Townships Don’t Belong in Bus Business, Bob Anderson Says

From McHenry Township Trustee Bob Anderson:

Bob Anderson

Townships, like McHenry Township, have no business being in the bus business.

Township bus programs are not one of the three state mandated duties of township government.

These programs are just another way to get citizens addicted to government services at high public tax cost.

Township insiders know this buys votes and support to keep the extra layer of township government on the tax rolls, protecting their jobs and many benefits. 

The McHenry Township Senior Bus Program has a taxpayer cost of $300,000.

That’s not cheap.

It takes takes nineteen percent of the Township Budget to support the program.

Of the about 50,000 township residents, only 0.3 percent use the service!

There are five buses in the township fleet, at a cost of over $70,000 each, which are replaced every three years with low milage. 

Rides do not cost $7.59 per trip.

When all costs are factored in, the cost is about $25 one way, $50 round trip.

Note: in 2013 one way cost was $19.42.

That’s a 28% increase in just five years. 

Some of the operating costs are for administration, wages and benefits, insurance, fuel, cell phones, repairs, contractual services and repairs. 

Most bus trips are not used for doctor appointments.

Last year taxpayers paid for 1,617 trips to the McHenry Township Senior Center,

  • 136 to McHenry Township
  • 953 trips to 33 different restaurants
  • 607 trips to four different schools
  • 499 trips to three different libraries
  • 143 trips to nine different banks and
  • 727 trips to eight different churche.

There were even trips to

  • the McHenry Country Club and
  • Steffens Jewelers.

McHenry Township allows those as young as 55 to qualify as a “senior” to get a “free” ride.

McHenry Township’s hard working families live paycheck to paycheck. They are looking for tax relief from anywhere possible.

The McHenry Township Board eliminated the McHenry Township Bus Program for tax relief, a good thing.


Comments

Townships Don’t Belong in Bus Business, Bob Anderson Says — 29 Comments

  1. In the simplest possible terms, Bob Anderson is wrong about the need, appropriateness and value of the bus service the Township provides for the many citizens who depend in it.

    Further, I question what appears to be unhealthy compulsive obsessive behavior with regard to this issue in particular and Townships in general.

  2. Mr. Anderson is correct.

    Please read the mandated duties of township government.

    He is absolutely right about the “addiction” to “free” services on the backs of others.

    Haha, Michael Stanard. Based on your assessment of Bob Anderson, it would be fair to say that MOST taxpayers also have unhealthy compulsive obsessive behavior in regards to this issue and ALL issues with townships in general when you give away our money!

    Again, read the mandated duties.

  3. I would like the representative to disclose all documents backing his claims.

    Not a hand typed paper.

    If unable then these words are opinion not fact!

  4. Bob has just one motive, and we all should know that by now .

    ELIMINATE MCHENRY TOWNSHIP !

    That being said Mr. Anderson is using “fuzzy math”; regardless its not just about money.

    If it can be done cheaper lets do it but, prove it.

    Just like when he tried to eliminate the Township Road District.

    All talk no real and true facts.

    Lets see hands on real study, making sure that the needs of the community can be meet at a lower cost and I’ll agree with him.

    Until then , the man is speaking out of is ….

  5. Bob Anderson is absolutely correct, and for Michael Stanard, he has a vision problem.

  6. Has Mr. Anderson really done his homework?

    How many of his suggested alternatives are capable of accommodating wheelchairs?

    How long does a portable tank of oxygen last, Mr Anderson?

    Should an alternative transport you speak of run 2 hours late (which they have been known to do) would a person have access to an oxygen source?

    What is Mr. Anderson’s back up plan for those folks dependent on supplemental oxygen?

    Where are the trips to dialysis in Mr. Anderson’s list of trips?

    I have seen the McHenry Township bus drop off and pick up patients. He fails to mention those stops.

    Evidentally, Mr. Anderson believes disabled or elderly folks are not entitled to enjoy life by going to restaurants, the library, or church.

    Mr. Anderson also fails to address the federal grant money the Township receives to support bus service.

    Our federal taxes contribute to those grants.

    If the Township does not use the money from the grants, it will go to places outside of our area. The Township can not use it elsewhere.

    The money will be gone and our tax dollars will support services for other people.

    The disabled, veterans, and elderly are not second class citizens.

    They deserve more services, not less.

  7. This has nothing to do with saving the taxpayers money, if it did then the three Trustees would let the people decide, this is America isn’t it?

