Them Stinky Cabbies!
I was shooting the breeze with someone yesterday about the taxi cab ordinance review. Then we got into a discussion about how short-sighted the council was. I said,
“Isn’t it ironic that while the council is trying to figure out the best solution for public transit, they are limiting FREE enterprise and the private industry of cab companies in town?”
Talk about being extremely counterproductive!
It is no secret that many people depend on the cab companies in Sioux Falls for their public transportation, for several reasons, mostly because the public transit system in SF is inadequate.
And while the council sits around with their fingers up their butts about what to do with SAM (Sioux Area Metro) they want to limit private transportation services.
My advice?
1) Leave the cab companies alone. They are private business that provides a service in this community. While I do think there needs to be some ‘tweaks’ with them, not many.*
2) Do a full forensic and financial audit of SAM.
3) Hire an outside (OUTSIDE) consultant to review SAM, it’s routes and it’s frequency. Having a couple of part-time councilors review this mess is a waste of time and really pointless. An independent study of what needs to be done, needs to be done. While I complain about the city using outside consultants, this is the one time they would be extremely valuable. The city has a contract with an independent contractor, SAM, they really can’t review this themselves.
While our council wastes time talking about magnetic signs, seals on taxi meters, and background checks, they totally ignore the real problem with transpiration in this community, SAM!
*A South DaCola foot soldier recently heard city councilor Aguilar complaining about cab company owners testimony by the clerk’s office at Carnegie after a public services meeting. While I won’t say all the things that were said, I will say that it is quite pathetic for a councilor to be complaining about the ‘low’ people in our community in a building that the ‘low’ people fund. No wonder this elitist could only roll one term, she isn’t one of us, and certainly doesn’t get it. Sue should hope she never needs a cab in this town, she might find herself walking.