Columbia SC Bus System Making Tons of Money

Oh wait - my bad. It's actually still losing money. Pull quotes, my thoughts, and a movie reference quiz below the jump.

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The CMRTA is having trouble paying its bills because of a $3 million deficit, disclosed in mid-June, and because local governments have not renewed annual contracts with the transit authority that lapsed June 30.

Ok, great. So CMRTA is $3 million in the hole each budgeting year, mainly because local towns, cities, and counties don't think it is enough of a priority to get a contract. It's probably because most people have this new invention called a "car" that is much more convenient than a "bus". I don't know about you, but it's very popular here in Columbia. I see these "cars" all over the place.

Earlier this week, the two local governments, which provide the bulk of the CMRTA’s yearly operating funds, agreed to release about $1.4 million of their contributions toward the bus system’s $13 million 2011-2012 budget for next year. But they set the conditions the board accepted Thursday. Those demands also included that the CMRTA move faster to select a permanent director from among the 24 applicants for the post, which has been vacant 61/2 months.

Hi, I'm from CMRTA. I would like $1.4 million to run my failing bus system. What's that you say? You're only going to give me money to run my bus system if I agree to put someone in charge that can be held responsible? That's a pretty outrageous demand since everything is running so well at CMRTA without a leader for the past 6.5 months. Just give me the cash, bro. Don't get all "with privileges comes responsibility" on me.

Meanwhile, the CMRTA is asking the Federal Transit Administration to allow it to draw down $600,000 as a reimbursement for previous maintenance expenses.

Fine, I'll just go hit up Uncle Sugar for some money. He's much cooler than you are. He never asks me what I'm going to do with the money.

Thursday’s meeting was marked by board members interrupting each other, speaking at the same time and confusion about which provisions they were voting on.

We've got our top men working on it now.

Who?

Top. Men.

  

Bonus points to anyone who gets this movie reference.