Comment by WRD

I just commented recently on something kinda like this. I agree with this point in an abstract sense. However, this argument tends to be used, in my opinion, a bit like changing the subject. It's a red herring, in many important ways.

Our region's poor residents feel every hardship the most. The poor feel the impact of rising fares the most, rising utility costs the most. There's a good chance they'd feel the impact of a dedicated funding stream the most (taxes!). Power outages, mortgage crises, recessions, and job cuts all hurt the poor disproportionately. That's one of the major reasons poverty is really, really bad!

I've become more and more convinced that using the public transit system as a poverty fighting tool takes the eye off the ball. I think the transit system should provide safe, reliable transit. That's their goal. Anti-poverty programs should fight poverty, not the Transit Authority.

I really wish authors like this would grapple with this trade-off a bit better.