Governor William Donald Schaefer 1921-2011
Guy Henderson
Contributor
Baltimore, April 26, 2011 – As Mayor and Governor William Donald Schaefer lay in state in Baltimore’s City Hall this morning, one of the thousands of people whose lives he changed (without ever knowing it) took an extra couple of minutes, hand over heart, to contemplate the difference one man can make. For Baltimore. For Maryland. And for thousands of people who, except for this singular leader’s energy and vision, might have made a home elsewhere.
In a time when many of us sense that our nation’s leaders seem to be working for everybody except us, William Donald Schaefer was the spokesperson, advocate, big brother for and deal maker on behalf of “the little guy” – those who couldn’t afford to “pay” for representation except with their votes.
But votes were the currency that mattered most to him. So he honored the citizens who believed in him – the little guys, or “little girls” as it were – with accomplishments on behalf of the city and state and its citizens that are legion, and in this short space, too numerous to list.
With every achievement however, there was never any doubt as to where his heart and intentions were headed. So he fought to build Baltimore’s Metro Subway system, to connect people with the jobs that are the lifeblood of any thriving community. He was the driving force behind Central Maryland’s Light Rail system, to round out a transportation network that is key to the region’s success. He tirelessly promoted the vision of Baltimore as a tourist haven, to provide jobs that could help the city’s residents follow their dreams. And because he knew that neighborhoods mattered, he never quit fighting to save those that had seen better times, and to establish entirely new neighborhoods to make sure that Baltimore would have a mix of people and culture and arts that make city life worth living.
Yet for all his accomplishments, it wouldn’t be unusual to see this advocate for “the little guy” on a stroll up Charles Street or in the streets of Little Italy, ready to share his extraordinary and oh-so-human personality with all he met.
This morning, as the blogger stood there contemplating what our community might have been like without “America’s Best Mayor,” he waited until the next group of those paying their respects passed by the funeral bier. After all, giant though he was, he’d had no family of his own once his mother had passed away years ago. This Mayor and Governor’s family was the citizens of Baltimore and Maryland. It simply wouldn’t do for him to be alone, even in repose.
We miss you more than words can say, dear Mr. Schaefer. Thank you for your vision, your energy, your spirit and your brilliance. Thank you for doing the right thing at every turn on our behalf. Thank you for everything.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Our Intern Learns to Live the Transit Life!
Elisabeth Danner
MTA Intern
A few weeks after moving to Baltimore from the countryside of Western Maryland, I totaled my car. I thought my life, as I knew it, was over.
Learning the public transit system in Baltimore wasn’t easy for a country girl from a small town that had three stoplights. We don’t have reliable transit where I come from, which makes it nearly impossible to get anywhere without an automobile. I was overwhelmed and fearful of exploring a new city and utilizing public transit.
I learned that Routes 11 and 21 would easily take me to my job in Fell’s Point, and both stops were right down the street from my apartment! At first I was unsure about my safety, but now I feel safe riding transit because every bus, light rail and metro car is equipped with surveillance cameras. I began to realize that this big city wasn't as scary as I thought it was. I didn’t have a smart phone at the time, so I would call the MTA’s toll free number to look up bus schedules. Google’s trip planner now helps me go anywhere via public transportation.
Soon all my fears diminished and I was relieved I could make my way around Baltimore on my own. Had I not totaled that beat up piece of metal, I would still be caught in the rush; it seems as though everyone is always in a hurry to be somewhere. As if city driving isn’t stressful enough, parking, gas prices, insurance and car payments can exasperate your nerves to a boiling point while draining your wallet.
What seemed like a horrible accident three years ago was actually a blessing in disguise. Public transportation has changed my life for the better. Now I have more fun money, I’m doing my part to help the environment, and I’m free of the hassles that go along with owning a car! I am an intern here at the Maryland Transit Administration because I want to help spread the word about a cleaner, greener lifestyle.
I may own a vehicle again at some point but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop using transit; I will keep my car parked unless I really need to use it. After all, I’m living a transit lifestyle and wouldn’t have it any other way.
My challenge for you is to keep your car parked for a week and ride public transit. You will thank me once you realize your stress levels diminish, your wallet is substantially fatter and you’re making a conscious effort to reduce your carbon footprint.
MTA Intern
A few weeks after moving to Baltimore from the countryside of Western Maryland, I totaled my car. I thought my life, as I knew it, was over.
