Blogosphere Doodlings - "It's for the bicycles, man!" - Granite Grok

Blogosphere Doodlings – “It’s for the bicycles, man!”

Ah yes, back to TreeHugger.  They really are all about downshifting one’s standard of living to ensure that “Gaia” won’t be hurt from global warming global cooling climate change Mankind activities that would make us like Venus (or was that Neptune?) in temperature.  They also are all about Socialism (“we’re all in this together and we won’t let you out”) and the totalitarianism that you will live your life by their sacred proscriptions.  I call it “the cave and firepit lifestyle”.

Well, owning a big car?  Very much a mortal sin.  Electric car?  Well, maybe – as long as you use PV panel to recharge it. While they are all about cramming everyone into high density “walkable neighborhoods” (like the self-righteous do-gooders from the Federal Government EPA / HUD / DOT), they will allow that riding bicycles are OK and rate just a tick under forcing you to walk everywhere. And certainly, if those bikes are “communally owned” so much the better.  Thus, this bad news gave them a rather latte day (emphasis mine, reformatted):

Citi Bike is underwater and de Blasio refuses bailout

citi_bike_2.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scaleOne of the most unique features of New York City’s bike share program is that it’s privately funded. In most cities, bike-share programs, like other forms of public transportation, are subsidized with taxpayer money.  But according to The Wall Street Journal, Citi Bike is in debt. Alta Bicycle Share, which operates Citi Bike as a subsidiary, needs to raise tens of millions of dollars to keep the program going according to WSJ’s off-the-record sources. 

Citi Bike, which launched last year, has faced a number of challenges. As expected, the harsh winter resulted in a decrease in the number of day passes sold. In the first quarter of 2014, the Citi Bike had only 18 days where it sold more than 200 24-hour passes. But even on clear days, faulty and vandalized kiosks can sometimes make it hard to use the Citi Bike system. Also, the traffic flow of bikes has proven to be a challenge, as many riders may choose to commute uptown in the morning, but don’t necessarily ride back south. Citi Bike now redistributes the bikes by truck overnight, adding to the cost of the system.  Confusingly, the WJS reports that Alta isn’t seeking city funding, although the New York Post reports they have asked city officials “for help with the program.”

So, we have one of these yuppie / enviro / do-good social entrepreneurs that are finding out that other yuppies, enviros, and social justice folks may be giving them good lip service but not good greenbacks.  Imagine that – people who would rather walk or hop into a cab instead of riding a bike in the middle of winter – who knew?  Looks like CitiBank has been the sponsor (with naming rights) may not be so hot on doing anymore greenwashing.  So, will self-named Socialist Bill De Blasio, the new NYC Mayor anti-up taxpayer funds for this egalitarian transportation model?  After all, he IS one of those “H8 InEquality” folks, right?  Er, no:

However, it doesn’t look like the city will approve either higher fees for annual users or the use of public funds any time soon. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday that the city will collaborate with Citi Bike to become more efficient, but that “at this point, city budget money is not on the table.”

And then get this spin from the post’s author, Margaret Badore:

Given the popularity of Citi Bike among the residents of New York city (assuming that’s who pays for those 99,000 annual memberships), it seems unlikely that the city will allow the program to fold completely.

Hahahaha!  NYC’s population is 8.37 million, making those 99K only 1.2% of the denizens are actually using this offering.  That is a disaster when you add the fact that those running this fiasco are already in the hole for 10s of million of said greenbacks.  I have to give these “social justice entrepreneurs” props for trying but it does look like it’s time to fold’em.  But the last comment of the string does emphasis the true nature of these folks:

Jim Gordon • 4 days ago

Subsidies are called for. This project does not have to make money to be a very valuable contributor to the city environment and public health.

Right.  This is a guy that has lost touch with reality that stuff costs real money – or you go without.  Certainly we see the absolute belief that if capitalism is saying “the marketplace for this idea doesn’t exist”, ya gotta do it anyways if it supports their enviro beliefs.  It also shows the belief that what is yours is theirs even though they didn’t earn it.  After all, isn’t only necessary to show “good intentions” to take other peoples’ property from them to make you feel good?

Oh yeah, I almost jumped for joy – I thought that I had regained my comment posting privileges back!  I wrote something, it appeared, and didn’t even give me the regular “needs moderation” message – it was just there.

Drat, the TreeHugger’s PC moderator swatted me into cyber-oblivion – and I even wasn’t all that bad!

That’s right! Make all those other people who refused to pay for Citibike pay for it anyways – the mindset that made us the Land of the FREE!

Hope springs eternal…maybe someday they will re-entertain a contrary opinion….

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