Why Are The Koch Brothers Getting Involved In Tennessee’s Bus Lines?

[Earth_First]

The Tennessee Senate passed a bill last week that, if approved, would broadly ban mass transit projects in the region, an anti-transit effort that’s gotten some help in the state from Charles and David Koch.

On Thursday, the Tennessee Senatepassed SB 2243, which includes an amendment that “prohibits metropolitan governments and any transit authorities created by a metropolitan government from constructing, maintaining or operating any bus rapid transit system using a separate lane, or other separate right-of-way, dedicated solely to the use of such bus rapid transit system on any state highway or state highway.” The amendment is aimed at Nashville’s proposed $174 million rapid bus system called the Amp, but would apply to any mass transit system proposed in Tennessee’s cities.

The Amp, a proposed 7.1-mile bus rapid transit system that would cut commute times along one of Nashville’s major corridors, has been staunchly opposed by the Tennessee branch of Americans for Prosperity, a lobbying organization founded in part by the Koch brothers. AFP’s Tennessee director told the Tennessean that SB 2243 was the result of a conversation he’d had with the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jim Tracy. In addition, AFPpushed the Senate to vote on the bill — efforts that led to StopAmp.org, one of the lead groups opposing the Amp, thanking AFP in a press release after SB 2243 passed the Senate. The transit system’s opponents say it would create traffic problems and safety issues due to its middle-lane location, a claim that a spokesman for the Amp Coalitiondisputes.

Holly McCall, Nashville’s Metropolitan Transit Authority’s spokesperson for the Amp project, told ThinkProgress AFP has kept a low profile throughout the campaign for and against the Amp. She said she’d suspected AFP was involved in the Amp’s opposition, but didn’t know for sure until StopAmp.org thanked the group in their press release.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/04/01/3421088/koch-brothers-tennessee/

[Blue_Adept]

1. Boggling

They really do want to put us in a third world state of mind.

[warrior1]

2. because they are dicks

[Tsiyu]

3. I'm convinced Tennessee is a test state

The Kochsuckers know most people in TN will acquiesce to any scheme the lawmakers enact. They are too nice to confront corruption, and just ignorant enough to vote for the guy whose mama gets on TV and talks about what a good boy he was in Sunday School.

Like the Israelites, they like kings, they like an all-knowing leader to tell them what to do. They don't want to think too hard.

It's just the way it is.

But the kids in the rural areas need transportation. Poor people in the cities need transportation. Keeping the least of these down by refusing to consider mass transit is cruel, and should be the last thing a good governor would want to do. Opportunity is only valuable to a state's people if it is accessible.

Republicans want to take Tennessee back to horses and buggies for transport, and leeches for medicine.



TL;DR: With the help of Big Money from outside TN, the people of TN get screwed again by the people they elect, and will do absolutely nothing about it.

[okaawhatever]

4. They want people to buy more of their oil and oil refining equipment. Like the refining equipment

they sold to Iran. Buses use less gasoline, therefore less oil, therefore less profit for them.

[Tanuki]

5. They are trying to curry favor and build a coalition. They don't actually have a dog in this

particular race, which is about the fear of residents of certain super-wealthy, white, heavily Republican enclaves of Nashville that the proposed rapid transit project will increase the presence of certain "others" in their neighborhoods. If they scratch Belle Meade's back, they figure Belle Meade will scratch theirs.

[Lars39]

6. TN barely has mass transit at all.

Greyhound bus doesn't even touch a lot of little towns anymore. I really want these asshats to get their walking papers, but I'm not holding my breath with this legislature.