Political News and Commentary with the Right Perspective. NAVIGATION
  • Front Page
  • News
  • Multimedia
  • Tags
  • RSS Feed


  • Advertise on RightMichigan.com


    NEWS TIPS!

    Get the RightMighigan.com toolbar!


    RightMichigan.com

    Buzz

    Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?

    Raise the curtain.

    Free The Jitney!


    By JGillman, Section News
    Posted on Mon Oct 21, 2013 at 05:31:37 PM EST
    Tags: Michigan, Detroit, Transportation, Monopolies, Tom McMillin, Jitneys, HB4491 (all tags)

    This story is just too much fun.

    Today, amidst the work stoppage by DDOT bus drivers and concerns over upset and dis-spirited riders, State Representative Tom McMillin (R-Rochester Hills) proclaimed three words: "Free the jitney!" proving there is something straight up about a guy who sees the essence of a problem and goes right to fixing it.

    Perhaps some of you may have read a piece at PJ Media by Richard Fernandez?  In "Single Point Of Failure," Fernandez describes how big government can choke liberty and innovation, and even notes the seemingly paradoxical place liberal run governments must be in to support anti union measures that prohibit strikes for public transportation.

    "The BART strike in the Bay area prompted John Diaz to argue in a San Francisco Chronicle op-ed that strikes in the Bay Area should be outlawed. Yes that's right. No right to strike in Berkeley.  He admits this proposal sounds fascist -- is fascist -- but the situation in San Francisco allows no alternative."
    and provides the commentary.

    Given the singular version of transportation promoted by the left these days, it can be spectacularly gratifying to have such a well met crisis drive home the consistent folly of over managing the daily affairs human beings.  In the PJ article, it is planners run amuck, (and into a ditch) concentration of populations, (ala A21) and in a heartbeat, everyone is susceptible to the most minor interruption of government benevolence, and general transportation assistance.

    In Detroit, its been something like that.

    Continued below.

    McMillin is now pointing out that options need to be considered for the beleaguered by Detroit's substandard transportation options. He says
    "Passage of my bill, HB4491, would give disappointed riders an excellent, low-cost (and no-cost-to-taxpayers) alternative to getting to work, home and play.  Detroit and most other major cities in Michigan and the United States ban the jitney - such ban a relic of government owned streetcar days and many believe its continuation an achievement of public transportation and taxi special interests."
    And this isn't really the first time.

    Last year, former Wayne County administrator and award-winning journalist, Bill Johnson wrote an article titled "Liberate jitneys." Discussing McMillin's 2012 version and saying that -

    "Smarter, more sensible "jitney freedom" legislation was recently introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills. House Bill No. 5724 defines jitney as "a privately owned, shared ride service using a vehicle that is capable of carrying up to 12 passengers, traveling a semifixed route at least once per week."  Municipalities would be banned from limiting their operation except to ensure the safety of passengers, such as requiring the purchase of a franchise or surety bond."
    Backing up the conservative Republican legislator.

    The National Center for Policy Analysis wrote a 2011 paper entitled, "The Jitney Potential: Transportation for the Poor" stating that if prohibitions on jitneys were lifted (as McMillin's bill does), "jitney markets would be able to operate legally and would significantly improve the welfare of America's poor."  The article also gives excellent background on the history and [faulty] reasons that jitneys are outlawed.

    As usual Tom is right, and anyone looking at his legislation (HB4491 has tri-partisan support and can be viewed here) could recognize a little loosening of the chokehold big government is a good thing for local Detroit prosperity and affordable transportation choices for those seeking reliable transportation.

    Something that cannot be counted on currently.

    < 2013 Tea Party Powwow Keynote Emery McClendon | You Didn't See It, Now You Won't >


    Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit


    Display: Sort:
    It's a start. (none / 0) (#1)
    by KG One on Wed Oct 23, 2013 at 05:15:40 AM EST
    You know, it was just incredible how many of the "sick" drivers were able to make it downtown to take part in their little shindig on Cass the other day.

    What even more incredible is the fact that in a city that is pushing entrepreneurship to fix what ails it, and the guv pushing for yet another redundant layer of government, stories like this often get overlooked.

    • Mass transit, by JGillman, 10/23/2013 06:16:41 AM EST (5.00 / 1)
    Display: Sort:

    Login

    Make a new account

    Username:
    Password:
    Tweet along with RightMichigan by
    following us on Twitter HERE!
    create account | faq | search