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OT: NJTransit nightmare from last night

Equal pay means there is no discrimination in pay based on age, gender sexual preference, etc. I agree fully with that. It does not, and should not, imply that a poor performer should earn the same as a high performer for the same work. That is insane and breaks down how efficient markets function
No one is disputing pay for performance. However, the stats doesn’t backup your theory. Citing free market or FMV sounds great but doesn’t happen in the real world.
 
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Performance based comp can work in a unionized environment if the unions were open minded. Hypothetically, could negotiate a contract where employees are rated on a 5 pt scale, with an enforced bell curve. Those rated a 3 (meets expectations) get a baseline 3% raise. 4 gets 4%, 5 gets 5% plus a cash bonus. 2's get 1.5%, and 1's get nothing and put on a PIP for the following year. If rated a 2 or lower the next year, pay gets reduced by 5%. If these people are terrible enough for long enough, they'll quit on their own because their pay will suffer too much.

Reviews and ratings are done by committee, as most of the private sector is done now, to minimize the effects of cronyism.

Also, pensions should not be assessed on total pay over the final few years. Should be based on base pay to eliminate the older workers from padding their pay by working excessive OT.

Unions need to begin to adapt to the current environment or be at risk for total extinction.
 
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In January 16 Police Officers were killed line of duty.

2 in NYPD were shot yesterday.
You agree we shouldn’t judge performance based on BS statistics? Failing schools are more than bad teachers just like high crime area is more than bad police work.
 
You agree we shouldn’t judge performance based on BS statistics? Failing schools are more than bad teachers just like high crime area is more than bad police work.

"Failing schools" have less to do with the schools than with "failing families". The reason inner city schools present poor metrics is because the kids just don't go.

80% of success is showing up.
 
Lets think about it like this .... ignore problem and hope it goes away then 5-10 years later catastrophic failure tunnel cant be used major delays every day for hours. Workers leave NJ because they cant get to work. Major downturn in NJ housing market. Tax revenue goes down . State goes bankrupt.
Because we cant figure out how to build & pay for infrastructure like every other Western Country.

Good times

They’ve done some worst case scenarios around a tunnel collapse. Could trigger a US recession as this area accounts for 20% of US GDP and shave 20% off of NJ property values.
 
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Performance based comp can work in a unionized environment if the unions were open minded. Hypothetically, could negotiate a contract where employees are rated on a 5 pt scale, with an enforced bell curve. Those rated a 3 (meets expectations) get a baseline 3% raise. 4 gets 4%, 5 gets 5% plus a cash bonus. 2's get 1.5%, and 1's get nothing and put on a PIP for the following year. If rated a 2 or lower the next year, pay gets reduced by 5%. If these people are terrible enough for long enough, they'll quit on their own because their pay will suffer too much.

Reviews and ratings are done by committee, as most of the private sector is done now, to minimize the effects of cronyism.

Also, pensions should not be assessed on total pay over the final few years. Should be based on base pay to eliminate the older workers from padding their pay by working excessive OT.

Unions need to begin to adapt to the current environment or be at risk for total extinction.

whatever Metro North does, do that, because their railroad is well run.

Yesterday, there were no ticket takers for my section on the 4:59 pm NE Corridor Line run from Trenton. A run that has standing room only by the time you get to Newark, and that too gets filled. Now most people get their tickets before they get on the train. But those that didn’t got a free ride.
 
you used a lot of words to to say nothing. It’s a fact that NJ and NY send more taxes to the federal government than they receive, to help support backward red states. It is a fact that Trump raised our taxes by reducing the SALT deduction. He dare not raise taxes on red states because they don’t have money. Without blue states subsidizing them, red states would be third world.

Our roads are more heavily used, especially by trucks, buses, and vehicles, which is why they degrade faster.

Yes our taxes are higher, because they pay for services, the best schools, the best transportation network, and the best standard of living in America.
Furthermore, the volume, quality, and pay scale of jobs in this area are second to none.

Finally, it is flat out idiotic to brag that you pay for your own garbage collection, because you’re paying more to get less, because as an individual, you don’t get to leverage economies of scale. You pay more to pump your own gas, because gas taxes in red states are higher than in New Jersey.

Now we need some of that tax money back to pay for better infrastructure, which should be a high priority.

Feds recently ponied up for New Penn Station, which is coming along nicely. They need to do the same for the tunnels.

