2009.09.28
Enough with the bus delays
For Tuesday: Children can't learn standing at the bus stop. Enough time has passed for Roanoke school system and its hauler to work out all the glitches in getting students to school - on time.
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What was the justification for outsourcing this?
Comment by Henry — September 28, 2009 @ 1:17 pm
Henry, the justification for outsourcing busing was the saving of money. The school system, though, retained the right to route the buses. The problem, as the editorial, will explain is that the redrawing of attendance zones that affected every school and elementary and middle school student. That was challenging enough.
But then, the state, once again, waited until right before school to identify schools not making adequate yearly progress. This always leads to last minute transfers, of about 60 to 70 students. This year, 400 students decided to transfer, meaning 400 changes at the last minute to schedules.
That explains the initial mess. It can't excuse the ongoing problems.
It's quite possible that Roanoke would have the same mess even if it had not outsourced transportation.
Comment by Luanne T. — September 28, 2009 @ 2:08 pm
Luanne #2
"It's quite possible that Roanoke would have the same mess even if it had not outsourced transportation."
Oh, good. I was afraid the RT would make this a private-sector problem
Comment by Suzie — September 28, 2009 @ 6:41 pm
I don't understand how this is going to save money. Certainly the company they contracted with is not going to operate at a loss. If the school system already had the buses, pays no taxes on the fuel and only had to pay bus drivers (with maintenance being performed at the city garage), how can a private company, who has all the same expenses but also has the goal of turning a profit, do it for less money? The only possible answer is by paying the drivers less, which might go a long way toward explaining why the buses can't seem to deliver the kids on time.
Comment by Another Chris — September 28, 2009 @ 8:44 pm
Another Chris wrote I don't understand how this is going to save money. Certainly the company they contracted with is not going to operate at a loss."
They might - for a year or two, then when the schools have no choice, having disposed of their equipment facilities, and laid off their drivers who will now have other jobs, the next contract will creep up in price, and new "service agreements" and specialist clauses will be added to the language of the contract, shutting the bidding out to all but a very small handful of companies.
Within a very few years the contract value will have doubled -or tripled. And there will be no turning back
Its the same system used on the Federal Government,which is why they are pulling back from privatization, they see the same contractors bidding, and the prices rising, and the "competition" that was to lower prices never materializes.
VDOT has the same problem. Look at who bids for service contracts, and look at the current prices being paid.
Then compare inhouse work of a comparable nature that hasn't yet been privatized yet and note the difference in how high the outsourced prices are to a decade ago, and the current inhouse prices compared to the same time period.
Ever wonder why there's been no trumpeting of all the great savings that are occurring with privatization?
Has anyone ever published anything? Look here for your future:
From 1999:
http://www2.richmond.com/content/1999/aug/29/allens-vdot-cuts-may-have-backfired/
Published: August 29, 1999
THE PROBLEM: In 1995, then-Gov. George F. Allen cut staffing at the Virginia Department of Transportation. Instead of saving money as intended, the state ended up paying more to have workers in the private sector perform tasks. AN EXAMPLE: Federal safety regulations require 10,500 bridge inspections annually. The cost: VDOT would save about $850,000 per year by hiring 22 more workers to do inspections instead of using private inspectors. Action: VDOT is hiring 16 inspectors, which could save $616,552 annually.
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One of the interesting comments: "Massey said. "The advantage to having consultants is you only have to pay them for the projects they're working on. When our job's done, we're finished.We're off the payroll."
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Unfortunately that's not true - they just move on to the Next VDOT job, working year round for VDOT.
Comment by joe Mostowey — September 28, 2009 @ 9:25 pm
Joe,
Just a helpful hint. Your posts will be more effective and more often read if you limit them to 20 lines. We used to get into that with Sandi. You put a lot of work in your posts, so I'm sure you'd like them to be read. When I see a 100-liner, I think "Yow, I don't have the time or energy to tackle that one."
Comment by Suzie — September 29, 2009 @ 7:52 am
Susie wrote: Just a helpful hint. Your posts will be more effective and more often read if you limit them to 20 lines. We used to get into that with Sandi. You put a lot of work in your posts, so I'm sure you'd like them to be read. When I see a 100-liner, I think "Yow, I don't have the time or energy to tackle that one."
20 lines, incomplete thoughts, incomplete explanations.
Hmm. Your suggestion would be good if I were simply writing to be read. My posts do contain a lot of work, because I firmly believe anything important should have some effort invested. When I look at politics, I read as much as possible, research as much as possible and invest as much time as I reasonably can, because the outcome will be important to my future.
When I discuss the topics I research, I include what I believe to be relevant, because otherwise what's the point?
An opinion may be written in 20 lines or less, but the process how one is getting to that opinion is far more important in discovering who the person is behind the opinion.
Time and energy is what you invest in what is important to you.
The topics here are important to me. Those who take the time and effort to read, and research are far more interesting to engage in debate, or conversation than those who only have time and energy to invest in sound bites, and base their opinions on such things.
Still thanks for the suggestion.
Comment by joe Mostowey — September 29, 2009 @ 8:47 am