Montgomery County is a very woke DC suburb in Maryland that has long suffered the consequences of its proximity to that poised well. The resulting brain damage causes hallucinations, a sense of false intellectual supremacy, and a driving desire to be in positions of authority where access to nearly endless sums of other people’s money allows them to fund whatever fantasy comes to mind—case in point.
“On February 23, 2021, as part of its commitment to sustainability, MCPS announced it was replacing 326 diesel school buses with electric school buses,” Limarzi wrote.
That ambitious purchase came at a cost of $168,684,990. …
“Mechanical and/or charging infrastructure issues resulted in buses not being able to run routes on more than 280 instances from February 10, 2022, through March 31, 2024,” Limarzi wrote.
And yet, despite the contractor’s repeated failures to service the buses, MCPS inexplicably assessed no fees. That decision cost taxpayers another $372,100.
Incredibly, lost fees alone cost taxpayers more than $2.1 million.
Meanwhile, MCPS has spent another $14,749,919 on 90 diesel buses to cover the shortfall. Thus, in light of the original purchase, the total cost to taxpayers has approached $200 million.
I’m not a math genius, nor do I have any climate models or CO2 calculators, but it occurs to me that buying electric buses (manufactured, assembled, and delivered—broken down, repaired, stored) and then buying new diesel buses has a significantly higher carbon footprint than not having done any of that. I know, “transportation emissions!” Rising seas, stronger storms, more wildfires, dogs and cats living together, total chaos.
Maybe what you need is to take a breath. Go for a walk on the beach. Let the salt air cleanse your soul. BUt watch your step. We don’t want you tripping over the dead sea birds, dolphins, or whales washing up on shore because of your green offshore wind projects.