The federal government needs New Jerseyans to get to work efficiently because we pay a good portion of the freight.
hahahahahahahaha you're a jackass.. best schools? that's a freaking joke... best standard of living? HAHAHAHAHAHA.... life down here in the rural woods is a HELL of a LOT better than living in a shithole like joisey where EVERYTHING i regulated..... and your comment about the trash pick up... can't you READ ENGLISH? i clearly said if you want pick up then you pay for it otherwise you take it to the trash/recycling center YOURSELF ... you are a freaking joke.....

btw.. better infrastructure in joisey is the equivalent of a 12 year old building a fort outta sticks in the woods... joisey is for LOSERS like you

you wouldn't last a freaking month down here.... this is you "OH MY GOSH... I HAVE TO DRIVE EVERYWHERE?!?!?!?!?!? AHHHHHH... WHAAAAAAAAAAAAA:cry::cry::cry::cry:"

grow up and be a man for once ya loser ... and you can't call me a loser, i'm not the one who writes serenading songs to teenage boys trying to coerce them to go to RU.... frickin creep

TRUMP 2020:USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag:
 
They’ve done some worst case scenarios around a tunnel collapse. Could trigger a US recession as this area accounts for 20% of US GDP and shave 20% off of NJ property values.
I assume this is not a serious post. If it is, it may be the most insane post of the year so far.
 
I assume this is not a serious post. If it is, it may be the most insane post of the year so far.
can't see .. which post are you referring to????... can't see people i have on ignore is it the old junkie that we all love...[sick].... on the CE board?
 
Exactly. Republican or Democrat, doesn't matter. As it was structured, New Jersey taxpayers would have been on the hook for every penny the tunnel went over budget. Based on every other project like this in the area, it would have been tens of billions. Enough to bankrupt the state.

Hey I have an idea! Since the government is so great at running stuff, let's put them in charge of even more! LOLOLOL!
But some people enjoy making fat jokes and innuendos about the Governor who killed that deal that would have been horrible for NJ. A new tunnel was/is needed, but that deal was horrific for NJ.
 
It was done to give the appearance of being a fiscal conservative so he could run for POTUS. It had nothing to do with the finances, which could have been negotiated.

spot on.
if he had replaced ARC with Gateway, with better financial terms, he would have been a hero. Instead he takes funds meant for ARC, and fixes the Pulaski Skyway.
 
You're not pretending with that comment!
:)

I see that you're back to being an non-serious, idiot again.

What happened, did the #MAGA, #Bossin club catch wind that you are sometimes capable of using your brain and give you warning to knock it off?
 
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I see that you're back to being an non-serious, idiot again.

What happened, did the #MAGA, #Bossin club catch wind that you are sometimes capable of using your brain and give you warning to knock it off?
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Two things that I always wondered:

Why do they not have these problems in South Jersey with rail commutes into Philly from the Jersey Suburbs? (The bridges are also much cheaper).

Why are our Senators not serving on the Commerce Committee in the Senate where they would have influence in directing money to transport projects that benefit New Jersey. When Al D'Amato was a senator from NY, his nickname was senator pothole because he made sure NY got the transport $$$.
 
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Two things that I always wondered:

Why do they not have these problems in South Jersey with rail commutes into Philly from the Jersey Suburbs? (The bridges are also much cheaper).

Why are our Senators not serving on the Commerce Committee in the Senate where they would have influence in directing money to transport projects that benefit New Jersey. When Al D'Amato was a senator from NY, his nickname was senator pothole because he made sure NY got the transport $$$.
NY's Senators blow, so do NJ's. Nobody cares or respect them.
 
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Two things that I always wondered:

Why do they not have these problems in South Jersey with rail commutes into Philly from the Jersey Suburbs? (The bridges are also much cheaper).

Why are our Senators not serving on the Commerce Committee in the Senate where they would have influence in directing money to transport projects that benefit New Jersey. When Al D'Amato was a senator from NY, his nickname was senator pothole because he made sure NY got the transport $$$.

1. There's a whole lot more NJT rail to manage compared to PATCO. The Hudson tunnel is a few decades older, owned by Amtrak, and on the busiest rail line in the country. Volume is also significantly higher on NJT, which impacts when maintenance can happen, as well as amplify how badly maintenance schedules can impact service.

2. Booker is on the commerce committee. Ranking member of the surface transportation subcommittee in fact.
 
Two things that I always wondered:

Why do they not have these problems in South Jersey with rail commutes into Philly from the Jersey Suburbs? (The bridges are also much cheaper).

