Comments on: ‘Waste and bloat’ characterize MTA bureaucracy http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/ A New York City Subway Blog Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:38:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: anonymous http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-8214 anonymous Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:23:14 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-8214 Few quick points/rhetorical questions (which I tried to post yesterday, unsuccessfully). - It would probably be helpful if the Daily News were to compare the compensation of the top executives at the MTA to the compensation packages of CEOs and VPs at other $10-billion companies. I bet the latter are an order of magnitude higher. Why then should Lee Sander, Howard Roberts, et al put up with the kind of sheer vitriol (not from this blog, but other places in the media) that they are subjected to? - I know that all the sundry hundred thousand dollar and couple million dollar items add up to real money (and that real money should be saved if possible) but are these kinds of measures really an adequate solution for projected ~$1 billion budget gaps? - Are economies of scale really so important that, say, if you halved the MTA legal staff and put them all under one roof, the remaining lawyers wouldn't be overburdened? - Let's say the budgets for counterterrorism, bathroom attendants, legal services contracts, are all slashed mercilessly. If some lax security policy is then exposed, if the bathrooms become dirty and unsafe, or if the MTA gets schooled by some high-powered lawyers for Siemens-- will the Daily News then say that this is the price that must be paid for efficiency? Yes, where there is waste and needlessly bloated bureaucracy, it should be reduced and eliminated. The question is whether that'll amount to more than a drop in the bucket, and whether any unintended consequences of budget cuts might be more harmful in the long run. Few quick points/rhetorical questions (which I tried to post yesterday, unsuccessfully).

- It would probably be helpful if the Daily News were to compare the compensation of the top executives at the MTA to the compensation packages of CEOs and VPs at other $10-billion companies. I bet the latter are an order of magnitude higher. Why then should Lee Sander, Howard Roberts, et al put up with the kind of sheer vitriol (not from this blog, but other places in the media) that they are subjected to?
- I know that all the sundry hundred thousand dollar and couple million dollar items add up to real money (and that real money should be saved if possible) but are these kinds of measures really an adequate solution for projected ~$1 billion budget gaps?
- Are economies of scale really so important that, say, if you halved the MTA legal staff and put them all under one roof, the remaining lawyers wouldn’t be overburdened?
- Let’s say the budgets for counterterrorism, bathroom attendants, legal services contracts, are all slashed mercilessly. If some lax security policy is then exposed, if the bathrooms become dirty and unsafe, or if the MTA gets schooled by some high-powered lawyers for Siemens– will the Daily News then say that this is the price that must be paid for efficiency?

Yes, where there is waste and needlessly bloated bureaucracy, it should be reduced and eliminated. The question is whether that’ll amount to more than a drop in the bucket, and whether any unintended consequences of budget cuts might be more harmful in the long run.

]]> By: Batty http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7867 Batty Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:18:03 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7867 <i>Its not always easy for workers to get from one site to another, so I can see where chauffeurs might be necessary.</i> Then eliminate all the cars and driving perks that people have. Or just reimburse them $0.32 a mile like the rest of the civilized world gets back. $60k a year for driving a car is a bit excessive. Isn't that what messengers are for? Its not always easy for workers to get from one site to another, so I can see where chauffeurs might be necessary.

Then eliminate all the cars and driving perks that people have. Or just reimburse them $0.32 a mile like the rest of the civilized world gets back. $60k a year for driving a car is a bit excessive. Isn’t that what messengers are for?

]]> By: Batty http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7866 Batty Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:15:54 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7866 "But the MTA needs a fare hike because they need more money." Ugh. Once they cut some pork out and getting the money they should be (like from student transit cards) maybe people would be a bit more sympathetic about hikes as they would be rarer anyway. “But the MTA needs a fare hike because they need more money.” Ugh. Once they cut some pork out and getting the money they should be (like from student transit cards) maybe people would be a bit more sympathetic about hikes as they would be rarer anyway.

]]> By: ABG http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7862 ABG Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:31:57 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7862 Change at Fordham? Change at Fordham?

]]> By: Nick http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7813 Nick Wed, 19 Dec 2007 01:36:20 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7813 How do you propose workers get from the Stamford Yard to the North White Plains Yard? I am sure there are many other examples I could provide. Its not always easy for workers to get from one site to another, so I can see where chauffeurs might be necessary. How do you propose workers get from the Stamford Yard to the North White Plains Yard? I am sure there are many other examples I could provide. Its not always easy for workers to get from one site to another, so I can see where chauffeurs might be necessary.

]]> By: brooklyn gal http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7802 brooklyn gal Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:36:15 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7802 Bathroom attendants at Grand Central are certainly necessary, but I don't understand the getting paid $50k+ for it. It makes me want to quit my job and start cleaning toilets for a living! Also- chauffeurs? Why not just use the EXCELLENT mass transit system they're running? No wonder this agency is so out of touch with what its riders want and need. Bathroom attendants at Grand Central are certainly necessary, but I don’t understand the getting paid $50k+ for it. It makes me want to quit my job and start cleaning toilets for a living!

Also- chauffeurs? Why not just use the EXCELLENT mass transit system they’re running? No wonder this agency is so out of touch with what its riders want and need.

]]> By: ABG http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7773 ABG Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:22:11 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7773 Great! Thanks for reading what I wrote! Great! Thanks for reading what I wrote!

]]> By: Benjamin Kabak http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7751 Benjamin Kabak Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:16:57 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7751 ABG: I'll link to that tomorrow. Good stuff. I didn't think through the points you made. ABG: I’ll link to that tomorrow. Good stuff. I didn’t think through the points you made.

]]> By: ABG http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7744 ABG Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:39:42 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7744 I wrote a blog post explaining why the Grand Central bathrooms (and public bathrooms in general) are actually a very important issue, and the budget should be increased if anything: http://transblog.grieve-smith.com/?p=58 Ben, I didn't mention you because I'm guessing that your sarcasm was based on not really thinking about the implications of the bathroom attendant program. I'm sure there's plenty of wastefraudandabuse all over the MTA, but it doesn't look like much here. I hope you'll read more about the issue and reconsider. I wrote a blog post explaining why the Grand Central bathrooms (and public bathrooms in general) are actually a very important issue, and the budget should be increased if anything:

http://transblog.grieve-smith.com/?p=58

Ben, I didn’t mention you because I’m guessing that your sarcasm was based on not really thinking about the implications of the bathroom attendant program. I’m sure there’s plenty of wastefraudandabuse all over the MTA, but it doesn’t look like much here. I hope you’ll read more about the issue and reconsider.

]]> By: Kevin http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7743 Kevin Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:26:01 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/12/17/waste-and-bloat-characterize-mta-bureaucracy/#comment-7743 I think the MTA believes that the status quo is better than the massive logistical nightmare of intergrating all these different organizations into something a bit neater. I think the MTA believes that the status quo is better than the massive logistical nightmare of intergrating all these different organizations into something a bit neater.

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