For many Temple University students, SEPTA is the only way to get here.
This makes the transit company’s new fare proposals quite frightening to those students.
In its (less than) infinite wisdom, SEPTA would like to raise the price of tokens to $1.40, transfers to $0.70, weekly transpasses to $19.50 and monthly transpasses to $73.
While many commuter students might query, “Is this going to pay for new subway cars on the Broad Street Line?”
The only answer SEPTA would be able to give them is, “No, in fact, we’ll be cutting back service.”
SEPTA plans to decrease mid-day service for the Broad Street and Market-Frankford lines.
In addition to this, they would like to discontinue service for regional rail routes R1- Airport, R2-Warminster, R6-Cynwyd and R8-Chestnut Hill West Lines.
SEPTA would also like to convert all of its trackless trolleys into busses.
It would seem the use of electricity to propel these trolleys is too energy efficient.
What SEPTA refuses to realize is that Philadelphia’s trolleys, busses, subways and trains belong to its citizens.
Rather than treat its customers with the respect of a common dog, SEPTA riders are packed onto busses like sardines and forced to put up with rude drivers and salespeople.
It’s high time that SEPTA realizes we are a commodity and not a nuisance.
To read the public hearing notice for FISCAL YEAR 2004 Operating Budget, Fare Proposal and Service Reductions, go to https://www.septa.org/notices/fy04.html.
U.S. fails by allowing chaos in Baghdad
In the days after the liberation of Baghdad, many jubilant Iraqis took to the streets to celebrate and pull down statues (with a touch of help from the U.S. Marines) of the now apparently defunct dictator Saddam Hussein.
This joyous celebration was marred by the widespread looting and destruction of Iraqi government facilities and private property as helpless citizens looked on (without any help from the Marines).
It took U.S. troops days to even begin attempting to restore order in Baghdad.
Looters stole countless government computers and equipment that will be needed by the new Iraqi government to run Iraq.
Several museums were looted of ancient Babylonian artifacts, and a major Muslim library was burned to the ground.
This orgy of violence could have been prevented if U.S. troops had stepped in early on to prevent looting. Soldiers stood and watched a museum being robbed, ignoring pleas of help from the curator.
By allowing the initial lawlessness to go on, Iraqis realized that there was no authority in Baghdad to prevent them from stealing all that they were deprived of.
Not all citizens of Baghdad participated in the looting, but those who attempted to intervene were threatened.
These people, along with the victims of the crime wave, feel betrayed by the U.S.
After weeks of sustained bombing that destroyed much of the city’s infrastructure, including a citywide power outage, Iraqis expected that the U.S.
capture of Baghdad would bring peace. Instead, American “liberators” brought only chaos.
The Temple News editorial board members are:
* Mike Gainer, Editor in Chief
* Jeremy Smith, Managing Editor
* Brian White, News Editor
* Kia Gregory, Opinion Editor
Letters to the editor can be submitted via our Web site @ www.temple-news.com under the “submissions” link. They can also be dropped off at the Temple News office located in the Student Center, Room 315.
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