MDOT and the Wally cars

[MiddleMI]

This is a new crazy in passenger rail bashing for you.... Have you ever done any research on this project? Met anyone and actually talked about it with the people putting it together? Probably not yet you'll complain about how your tax dollars are misspent, and call them CRIMINALS. Really? I can't speak for the higher ups in the state, but the GLC, MDOT, and SEMCOG officials have been very accessible on this project, and while I can't say how much it cost at this point, I will say they are honest, and in no way do I believe this is anywhere near a Kilpatrick deal. That's questioning people and companies characters that you likely know NOTHING about other then you want to complain about something. Sure it's expensive, and sure it's taken over a decade of work to get to the incomplete state where they are, but does that mean they are criminals? No. you have every right to not like how the government spends your money (mind you this project may be bundled with some government rail grant that can ONLY be used on rail projects, I can't remember at the moment) but accusing people and systems you don't know of being of or like criminals is not an ok response in my book.

Some of you are missing the point. As a railfan and former rail employee, I love passenger rail as much as the next guy. But MDOT is collecting fuel taxes and vehicle reg fees, and is supposed to be maintaining our roads and bridges. And it appears that MDOT is deliberately allowing our roads and bridges to deteriorate until people are willing to accept massive tax increases. If passenger rail projects in Michigan are a good idea, then put it to a vote of the people and fund it separately! Our roads and bridges need fixing, and the money is there! And it should be used for it's intended purpose.

I've seen this opinion expressed across this state by more people than you, and what you either fundamentally don't understand or are purposefully misrepresenting is that MDOT isn't the Michigan Department of Roads, it isthe Michigan Department of Transportation, despite being ran as a roads department for decades, basically. A mininscule (too small, in fact) amount of the budget is devoted to rail and mass transit, and the state has suffered for it. To pretend that even the worst f%ck-ups as it comes to MDOT's oversight of rail - be it passenger of freight - is what has caused our bad roads is so intellectually dishonest as to be laughable were it not so offensive to thoughtful people. I really hope this ends this zombie meme that just doesn't want to die.

We have clowns female dog about WALLY as the end all/be all of MDOT's problems, when the same report mentions the department costing us tens-of-millions (maybe even hundreds-of-millions depending on how far back you go) on seemingly simple things like the bad oversight of road warranties. Has MDOT messed up on WALLY? Sure. But it tells you about the agenda of the opposition that it's this project getting certain people so hot under the collar while the VAST majority of misspent and poorly spent money is spent on roads and highways. WALLY is an actual hiccup on the department's budget, yet some people are conflating it as the financial downfall of the department.

Give. It. A. Rest.

[Steve B]

The money spent on the commuter cars comes from a dedicated transit fund. It's not money that M-DOT on a whim plucked from the road budget.

Maybe the money should have been spent on something else, but first let's get our facts straight.

Also, all this "put it to a vote of the people" stuff is tiresome. We're paying the Legislature to vote on this stuff, as representatives of our interests, not for them to kick it back to us when they're too chicken to have a vote attached to their records.