Why are our Senators not serving on the Commerce Committee in the Senate where they would have influence in directing money to transport projects that benefit New Jersey. When Al D'Amato was a senator from NY, his nickname was senator pothole because he made sure NY got the transport $$$.

Look at the volume of people traveling into NYC vs Philly. It’s not even close. NJ Transit is like the #3 Transit system in terms of rides, largely due to NYC.
The tolls from NYC crossings subsidize mass transit and pay for employee pensions.

the guy in the White House just doesn’t want to fund this. May have to wait till he leaves.
 
hahahahahahahaha you're a jackass.. best schools? that's a freaking joke... best standard of living? HAHAHAHAHAHA.... life down here in the rural woods is a HELL of a LOT better than living in a shithole like joisey where EVERYTHING i regulated..... and your comment about the trash pick up... can't you READ ENGLISH? i clearly said if you want pick up then you pay for it otherwise you take it to the trash/recycling center YOURSELF ... you are a freaking joke.....

btw.. better infrastructure in joisey is the equivalent of a 12 year old building a fort outta sticks in the woods... joisey is for LOSERS like you

you wouldn't last a freaking month down here.... this is you "OH MY GOSH... I HAVE TO DRIVE EVERYWHERE?!?!?!?!?!? AHHHHHH... WHAAAAAAAAAAAAA:cry::cry::cry::cry:"

grow up and be a man for once ya loser ... and you can't call me a loser, i'm not the one who writes serenading songs to teenage boys trying to coerce them to go to RU.... frickin creep

TRUMP 2020:USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag::USA: :America: :AmericanFlag:

Fascinating... you pump a guy in Trump who spent most of his RE career financing buildings on other people’s money, avoiding taxes and junk bonds.

As for your peculiar garbage collecting example, many in “joisey” actually do pay for pickup. I pay a private company to pickup trash as well as recycling... sooooo what else you got?
 
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The fact that that portal bridge exists in NJ decades and decades after it was obsolete tells you everything you need to know about the sad state of mass transit in NJ...there is no way to sugar coat it!
 
The fact that that portal bridge exists in NJ decades and decades after it was obsolete tells you everything you need to know about the sad state of mass transit in NJ...there is no way to sugar coat it!
Wasn’t there a bridge in Minnesota that collapsed and taking 111 vehicles down with 13 people killed in 2007? NJ has been lucky but this is the general state of infrastructure in the entire US. We won’t be leading the world in the future when we spend all that money on the military instead of needed infrastructure.
 
1. There's a whole lot more NJT rail to manage compared to PATCO. The Hudson tunnel is a few decades older, owned by Amtrak, and on the busiest rail line in the country. Volume is also significantly higher on NJT, which impacts when maintenance can happen, as well as amplify how badly maintenance schedules can impact service.

2. Booker is on the commerce committee. Ranking member of the surface transportation subcommittee in fact.
Unless I am missing it, from their website Booker does not appear as a member. It's actually worse if he is since he is not bringing the $$$ back home.
 
Unless I am missing it, from their website Booker does not appear as a member. It's actually worse if he is since he is not bringing the $$$ back home.
There’s no money coming to NJ until Trump is gone. Trump only throws money to the swing states. Trump has basically made all his decisions for the next election for the voters in the swing states and his base. The president suppose to care about the entire US but not him.

https://www.nj.com/politics/2020/02/how-trumps-budget-cuts-could-slam-new-jersey.html

From today’s NJ star ledger

Here’s how New Jersey will be affected by the president’s proposed cuts.

Amtrak. Funding for the Northeast Corridor would be slashed by more than half, $375 million, to $325 million.

Airports. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program sent $35.6 million to Newark, Teterboro, Atlantic City and other airports around the state to improve taxiways, fix runways and make other capital improvements. Trump wants to stop all funding.

Big Bird. The budget would eliminate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds public radio and television. NJTV and other area public TV and radio stations received $2.2 million in 2019.

Block grants to help N.J. cities. The budget would eliminate the annual community development block grants that go to urban areas for housing and economic development. New Jersey and the state’s counties, cities, and towns received a total of $88.2 million in 2019.

FEMA. The budget would cut funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to update its flood maps by $163 million, and cut $535 million in grants to state and local programs and for training.

Food stamps. The president proposing cutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, by $15.3 billion. New Jersey has 673,966 residents receiving food stamps, according to the Human Services Department.

Heating aid. Trump again proposed eliminating the Low-Income Heating Assistance Program, which sent $108 million this year to New Jersey to help low-income residents pay to hear their homes during the winter months.

