Koch Brothers are killing rapid bus transit in Tennessee

[TomCADem]

I guess energy efficiency and independence threaten the Koch Brothers' bottom line.

http://green.autoblog.com/2014/04/15/koch-brothers-are-killing-rapid-bus-transit-in-tennessee/

ast week, the Tennessee Senate voted 27-4 against the very idea of Rapid Bus Transit in the state. The vote, which is oddly specific about its target – the Amp bus rapid transit (BRT) project in Nashville – was supported by the wealthy Koch brothers, Charles and David, and their group Americans for Prosperity. WIRED calls the ban "mind-boggling" and we have to agree.

The Amp is not dead yet, because the state House of Representatives still gets a say - would be a 7.1-mile BRT line running through Nashville at an expected cost of $174 million. Local business groups supported the public transportation option - the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce issued a call of support today - but there has been some local resistance and the project drew competing Facebook pages (pro and con). But it is the direct lobbying work by Americans for Prosperity and the broad language of the law that is what is raising eyebrows.

According to The Tennessean, "The Senate bill would block bus rapid transit not only there but in any other portion of the city. It would ban mass transit projects that load and unload customers in the center lane, a core element of The Amp's design." You can read the bill over at the Tennessee General Assembly website. Opponents say the BRT poses safety concerns since riders will have to cross half the road to get to the Amp. An Amp spokesman pointed out that regular bus riders sometimes have to cross the whole street in some instances.

A promotional video about the Amp BRT from last year is available below. Interestingly, the state Senate recently voted unanimously in favor of studying a monorail proposal for Nashville.

[LordGlenconner]

1. They'll both be dead soon

They are both well into their 70s. Hopefully longevity doesn't run in the family and when the day comes when they do shuffle out of this world they aren't replaced by someone more evil.

[Initech]

2. Grrrrr!!! The Koch roaches do not own us!

I'm sick of being told we have to make sacrifices for these greedy shitbags, it seems everything is a threat to their precious billions. Time to lock them up.

[oldandhappy]

3. Why do the K bros hate people

so much??!! This has to be more than about money. They are against people -- really really against people.

[oldandhappy]

4. Just had a picture in my head

of their heirs fighting over the estate. Satisfying!

[DirkGently]

5. Apparently AFP's motto is, "Everything must suck."

How that translates into money for the Koch brothers I have no idea. But this is the kind of mindless, spiteful attack we're getting.

They don't even want to help themselves; they just want to hurt other people.

[Tsiyu]

6. if the people of TN could wake up from their

comas, they'd stand up and make their legislators act like more than foot soldiers of the Kochsuckers.


But that takes too much work and time.

Our people of TN need rapid transit. Why the Kochs are trying to limit the transportation of an entire state's people is beyond me.

Though I understand why the TN legislators are spewing out Evil Koch-Bills:

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


As long as the TN legislators have $$$$$$$$$ they don't give two figs if their entire state is a cesspool of unemployment, lack of opportunity and lack of health care.

A curse on them all, Koch brothers included, Easter or no.