Hey guys.
I’m not really sure what kind of crowd(and I’m using that term loosely) frequents this these days but I came across something that I think is worth reading. Yes, it does come to us from New Jersey, but seeing as how they haven’t figured out how to transfer scent through the Internet I think we’re safe to read it. (That’s my obligatory New Jersey smells joke)
Anyway, check this out. Maybe I’ve just become an all things toll-related nerd, but I always think it’s interesting to read something that is neither from the outraged-public nor prepared official media statements of high ranking officials. There are a lot of people stuck in the middle of these kinds of debates and I think it’s important for us to pull back and realize that these kinds of debates aren’t necessarily as clear cut as us vs. them. As easy as that would be, the world rarely functions in such a simplistic way and our belief that it does often ruins the chance for any sustainable progress.
While the Turnpike Authority should be constantly scrutinized and held accountable because of its high profile place in the daily lives of many people traveling through New Jersey, the benefits of keeping it both independent of the state budget and away from privatization should also be taken into account. While I didn’t work at an agency in New Jersey, I can sympathize with the misnomer that the public often makes about toll collection. I couldn’t tell you how many times people dropped money into my hand and made some crack about me, the state, the governor, Obama, etc..
The bottom line? The public has no freaking idea where their money is going. Clearly we have a disconnect here.
Are the media relations people not doing their jobs effectively? Are authority officials even doing all they can to run an efficient system? Is the public unwilling to do the leg-work and learn a little bit about the world they live in? Do they have a right to be mad?
I dunno. I get as frustrated as anyone else by agencies that can’t seem to get their act together. At the same time, I have no sympathy for people who are mad and take it out on the first person they see. But a common theme across any number of industries always seems to be that the voices of reason just trying to make a living get stuck taking the brunt of the abuse by authorities who only want to sustain their way of life and a public that wants somebody to piss on.
I hope you guys are doing well. I’ve been getting up at 3:45 in the morning for the past month and all told, I get about two hours of light outside of work per day.
It’s alright though, I’ve been sleeping well.