Heritage sites. Federal funding for New Jersey’s Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area, which recognizes the state’s role in the Revolutionary War, and the other 54 national heritage sites would be eliminated.

Investigating chemical accidents. The Chemical Safety Board, which investigates accidents at chemical facilities, would be eliminated. Like its transportation counterpart, the chemical board investigates accidents and makes recommendations on how to prevent them from occurring in the future.

Medicaid. Some 1.5 million New Jerseyans, more than 1 in 6 residents, are covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The president’s budget would cut $9.3 billion out of the program for the poor, elderly and those with disabilities.

Medicare. Though he promised during his campaign not to cut Medicare, the health care program for the elderly, Trump proposed $8.8 billion in spending reductions. Around 1.6 million residents in the state are on Medicare, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Of course we have a trillion dollar deficit again in the budget because he continues to increase the military spending, the war on immigrants and the wall without the tax revenue.
 
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Back on topic, trains sucked again this morning. Caught the 8:17a Raritan valley outta Cranford at about 8:45a, crammed with two trains worth of people. Once we got to Newark, the next Raritan valley train dumped off a bunch more passengers on the same track. What a way to start the day.
 
Wasn’t there a bridge in Minnesota that collapsed and taking 111 vehicles down with 13 people killed in 2007? NJ has been lucky but this is the general state of infrastructure in the entire US. We won’t be leading the world in the future when we spend all that money on the military instead of needed infrastructure.
We don’t lead the world NOW...that ship sailed LONG ago...hate to break it to you
 
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Back on topic, trains sucked again this morning. Caught the 8:17a Raritan valley outta Cranford at about 8:45a, crammed with two trains worth of people. Once we got to Newark, the next Raritan valley train dumped off a bunch more passengers on the same track. What a way to start the day.
Doesn't seem like NJT has adapted to the huge uptick in ridership over the last several years with more trains or longer trains. I understand not being able to add trains to the schedule because of limited slots in Penn Station in Newark and NY Penn, but additional cars should be added to try and thin out the overcrowded cars.
 
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Doesn't seem like NJT has adapted to the huge uptick in ridership over the last several years with more trains or longer trains. I understand not being able to add trains to the schedule because of limited slots in Penn Station in Newark and NY Penn, but additional cars should be added to try and thin out the overcrowded cars.
Like most things in NJ...the mass transit is poorly run, antiquated and decades behind in the most basic of services..
 
As a slightly unrelated diversion...

Knowing that the trains are overcrowded, the people who try to occupy a 2nd seat with their bag or belongings should be thrown off the train. Have seen this too many times on the Morris-Essex line. People put their bag on the seat next to them. Someone stops and asks if someone is sitting there, they tell them that they are "saving the seat for a friend" or "someone is sitting here". Ultimately, no one shows up, and the people standing in the aisle will glare at them until Secaucus or Newark.
 
Back on topic, trains sucked again this morning. Caught the 8:17a Raritan valley outta Cranford at about 8:45a, crammed with two trains worth of people. Once we got to Newark, the next Raritan valley train dumped off a bunch more passengers on the same track. What a way to start the day.

Yup... train struck a tractor trailor. Waiting in the rain at Westfield only to get the announcement at 7:10. caught the bus to Port Authority and 2/3 to Wall Street. Got to my desk at 9:05.:Unhappy:
 
Back on topic, trains sucked again this morning. Caught the 8:17a Raritan valley outta Cranford at about 8:45a, crammed with two trains worth of people. Once we got to Newark, the next Raritan valley train dumped off a bunch more passengers on the same track. What a way to start the day.
feel your pain. Took me 3 hrs last Friday. I was lucky that the train was not crowded and was able to finish season 2 of Park and Rec during the commute.
 
Two things that I always wondered:

Why do they not have these problems in South Jersey with rail commutes into Philly from the Jersey Suburbs? (The bridges are also much cheaper).

Why are our Senators not serving on the Commerce Committee in the Senate where they would have influence in directing money to transport projects that benefit New Jersey. When Al D'Amato was a senator from NY, his nickname was senator pothole because he made sure NY got the transport $$$.

The PATCO line covers a lot more suburban territory than the PATH. It'd be like the PATH extending to Millburn.

There's just the PATCO line and one NJT train. The volume isn't the same. Also it's a lot more feasible for South Jersey commuters to drive into Philly than it is to drive into Manhattan.
 
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