I am a 47 year-old Chattanooga native with a Master's degree and 10 years of professional experience in my field, who has been severely impacted by the current recession. I am in TOTAL agreement with the first poster's comments regarding that stimulus money having been absolutely wasted by CARTA on the purchase of the pressure washer (and looking to waste even more on upgrades for that great money-maker, the Incline!). In a city with virtually no jobs, soaring gas prices, and people losing their cars to repossession being at an all-time high, it is time for Chattanooga's leaders to step up to the plate and start using whatever resources they have much more wisely. This means using any stimulus money to fund new bus routes to many places where they don't currently go. Yes, and that includes not only the suburbs like East Ridge and Red Bank, but a 30-mile radius of Chattanooga, folks! If Chattanooga ever hopes to be more than a "show-town" and have true economic viability, we need more than a "show-bus route." We need a true Public Transit System with 24-hour routes which offer subways/buses which extend to furthest limits of the Greater Chattanooga area - places like Dalton, Cleveland, and Dayton. Being, as I am, a Libertarian-leaning Republican, I don't support any of this big-government spending in the first place. If government would get out of the way of America's entrepreneurial spirit, we wouldn't have these problems in the first place. But as long as the U.S. is in its current Socialist mood, and Chattanooga is accepting the money, I want to see it used in a way that will actually provide relief for the folks here who are hurting. How about actually HIRING people to wash the buses instead (wow, now thats an idea!). Forget about the Incline too, and lets help the folks who are hurting out with decent public transportation, to the extent that that money allows.
Chattanooga: CARTA ready to spend
I am a 47 year-old Chattanooga native with a Master's degree and 10 years of professional experience in my field, who has been severely impacted by the current recession. I am in TOTAL agreement with the first poster's comments regarding that stimulus money having been absolutely wasted by CARTA on the purchase of the pressure washer (and looking to waste even more on upgrades for that great money-maker, the Incline!). In a city with virtually no jobs, soaring gas prices, and people losing their cars to repossession being at an all-time high, it is time for Chattanooga's leaders to step up to the plate and start using whatever resources they have much more wisely. This means using any stimulus money to fund new bus routes to many places where they don't currently go. Yes, and that includes not only the suburbs like East Ridge and Red Bank, but a 30-mile radius of Chattanooga, folks! If Chattanooga ever hopes to be more than a "show-town" and have true economic viability, we need more than a "show-bus route." We need a true Public Transit System with 24-hour routes which offer subways/buses which extend to furthest limits of the Greater Chattanooga area - places like Dalton, Cleveland, and Dayton. Being, as I am, a Libertarian-leaning Republican, I don't support any of this big-government spending in the first place. If government would get out of the way of America's entrepreneurial spirit, we wouldn't have these problems in the first place. But as long as the U.S. is in its current Socialist mood, and Chattanooga is accepting the money, I want to see it used in a way that will actually provide relief for the folks here who are hurting. How about actually HIRING people to wash the buses instead (wow, now thats an idea!). Forget about the Incline too, and lets help the folks who are hurting out with decent public transportation, to the extent that that money allows.