Are taxpayers being overcharged for bus service?

Every tax is a pay cut. Every tax cut is a pay raise.
Citizens for Limited Taxation

Are taxpayers being overcharged for bus service? Friday, September 9, 2005

Harold J. Wolfe Framingham Tab

Just when we thought the town of Framingham couldn't be any more fiscally irresponsible with taxpayers' money, we learn from the Framingham Tab on Sept. 25 that unlike many area towns, Framingham owns its own school buses and hires its own drivers and these drivers are almost salivating over their jobs. This is usually a strong sign that the taxpayers are getting the short end of the stick.
Why isn't this service out-sourced to a private company, like most other towns?
Why not avoid the unnecessary and additional costs to the taxpayers for the purchase, maintenance, insurance, parking lots, above-market salaries, driver training, employee benefits, etc. etc., etc? Most school bus drivers are part-timers who get full-time benefits, like health insurance, 90 percent paid by taxpayers, even in retirement.
Should we ask whether a cost-benefit analysis was ever done? Not on your liberal life! How silly of you to live in Framingham and even ask.
Should the MetroWest Daily News do some investigative reporting on this issue? Should blind people talk to us about color?
Don't be too surprised next April when an override request is made.
On another subject, has everyone noticed that the fencing around our $750,000 downtown park is being slowly dismantled and sold off for drugs and booze. The entire fence will be gone by 2010. This is another interesting side effect of social service agencies concentrating the state's finest undesirables in Framingham.

Are taxpayers being overcharged for bus service?	Friday, September 9, 2005
Harold J. Wolfe	Framingham Tab
Just when we thought the town of Framingham couldn't be any more fiscally irresponsible with taxpayers' money, we learn from the Framingham Tab on Sept. 25 that unlike many area towns, Framingham owns its own school buses and hires its own drivers and these drivers are almost salivating over their jobs. This is usually a strong sign that the taxpayers are getting the short end of the stick. Why isn't this service out-sourced to a private company, like most other towns? Why not avoid the unnecessary and additional costs to the taxpayers for the purchase, maintenance, insurance, parking lots, above-market salaries, driver training, employee benefits, etc. etc., etc? Most school bus drivers are part-timers who get full-time benefits, like health insurance, 90 percent paid by taxpayers, even in retirement. Should we ask whether a cost-benefit analysis was ever done? Not on your liberal life! How silly of you to live in Framingham and even ask. Should the MetroWest Daily News do some investigative reporting on this issue? Should blind people talk to us about color? Don't be too surprised next April when an override request is made. On another subject, has everyone noticed that the fencing around our $750,000 downtown park is being slowly dismantled and sold off for drugs and booze. The entire fence will be gone by 2010. This is another interesting side effect of social service agencies concentrating the state's finest undesirables in Framingham.

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