Pennsylvania's misplaced priorities

Lackawanna County PA - An article in Scranton's Times-Tribune just irritated me. It seems that while the state can't properly fund public transit or even maintain its roads and bridges, it's giving away money to private non-profit groups to restore their equipment.

As I belong to a private non-profit bus museum in Pittsburgh and love the preservation of our transit history, I'm in a bit of a quandary. That quandary is this. Should the state be paying tax money out of the transportation funds to various private museum groups while they have a major transit and road crisis?

The honest answer is no. The state should not be shelling out taxpayer money to the museum groups, or any other private group for that matter, regardless of the fact it will help preserve Pennsylvania's transit history.

This misplaced priority by PennDOT and supporting politicians is part of the reason why Pennsylvania's transit systems are in crisis. It shows why the bridges and roads are falling apart in the state. The politicians are too busy trying to get taxpayer money earmarked for everything except the transportation infrastructure which the state needs to survive.

In the past I previously belonged to a private non-profit streetcar museum in Washington, PA which also has been getting PennDOT funding for various activities of the group. I was opposed to that group getting the tax money back then and I'm opposed to the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton getting it now. I would oppose the bus museum I belong to getting a state transportation grant as well even if it would solve the group's lack of a permanent home. It is appalling that when the state can't even come up with a funding plan for transit and the bridges are in poor repair that the politicians and PennDOT continue to give money away to private museum groups while ignoring the transportation infrastructure.

These private groups need to work towards obtaining private grants from corporations and foundations.

I have no idea which politician spearheaded this plan. If I knew, they'd get a Lance awarded. While preserving our transportation history is important, it shouldn't be done by private groups slipping on the public feedbag and going on the dole.