CTA Losing More Than $1 Million In Federal Funds

MISSISSIPPI

STEVEN A. McCALEB
103 ALVERADO DRIVE
LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI 39560
PHONE & FAX: 228-868-8428

E-MAIL: mccaleb4thdist@aol.com

WEB SITE: www.mississippiwebsite.com

Coast Transit Authority
333 DeBuys Road
Gulfport, MS 39507
Phone: 228-896-8080
Fax: 228-896-4010

CTA in a non-profit, waste your tax dollars, organization

This means it's a money pit for waste, like our elected officials

So, what do you, the tax payers of Mississippi think.

http://mississippiwebsite.com/ctaloses1.5M.htm
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http://mississippiwebsite.com/ctaseeksmoney.htm
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http://mississippiwebsite.com/ctafederalfunds.htm
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VOTE

The director of Coast Transit Authority says the agency will be forced to cut services if it can't find a permanent source of funding from state and local governments within the next three years.

 I believe not finding funding for a non-profit organization is a good thing.

It is less taxpayers money which can be wasted on public transportation.

CTA Directory

Reid Hopper told the Harrison County Supervisors that on May 1, CTA lost more than a million dollars in federal funding because the Coast's population has grown beyond 200,000 people. Hopper says the government believes that an area with that size population should be able to support public transportation.

The Federal Government is correct, CTA should support itself, and not off the backs of the taxpayers.

Perhaps the CTA has been missed managed, like our elected officials, CTA may believe they have unlimited funds to spend.  And who better to tell there story to that our Harrison County Supervisors.

Talk about wasting money, lets not forget how our elected officials, Harrison County Supervisors, committed Fraud, Waste and Abuse for years spending taxpayers money.

County supervisors are concerned about the money the county and cities are budgeting for Coast Transit. Supervisor Connie Rockco says she wonders if people who need service are getting it.  

CTA has scheduled routes and special routes, service is good on both, and this is the reason CTA should support itself.

The federal government is telling CTA that if you cannot support yourself having over 200,000 people perhaps you need to look at the way your conducting business.

"If Harrison County funds you, and you don't go to the unincorporated areas but you won't pick up in Long Beach because Long Beach can't afford it," Rockco said. "Harrison County's picking up the tab for somebody. Maybe Long Beach and D'Iberville should get service if they need it."  

I believe CTA has outgrown itself, by receiving so much state, local, and federal funds over the years, they have expanded believing this free money would always be there.

Hopper said providing service to area residents is not something that's up to the CTA.  

Duh?

"It's going to be up to all of our political elected officials whether it be local or state to go to our state and come up with a way to save public transit on the Mississippi Gulf Coast."  

I believe the question is why do we need public transportation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

If CTA cannot run efficiently receiving state, local, and federal funds, does this mean with a population of 200,000 people services will be cut back?

It seems CTA has tried several avenues in the past, the park-and-ride, taking over the casino's transportation, and others.

But none, so far as I no, have been successful, and why is it the Mississippi Gulf Coast is the only place in Mississippi which has public transportation?

Hopper says Mississippi is one of four states that don't fund public transit.  

It seems to me that since our elected officials won't support public transportation in our capital city, perhaps CTA needs to take the hint and get out of the public transportation business.

The supervisors say they want to discuss CTA's budget in more detail with Hopper, and a workshop is planned for June.

Here comes the politics, CTA is going to be in a workshop with five (5) Harrison County Supervisors, that has wasted more of the taxpayers money over the years than possible any other elected offices in Mississippi.