King: Bus routes to be closed; stimulus money can’t help

By doris | Published: March 29, 2009

BALLWIN, Missouri (CNN) — For Stuart and Dianne Falk, it is a two-bus, 45-minute trip into downtown St. Louis to head to the gym and to volunteer at a theater group.

And it is a lifeline that ends Friday.

“To be saddled, to be imprisoned, that is what it is going to feel like,” says Stuart Falk. “It is going to feel like being punished for something we didn’t do.”

Stuart and Dianne Falk are confined to wheelchairs. And the bus route that takes them downtown, and to one of the few tastes of personal freedom they have, is being eliminated because of a funding crunch.

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3 Comments

Diane

Posted March 29, 2009 at 9:57 am | Permalink

First I think someone needs to get this story corrected. Yes, people will be losing jobs, and many of them without Alt transportation will not be able to get around. However, all this talk about providing stimulus funds for this is fear tactics. The metro higher ups put this on the ballot last November without advertising and without explaining what the effects will be if it didn’t past. Besides that – too much listed on the ballot and most people didn’t even vote on pro M at all… Me being one because I didn’t know about the effects it will have. With that said all of those top executives who still have jobs, cars, and houses need to be terminated immediately. They created this mess, and now it has tickle down the people who need transportation. I’m sick of people who don’t tell the truth but they still get paid the big bucks! This was caused my mismanagement and that’s it!
Diane

Posted March 29, 2009 at 10:24 am | Permalink

First I think someone needs to get this story corrected. Yes, people will be losing jobs, and many of them without Alt transportation will not be able to get around. However, all this talk about providing stimulus funds for this is fear tactics. The metro higher ups put this on the ballot last November without advertising and without explaining what the effects will be if it didn’t past. Besides that – too much listed on the ballot and most people didn’t even vote on proposition M at all… Me being one of the voters, because I didn’t know about the effects it will have. With that said, all of those top executives who still have jobs, cars, and houses need to be terminated immediately. They created this mess, and now it has tickle down to the people who need transportation. I’m sick of people who don’t tell the truth but they still get paid the big bucks! This was caused my mismanagement and that’s it! To end, ask people in St. Louis, Missouri what was advertised and passed with flying colors (The no limit loss for the casino’s). This is what advertising can do (help get the message out there) – the top executives wanted this to fail…that’s why we are seeing this happen now they want stimulus money they will help create additional jobs to a struggling city. Yeah, they advertised right at the County election board two weeks before the election but didn’t bother to advertise to the consumers.
Carole Clarke

Posted March 29, 2009 at 11:41 am | Permalink

Many large communities offer alternative transportation for the disabled such as smaller vans that can accomodate the two wheelchairs and drive them to and from set points. You can call to reserve it and it can also be used as transport for diabetics and heart patients that can’t walk long distances. This town is required to look after the disabled just as larger towns are – there is no excuse for abandoning people to their fate.