    One of the Trustees who is disabled forgot to sign a Required document and refused to come in, he claims he has no way to get their, I told him he could be picked up by the Senior Bus bring him in and then bring him back, my point is here is someone that needs this service and takes it away from all the others because he is being controlled by Anderson

  8. “Townships, like McHenry Township, have no business being in the bus business.”

    Says you, the public comments and protests before, during, and after the action 3 of the board members supported says otherwise.

    “Township bus programs are not one of the three state mandated duties of township government.”

    Sure, it’s not mandated but it is not excluded either.

    “These programs are just another way to get citizens addicted to government services at high public tax cost.”

    That high cost of $7.67 per parcel per year, yep 2.6 Tall Lattes at Starbucks a year
    https://www.mchenrytownship.com/uploads/1/9/0/4/19046965/board_packet_june_18_special_meeting.pdf

    “Township insiders know this buys votes and support to keep the extra layer of township government on the tax rolls, protecting their jobs and many benefits. “

    It provides a much-needed service to seniors and disabled in the township, giving them access to a fast door to door service that allows them to get to work, the doctor, grocery stores/pharmacies, church, and anywhere else they need to continue living a normal happy and productive life.

    “The McHenry Township Senior Bus Program has a taxpayer cost of $300,000.”

    Not sure where you got this number, as you can see in the linked handout above, the breakdown says the cost is $189,729…

    That is where you got it from, you left off the revenue side of the ledger because when you leave off:

    $8,702.00 – in bus fares taken in
    $2,033.00 – in bus vouchers
    $33,508.00 – from the NEIAA (Northeastern Illinois Area on Aging) grant
    $15,000.00 – from the McHenry County senior grant program

    and just count the expenses:

    $206,100.00 – Personnel costs
    $1,000.00 – insurance
    $19,376.00 – Contractual services
    $20,488.00 – fuel
    $2,008.00 – of supervisor’s time
    you get – $248,972 (an that should be rounded to $250,000 not $300,000 but hey)

    That’s the same fuzzy math Verr was using…

    “That’s not cheap.”

    Even if we use your number of $300,000 that comes out to a whopping $16.91 per parcel per year, continuing with the Starbucks analogy that is 5.7 Tall Lattes a year…. Well worth it to this non-senior non-disabled McHenry township resident, even at your fuzzy math cost.

    “It takes takes nineteen percent of the Township Budget to support the program.”

    Using the percentage of the township budget here without first establishing what the township budget is, well it is just dishonest because it makes the number seem larger than it actually is when you have no baseline to compare it to.

    “Of the about 50,000 township residents, only 0.3 percent use the service!”

    An irrelevant number, you are saying that 150 people total use the bus service…. Even if it was 10 people that we as a community were helping to live normal lives the true cost of $7.67/year would be well worth it.

    But let’s play with your math, there is $8,702.00 listed as taken in fares on the document linked above, $2 a ride suggested donation, 4,351 fares collected.

    4,351 fares divided by 150 people, each one of those people paid the fare about 29 times leaving 8,221 trips with unpaid donations of $2… sounds to me like there are some desperate people that need this bus service and a good reason to keep it.

    “There are five buses in the township fleet, at a cost of over $70,000 each, which are replaced every three years with low milage.”

    https://www.transitwiki.org/TransitWiki/images/6/64/Useful_Life_of_Buses.pdf

    page iv (page 8 in adobe) table ES-1 Minimum Service-life categories for Buses and Vans

    Judging by the pictures on the township website these are Light-Duty Small Bus that seat 10 to 22 people (see page 18 or 36 in adobe). the minimum life according to U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, for a bus of that category is 4-5 years or 100,000 miles (Whichever comes first)

    Looking at the first document linked they are putting about 20,000 miles on them a year, so they could possibly be used another 2 years! Congrats! We just found a way to cut some costs, all it took was a bit of research.

    “Rides do not cost $7.59 per trip. When all costs are factored in, the cost is about $25 one way, $50 round trip.”

    What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. — Hitchens’s Razor, show the breakdown.

    “Note: in 2013 one way cost was $19.42. That’s a 28% increase in just five years.“

    Again, this is based off your asserted number above, please show the breakdown.

    “Some of the operating costs are for administration, wages and benefits, insurance, fuel, cell phones, repairs, contractual services and repairs.”

    Yep those are all listed out in the first document linked above

    “Most bus trips are not used for doctor appointments.”

