To the editor:

Lawrence voters should know all the facts about the T. The T is not really the socially conscious creation of the city of Lawrence. The city contracts for the T’s bus services with MV Public Transportation Inc., a California for-profit corporation owned by MV Transportation Inc., another California for-profit corporation. These companies operate municipal bus systems for profit. The deal between the city and MV is this: Lawrence buys the buses; MV operates and maintains the buses for a profitable sum per the contract with the city.

The new taxes for the T up for vote in this election will actually end up in the pockets of the shareholders of MV Public Transportation and MV Transportation – in California. Before asking for new taxes in these economically troubled times, the city should maintain and operate the buses itself with its existing infrastructure that maintains and operates all the light and heavy trucks and maintenance equipment it has now rather than conveniently cutting an easy deal with out-of-state companies that make money off local taxpayers.

Mark Rockwell,
Lawrence