New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is in a heap of financial trouble. It is more than $40 billion in debt; it has a $60 billion maintenance backlog; plus it has more than $20 billion in unfunded health care obligations.
Instead of addressing these problems, the MTA is going after an artist named Jake Berman for violating the MTA’s copyright by making and selling a map of MTA’s subway network.
The MTA says that Berman’s map looks like the official MTA map, which is to be expected since they are both mapping the same thing. Berman’s map looks like an abstract version of the subway system known as the Vignelli map, which MTA wasn’t even using until two years after Berman started distributing his map on the web.
These simple techniques relax muscles and promote oxygen throughout the blood. Go Here viagra no prescription Those who needed medications were prescribed so by cialis 10 mg pamelaannschoolofdance.com the professional over the web. Here are some facts that one should know that this is also another important concern for which people may fall in the problem and in many cases; it can be dealt with using a mild aesthetic-based product. cialis 20mg no prescription These inhibitors work by expanding the blood stream into the penis and in this cialis 20mg generika manner helping in keeping up an erection. Berman’s map differs from the MTA version in several respects. Most importantly, Berman’s map shows which stations are served by individual trains only during rush hours, only during nights and weekends, and so forth.
The MTA objects to Berman making money from his map. But the MTA itself gives away digital copies of its maps, so it’s not like they are seriously competing.
In general, federal agencies are not allowed to copyright anything they do, and the same standard should be applied to state agencies. Unfortunately, it is not, so we have a not-so-pretty picture of a sinking ship, and instead of trying to save it the crew is demanding that the passengers pay their bar tabs before they get on the lifeboats.
“ It is more than $40 billion in debt; it has a $60 billion maintenance backlog; plus it has more than $20 billion in unfunded health care obligations.”
Where can I get comparable numbers for other transit operators?
Henry Porter,
The debt and unfunded pension and health care obligations should be found in the consolidated financial statements that most transit agencies post on their web sites. Maintenance backlogs are harder to find as government agencies don’t want to admit they’ve been neglecting their physical plants. However, they can sometimes be found in their budgets, long-range planning documents, or capital plans if they have them.
Helping MTA’s riders in using the subway system is obviously not important to the MTA.
The MTA operates to solely benefit the MTA and the fact that someone makes a better map for riders does
not benefit the MTA- only its riders. So the map has to go.