    That’s in the first document linked as well, 22% of the 12,572 trips were to a doctor, another 22% were to shopping and pharmacy (with 1,811 of those being to Meijer, Jewel, and Walmart who all have shopping AND a pharmacy potentially saving the taxpayers an additional trip!)

    “Last year taxpayers paid for 1,617 trips to the McHenry Township Senior Center,”

    I fail to see the issue; seniors needed a ride to a senior center where they can socialize with other seniors, take classes, and get assistance they need… oh the humanity

    “136 to McHenry Township”

    Possibly voting, or attending township meetings… you know being a responsible citizen

    “953 trips to 33 different restaurants”

    Food, we all need it to live, and it is good for your mental health to get out of the house and go places.

    “607 trips to four different schools”

    44 to Edgebrook, 6 to McHenry middle… that’s all I see under the “Mic.” category, where are you getting this other 557 trips?

    Oh, there they are under “disabled/senior work” that’s a bit disingenuous to call them “trips to schools” when they were in actuality trips to work – 475 trips to Ringwood school for work and 82 trips to Johnsburg High School for work

    Trips to work that will not be possible now.

    “499 trips to three different libraries”

    Again, I fail to see the issue, libraries have all kinds of programs and… you know… books…

    “143 trips to nine different banks…”

    Are you singling out people for taking care of their financial situation? I don’t understand the issue with this.

    “and 727 trips to eight different churche.”

    Even being not much of religious man myself, I would describe myself as an agnostic deist, I don’t begrudge people their right to practice their religion.

    “There were even trips to the McHenry Country Club…”

    Two, two trips…

    “And Steffens Jewelers.”

    Three trips, and for all we know it was to sell jewelry so they could pay bills. But even if it wasn’t, I don’t care.

    “McHenry Township allows those as young as 55 to qualify as a ‘senior’ to get a ‘free’ ride.”

    Sounds good to me, I think the retirement age of 66 is too high anyway.

    “McHenry Township’s hard working families live paycheck to paycheck. They are looking for tax relief from anywhere possible.”

    $7.67 I will say that number again, $7.67 is what you have decided is the answer, but in the process you have cut 1,122 trips to 8 different places of employment, 173 trips to the fish food pantry, 2,766 to doctors, and 8,511 trips to other places that are vital to live a normal life. Congrats, on cutting off your nose to spite your face.

    “The McHenry Township Board eliminated the McHenry Township Bus Program for tax relief, a good thing.”

    No, this is the worst thing you ever dreamed up even worse then cutting the road district. I only hope that one of the board members that voted for this sees the error of their ways before it is too late.

  9. By Bob’s argument, in terms of utilization of services, nearly 100% of township residents use the roads, so he should have advocated for keeping the road district.

    Right?

    But that isn’t what Bob did.

  10. Aylward is a born fool.

    He is all moonshine.

    Bob Anderson cut a wasteful, duplicative program.

    Even Pam Althoff has agreed.

    Please talk to Aylward before he starts drinking his moonshine.

    Before 10am, please!

  11. Great job cutting government back and saving us from even more pension pigs.

  12. So you have snowplow Bob, and a guy who is behind on his property taxes, and another dip, and these tired old grumps decided this matter?

    We know their agenda. Is this the reincarnation of the 3 stooges?

    Keystone cops?

  13. Alyward may not be drinking moonshine…sounds more like Township kohl-aid to me.

    Now he thinks the people should decide when all the township does is fight to keep any township issue OFF the ballot.

  14. Anderson is correct about one thing and that may be the only thing.

    Yes, the bus service ins not one of the 3 legislatively mandated Township programs.

    However, it is one of the legislatively empowered programs.

    over two decades ago, the Township, with the consent of the electors, chose to fulfill a need they were empowered to fill and begin the Township Senior and Disabled Bus Program.

    Based upon the hundreds of statements and signed petitioners, with not a single public comment to the contrary, the electors overwhelmingly wish to continue the bus service and are willing to pay for it.

    It’s notable that one of the Trustees voting to do away with the service has not paid his own property taxes for the past two years.

    Where does he get off trying to tell those of us who DO pay our taxes what to spend our tax money on?

    Anderson, Verr and Rakestraw would also like to eliminate the Township Parks including the baseball fields and sledding hill, the Senior Center, the FISH Pantry, Catholic Charities meals program, the Road District, and the Township itself.

  15. Beltran is a socialist Bernie supporter.

    Why doesn’t he start writing some checks to the township if this duplicate program is so vital?