Learning the public transit system in Baltimore wasn’t easy for a country girl from a small town that had three stoplights. We don’t have reliable transit where I come from, which makes it nearly impossible to get anywhere without an automobile. I was overwhelmed and fearful of exploring a new city and utilizing public transit.
I learned that Routes 11 and 21 would easily take me to my job in Fell’s Point, and both stops were right down the street from my apartment! At first I was unsure about my safety, but now I feel safe riding transit because every bus, light rail and metro car is equipped with surveillance cameras. I began to realize that this big city wasn't as scary as I thought it was. I didn’t have a smart phone at the time, so I would call the MTA’s toll free number to look up bus schedules. Google’s trip planner now helps me go anywhere via public transportation.
Soon all my fears diminished and I was relieved I could make my way around Baltimore on my own. Had I not totaled that beat up piece of metal, I would still be caught in the rush; it seems as though everyone is always in a hurry to be somewhere. As if city driving isn’t stressful enough, parking, gas prices, insurance and car payments can exasperate your nerves to a boiling point while draining your wallet.
What seemed like a horrible accident three years ago was actually a blessing in disguise. Public transportation has changed my life for the better. Now I have more fun money, I’m doing my part to help the environment, and I’m free of the hassles that go along with owning a car! I am an intern here at the Maryland Transit Administration because I want to help spread the word about a cleaner, greener lifestyle.
I may own a vehicle again at some point but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop using transit; I will keep my car parked unless I really need to use it. After all, I’m living a transit lifestyle and wouldn’t have it any other way.
My challenge for you is to keep your car parked for a week and ride public transit. You will thank me once you realize your stress levels diminish, your wallet is substantially fatter and you’re making a conscious effort to reduce your carbon footprint.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Transit Commuting as an Investment Option
Buddy Alves
Commuter Choice Maryland Program Coordinator
Even if you think you are a savvy investor and a smart money manager I’ll bet you a dollar of your hard-earned cash that you are still leaving a whole lot of money on the table. You see if you are still driving to work alone in your car you are spending a boatload of your earnings that could be saved put toward additional investments.
Ten years ago my wife and I were driving separately to downtown jobs, parking in expensive garages and buying lunch at area eateries five days a week. Sure, we could afford to do so, but we had just bought a new house that needed upgrading and we were beginning to think that our budget was about to take a big hit.
I should mention that we are both avid savers with direct deposits into mutual fund portfolios. With major home repairs, rising costs of gas, food, utilities, cable TV and just about everything else we knew we would have to find ways to stretch the money we earned to cover our projected expenses. Plus, we wanted to continue to add to our savings so that down the road we could retire comfortably.
We took a good look at all the numbers and realized that a big chunk of our monthly expenses were going toward commuting to work. So, we compared our monthly commuting expenses (gas, maintenance, wear and tear [including mileage], insurance, taxes, tags and registration) with what it would cost to take transit to work. The savings by taking transit were extraordinary.
About this time, we received a bit of good news when my wife was offered the opportunity to “telecommute” (work from a home office five days a week instead of going to a company office). The arrangement would save us thousands of commuting dollars each year.
The Automobile Association of America (AAA) reported that the cost to operate a car would run, on average, $.54/mile. We live 17 miles from downtown so a daily round trip would run me $18.36. A year of commuting would cost approximately $4800, not including parking, which was an additional $1000 per year.
On the other hand, taking transit to work would cost me $64/month or only $768/year. We calculated that together we could save approximately $10,000/year by not driving to work. That’s $10,000 of our annual earnings that we could use for other things including additional investments. We set up individual monthly pre-tax salary deductions of $400 and directed the money to mutual fund investments (my $400) and a money market account (my wife’s $400).
Over the years we made all the repairs to the house, fenced the backyard, went on three trips to Ireland and bought new furniture for the living room. We did all this with savings by not driving and instead taking transit. The moral of the story…you don’t have to love transit, but if you love money it’s the easiest way to keep more and invest more of what you earn.
Commuter Choice Maryland Program Coordinator
Even if you think you are a savvy investor and a smart money manager I’ll bet you a dollar of your hard-earned cash that you are still leaving a whole lot of money on the table. You see if you are still driving to work alone in your car you are spending a boatload of your earnings that could be saved put toward additional investments.
