Monday, July 11, 2005

Gorilla hunting

Interesting.

Someone may have found a way of hanging a bell around the neck of Champaign-Urbana's 500-pound gorilla.

I'm speaking, of course, of the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District.

The MTD last week annexed a whole bunch of area, from Wilbur Heights in the north to Cherry Hills, Rolling Acres and Sawgrass in the southwest.

Not one of those areas apparently had asked to be annexed.

It's next got its eyes on Savoy, among other places.

Although I think it's only fair that everyone pay their share of the cost of the service that's available to everyone, I find the MTD's tactics to be at best bullying. It's not illegal, but it's certainly less than completely democratic.

So the news that a group of folks in southwest Champaign have found an innovative way to fight back is an interesting development. (Savoy, take notes).

In today's News-Gazette:
Residents of southwest Champaign are beginning a petition drive to create their own mass transit district -- a move that the leader of the effort admits is designed to thwart the plans of the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District to annex the area.
Organizers say they need at least 500 valid voter signatures under state law to force a referendum.

Under the 500-pound gorilla law under which the MTD operates, it can annex just about any area it wants and the residents can't say no.

But these folks may have found a way around the gorilla law. By creating their own district, they may be able to lock out the MTD from their neighborhoods.
Again, from the NG:
"I'm certain gathering 500 signatures on this will be a piece of cake," Tapley said, "because 98 percent of the people I've talked to are in favor of this and sign the petition.
"The ultimate effect of this is to force the MTD to listen to the people out here," he said.

.........

[The} area includes the Lincolnshire Fields, Trails at Brittany, Ironwood, Copper Ridge, Glenshire and Turnberry Ridge subdivisions, Tapley said.
If 500 or more valid signatures can be obtained, the organizers can petition the Champaign County Circuit Court to hold a referendum on the question of creating such a district.

Will it work? Maybe, but I doubt it. Ultimately MTD will most likely overcome the challenge. But it will take time. And it will cost money. And it just may wake up some of the MTD bullies.

From the NG:
H. George Friedman Jr. of Champaign, chairman of the MTD board, said the district plans to hold a hearing on annexing the southwest Champaign subdivisions in late August or September.
Asked his reaction to the initiative, Friedman called it "counterproductive."
"As I've said over and over again, a metropolitan service, whether you're talking parks, police, fire or street maintenance, ought to be funded by the whole community, not just the central part of the community," he said.

Although he untimately may be right, it still doesn't mean the MTD has to act like an out-of-control kid in a candy store, crashing around all over the place and taking whatever it wants whenever it wants.

This may end up resulting in an interesting little fight.

The MTD probably won't lose, but it may just lose it's aura of invincibility. Let us hope.

And so it goes.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

If these areas didn't want the MTD in their area in the first place, for the myriad of reasons they originally cited, then why try and now say that they want to creat an MTD of their own?

This just makes the southwest folks look foolish, if you ask me.

Ol' Guy said...

I believe they're not attempting to create a MTD system; just creating a district to block out any other district (like the C-U MTD) annexing them. No transit service would be initiated....
And generally, when Tapely's involved, they don't any more help to look foolish, most of the time.
Like I said, however, I still believe all citizens should be paying for municipal services. My objection is to the heavy-handed CU MTD tactics.

Anonymous said...

I agree old guy. I'm already paying for MTD which I don't use, so I believe Copper Ridge and Trails at Brittney should also have to cough up the tax dollars as well.

Anonymous said...

"I'm already paying for MTD which I don't use..."

The fundamental flaw in people's argument against paying for the MTD is that they 'don't use it.'

The reap the benefits of it, which is a very valid reason to have to pay for it. If you live in C-U (and even Savoy), there's a 99.9% probability that you don't live in a bubble, and travel all over the community on any given day (or week). By having an MTD system like the one we have, there are less cars on the road, and traffic is reduced.

Believe me, I've lived in a twin city community comparable to C-U, and it had much more traffic than does C-U.

So, all these folks living in Trails of Brittany, Boulder Ridge, etc. should understand that their traveling through C-U is made that much more comfortable by the fact that there is an MTD service in the community. As they benefit from this MTD service week-in, week-out, then I don't see why they shouldn't pay the taxes that the rest of us pay.

Simple as that.

Anonymous said...

It just seems like obstructionist sour grapes. If you don't want to pay for city services, live in a small village or out in the country. Experience water restrictions---like in Philo right now. Or pay for you library services out of pocket instead in your property taxes.

I mean---for crying out loud. I saw on another site that MTD's problem was that it doesn't "sell itself well enough." Whatever. If people can't open their eyes and see outside themselves for 2 minutes and see how public transportation is essential in a large city for overall growth and satisfaction, then no amount of marketing is gonna change their minds.

It's small-town, close-minded, backward thinking.

Ol' Guy said...

Hey, I agree with you. I keep saying that everyone that enjoys the services of a metropolitan area should pay for those services. All the services. Even MTD services. The choice is yours whether to use them. That includes the spoiled rich folks in the ritzy subdivisions. There's no arguments there.

My only argument is that CUMTD goes about its actions with like the 500 pound gorilla -'I can do what I want when I want wherever I want. Deal with it.'

I pay for the bus service. I don't use it. I don't complain. I live in a metropolitan area and expect to pay for all the metropolitan services. It's part of the package. Everyone should realize it. And everyone should pay their fair share. But no government entity should act like CUMTD. Have some tact, folks.