    There is already a County provided bus service for those elderly and disabled. Wheel chairs are used.

    It’s called McRide, idiots.

    https://www.mchenrycountyil.gov/county-government/departments-j-z/transportation/transit-
    services/mcride-dial-a-ride

    Do we need 10 more townships pensions and all the debt for the future?

    Cut the waste and bloat.

  16. Didn’t Beltran lose as a democrat candidate. Running for township trustee? Ans: YES!

    Elections have consequences stupid socialist Beltran.

    Drain the swamp. I’m tired of these Hillary types always crying and wanting to spend, spend, spend.

    Funny how Beltran rags at Rakestraw — a conservative taxed out of his own home to pay for illegals — Beltran says he shouldn’t vote — has no right to.

    Huh?

    What about all the welfare people, section 8 invaders, illegals like Beltran, voting for bigger and bigger handouts?

    Why should they be allowed to vote?

    They pay zero. We pay for them.

    They are like cowbirds and idiots like Beltran are responsible for this state’s death spiral.

  17. As a government entity, any checks Mr. Beltran would personally write would be tax-deductible (If he actually pays taxes on income).

    I say CUT!

    Thanks Mr. Anderson.

    I live in Grafton Township.

    We cut this duplicate program in Grafton 3 years ago.

    The cost is something like $68 a round trip for taxpayers, like PACE.

    Ridiculous.

  18. I guessing it’s a bad time to re-propose my Free Harley’s and Vodka Program for Seniors.

  19. Let the township start funding a children’s center for illegal aliens.

    It’s only taxpayers’ money.

    I say Congratulations for the Board for finally saying “What the hell is going on here?

    We do not need more waste and government benefits programs.

    Especially duplicate ones.

    Bravo Anderson.

  20. Tauler is an avowed socialist and Bernie Sanders minion. Here’s the proof: http://ourrevolutionmchenry.com/category/canidate/mchenrycounty/

    He fights for the gay-trans agenda, open borders, infanticide, gigantic welfare state, sanctuary state, 16 year old voting, etc., etc. He should be called out. And anybody who stands up to likes of him, like Bob Anderson, should be applauded.

  21. Way to Go Bob!

    Great job!

    Finally a public servant that isn’t all about giveaways and taxing the rest of us to give to others.

    The abuses in township government are so extreme that it all needs to go away and good for Bob and the other trustees that have the guts to stand up for the taxpayers.

  22. I know Aylward. He’s a somewhat loony. And he cries about his own property taxes, constantly.

    But he’d raise your taxes 110%, because he got a $50,000 assessment from the assessor, How’d he get that?

  23. They’ll cut these Americans out of public services then give a thousand times more to the Illegal alien Mexican because they’re special.

    The illegal Mexican again!

  24. Lone Ranger,

    Your ad hominem attack does not help you, and at least I have the strength of conviction to put my name on what I say.

    But to address your bull:

    1. Not a socialist
    2. Of the options in the next election I like a Bernie Sanders & Tulsi Gabbard ticket
    3. What is the “gay-trans agenda”? if you mean treating people with respect and compassion, guilty as charged.
    4. Open borders? No, but I do think that we should treat those who come seeking asylum with respect and dignity due to all. I mean after all aren’t “all men created equal”
    5. Infanticide, nope not in support of killing infants
    6. Can you define “gigantic welfare state” gigantic is such a abstract concept
    7. 16 year old voting, No in fact I think that having different ages for “adulthood” (drinking, smoking, gambling, buying handguns/long guns, voting, joining the military) set it all to 18 and call it a day.

  25. Tauler is a pansy.

    No wonder he hates Bob.

    Strong White males (like Bob Andersen, USMC) arouse his hatred.

  26. Fort Drum MP,

    Yay! More ad hominem from another person who finds strength behind a pseudonym.

    Truly you are a bastion of the Army values of INTEGRITY (Do what’s right, legally and morally.) and PERSONAL COURAGE (Face fear, danger or adversity).

    Lessons learned from my NCO’s, during my 4 years in the Army, tell me that if I think something is worth saying then I better be willing to put my name on it.

    Again, noting to refute my original statements, just continuing to try and attack me personally, makes my point all the stronger.

    HOOAH Soldier.

  27. Libraries are not mandated to have books, Park Districts are not mandated to have basketballs, Cities are not mandated to assist citizens.

    The mandated argument is non-sensical.

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