Blind Eye

The Street administration typifies the term cognitive dissonance. When approached with conflicting, though equally viable ideas, Street and his surrogates seem to disregard them in favor of their own personal brainchildren.
Two months ago, The Temple News implored Mayor Street to abandon his fiscally irresponsible and shortsighted proposal to turn the city of Philadelphia into one of the world’s biggest wireless Internet hot-spots. This publication said the mayor should turn his attention to Philadelphia’s faltering school system, which is plagued with gun violence, poor academic achievement and unstable funding.
Or, we suggested, he could focus on saving SEPTA from its severe economic crisis – $62 million of red – as well as helping to keep the company’s employees working and the city functioning.
Despite our outcry, which was just a microcosm of the massive chorus of disapproval around the city, Mayor Street, Gov. Ed Rendell and representatives in Harrisburg let the wi-fi deal slide while bolting out of the office before coming to agreement over a SEPTA deal.
Now, because the administration turned a blind eye to a veritable city-wide consensus that public transportation should take priority as well as the catastrophic implications of massive layoffs, fare hikes and slashed service, time is running out. Without resolution, SEPTA’s trains and buses will inevitably come to a screeching halt, and some Philadelphians who depend on reliable service will be left stranded.
That means you, Temple students. Many who attend this school rely on public transportation for many reasons. Wanting to daydream, sleep or study on the subway is a minimal perk. Avoiding unnecessary pollution, traffic congestion and parking fees are more substantial reasons. Getting to class and around the city is paramount to success at the university level
Every day, 15,000 college students and 33,000 children who attend public, private and charter schools depend on SEPTA to get them to school. In fact, according to a recent article in The Philadelphia Inquirer written by executive director of White-Williams Scholars Amy T. Holdsman, Philadelphia’s school district is “the largest consumer of SEPTA’s services, spending $17 million per academic year.” With fare hikes, the school district will likely face the prospect of paying $5 million more annually for tokens and transpasses, furthering its financial burden that could better be spent on increased security or updated textbooks.
The repercussions will undoubtedly affect students and their families, a large number who currently live under the poverty line and already struggle to afford transporting their children to school. According to Ms. Holdsman, she has even heard children say, “My mom bought a Transpass, but we can only afford one. My brother and I take turns getting to school every day.”
In addition to school children simply trying to get to class, the service cuts will also affect the elderly, the disabled who rely on SEPTA’s handicap accessible trains and buses, as well as college students merely trying to explore the city during the weekend or attempting to have a late-night study session at the library.
We now pan over to Barbara Grant, spokeswoman for Mayor Street, on the positive consequences of funding a digital Philadelphia while letting SEPTA services falter.
“We looked at it as a way to be a city, literally, of the 21st century. We wanted to bridge the digital divide for residents who wouldn’t have access to the Internet, particularly schoolchildren.”
Cognitive dissonance strikes again. Before the Street administration implements wi-fi service they must understand that basic services – public transportation and public education – is really what will benefit schoolchildren. Spending $10 million to create a wireless network, as well as planning to spend $1.5 million annually for maintenance is a waste, especially when the city desperately needs the money to be allocated elsewhere.
Street wants to live in the 21st century and stop the digital divide. We suggest he take a look around, now, and focus on bridging the gap between many Philadelphians and their destinations.