Ten years ago my wife and I were driving separately to downtown jobs, parking in expensive garages and buying lunch at area eateries five days a week. Sure, we could afford to do so, but we had just bought a new house that needed upgrading and we were beginning to think that our budget was about to take a big hit.
I should mention that we are both avid savers with direct deposits into mutual fund portfolios. With major home repairs, rising costs of gas, food, utilities, cable TV and just about everything else we knew we would have to find ways to stretch the money we earned to cover our projected expenses. Plus, we wanted to continue to add to our savings so that down the road we could retire comfortably.
We took a good look at all the numbers and realized that a big chunk of our monthly expenses were going toward commuting to work. So, we compared our monthly commuting expenses (gas, maintenance, wear and tear [including mileage], insurance, taxes, tags and registration) with what it would cost to take transit to work. The savings by taking transit were extraordinary.
About this time, we received a bit of good news when my wife was offered the opportunity to “telecommute” (work from a home office five days a week instead of going to a company office). The arrangement would save us thousands of commuting dollars each year.
The Automobile Association of America (AAA) reported that the cost to operate a car would run, on average, $.54/mile. We live 17 miles from downtown so a daily round trip would run me $18.36. A year of commuting would cost approximately $4800, not including parking, which was an additional $1000 per year.
On the other hand, taking transit to work would cost me $64/month or only $768/year. We calculated that together we could save approximately $10,000/year by not driving to work. That’s $10,000 of our annual earnings that we could use for other things including additional investments. We set up individual monthly pre-tax salary deductions of $400 and directed the money to mutual fund investments (my $400) and a money market account (my wife’s $400).
Over the years we made all the repairs to the house, fenced the backyard, went on three trips to Ireland and bought new furniture for the living room. We did all this with savings by not driving and instead taking transit. The moral of the story…you don’t have to love transit, but if you love money it’s the easiest way to keep more and invest more of what you earn.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The lives of our Mobility customers just got a little easier.
Persons with disabilities and the elderly are remarkable for the hurdles they have to overcome on an everyday basis. A generation ago, before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), just getting around presented major issues for this population of Americans. Many if not most of them were dependent on others for their basic transportation needs. The result was that many thousands of people remained homebound, alone and unable to participate in many of the activities that most of us take for granted.
At the MTA, we say “thank goodness” that we took action as a nation to enhance the social and economic quality of life for all Americans. We’re grateful for the opportunity to transport those who aren’t as lucky as the majority of our citizens to jobs, medical appointments, family gatherings and other seemingly ordinary events to which the majority of us can travel relatively easily.
The Mobility Division of the MTA does this on a daily basis, utilizing a fleet of Mobility vans, buses and taxis to get our special needs customers where they’re going as conveniently as possible.
Now MTA is making it even easier. The new Mobility Direct interactive voice recognition telephone system launched on March 21st enables Mobility customers to get in touch with us 24 hours a day to confirm scheduled trips, check the status of their trips on the day of service, cancel scheduled trips, verify account information, schedule reminder calls for the evening before their scheduled trip, and even schedule vehicle-arrival calls so they needn’t wait outside for their vehicle in inclement weather.
MTA developed the system to be secure, easy to use and time saving, without having to reach a Mobility operator during regular business hours.
Of course, at MTA we do our best to deliver caring service for all our customers. We’re just extra proud when the service we deliver works for those among us who can use our help the most.
At the MTA, we say “thank goodness” that we took action as a nation to enhance the social and economic quality of life for all Americans. We’re grateful for the opportunity to transport those who aren’t as lucky as the majority of our citizens to jobs, medical appointments, family gatherings and other seemingly ordinary events to which the majority of us can travel relatively easily.
The Mobility Division of the MTA does this on a daily basis, utilizing a fleet of Mobility vans, buses and taxis to get our special needs customers where they’re going as conveniently as possible.
Now MTA is making it even easier. The new Mobility Direct interactive voice recognition telephone system launched on March 21st enables Mobility customers to get in touch with us 24 hours a day to confirm scheduled trips, check the status of their trips on the day of service, cancel scheduled trips, verify account information, schedule reminder calls for the evening before their scheduled trip, and even schedule vehicle-arrival calls so they needn’t wait outside for their vehicle in inclement weather.
MTA developed the system to be secure, easy to use and time saving, without having to reach a Mobility operator during regular business hours.
Of course, at MTA we do our best to deliver caring service for all our customers. We’re just extra proud when the service we deliver works for those among us who can use our help the most.
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