By not probing Metro’s expenditures, Examiner let us down
Re: “Public sends message to Metro: No service cuts,” April 9
I am disappointed with the Washington Examiner’s coverage of WMATA’s bloated budget. You reported that more than 70 percent of the comments Metro received indicate that the public does not want service cuts. What I believe is missing from the coverage is where the money is currently going.
After the last 10-cent increase, I started my own investigation (mikesoh.com/tag/wmata) using figures available on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Web site. I found that 77 percent of 2008 expenditures were for salaries and benefits, while only 3 percent was spent on preventative maintenance. I also discovered that the industry with the highest salaries-to-expenditures ratio is health care — at 55 percent.
I have submitted a Public Access to Records request to WMATA, asking for salary information of its unionized workers. My guess is that many of them are grossly overpaid when compared to the open market, and it’s the Amalgamated Transit Union that is forcing these fare increases.
However, I only have so much influence as a private citizen. I’ve been working on my own time for two months, negotiating slowly with WMATA’s legal counsel to release these records. As you are a major news outlet, I expected much more from the Washington Examiner.
Mike Soh
=”text-align:>
Don’t expect perfection from any historic figure
Re: “Va. governor concedes slavery mention omitted in Confederate History Month decree, apologizes,” April 8
Slavery is a dirty, ugly aspect of America’s historic heritage, and Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell was right to acknowledge that fact. But if we follow the logic of this issue to its conclusion, we ought to close down Mount Vernon and Monticello, the homes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. These Virginians were also slave owners. Shame on them!
President Woodrow Wilson, also a Virginian, said the Confederate cause in the Civil War was justified. Perhaps we should close down his home as well.
If we were to wait until America experienced a Golden Age of perfect moral rectitude before we celebrated our historic heritage, we would wind up never celebrating anything at all!
Lawrence K. Marsh
=”text-align:>
Most uninsured will be happy to get coverage
Re: “Why I’m suing over Obamacare,” April 1
I think most uninsured people will jump at the chance to get this insurance. I know I would, even though there are those who freeload on the health care system because they know that the hospitals have to treat them even if they don’t have coverage.
But after reading about how South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster is trying to prevent the federal government from forcing people to buy health insurance, I have a question.
When Mr. McMaster loses his case, will he order the South Carolina National Guard to fire on Fort Sumter again?
George Bogart
=”text-align:>
