if the granddaughters were with me, which begs the question: would be it better to be "killed" by a spouse or "not killed" by walking across the "Green Line" tracks.

My granddaughters and I go everywhere on it. I can get anywhere in the metropolitan area for about $2.50; the granddaughters ride for free. 

Unfortunately, the system is going broke and the city leaders are proposing to: a) raise fares dramatically; b) cut some lines entirely; and, c) reduce service on the weekends (sounds like the US Postal Service response to its own budgetary problems: raise price of stamps; close some post offices; eliminate Saturday service).

The city is holding public meetings to discuss the challenges and the proposed solutions. The Boston Globe dutifully covers the story and the public meetings.

But one has to read fairly deep into the story, and even then, it is glossed over, but the reason the "T" is in such financial trouble is because the surplus that the "T" generated each year over the years was used to pay for the highway system that was put "under" the city of Boston some years ago. It was known as the "Big Dig" and was the source of financial overruns, shoddy work, probably "fraud" somewhere in there, but I've long lost the bubble on the Big Dig.

I just find it incredible that the city leaders allowed a gem to be hurt in such a significant way, to pay for a highway system. Boston is one of the centers of the "green movement" and the last place that public transportation money should be used to subsidize highways, it seems, would be here.

But that's what happens when city leaders, state governments, and the federal government see a pile of unused money.

The "T" should have operated at a deficit all those years to ensure there was no money to steal.

But, for me, the two things that stand out: a) the liberal Boston Globe glosses over why the "T" is in trouble (I suppose the issue falls into "it is what is is"); and, b) the city is actually looking to dismantle one of their gems, bus by bus, line by line.

Sad.

[Speaking of which, I was sent a note today that says the state of North Dakota is spending all the money that is being generated from the oil industry. There is a "Legacy" fund but it is slowly kicking in. I don't have the tool set required to check North Dakota's savings and checking account, but if it's true that North Dakota has no savings account despite the huge amount of oil royalties, well, shame on them. The big question, I suppose, is whether the state of North Dakota is using a credit card or a debit card to fund its biennial budget. -- See first comment below. This may not be accurate.]