Most of my thousands of readers are aware that generally speaking, I am a minimalist when it comes to government. Government is an opportunity to create a situation where the flaws inherent in all  human beings will be magnified to oppress other flawed human beings. Greed and power lust and a number of other naturally occurring flaws in the human nature will be stoked and stroked and it takes a truly strong person to fight upriver against the normally accepted flow of corruption and self interest that exists within any government system.

A prime example is the I-95 express project, which for the majority of commuters has created extensive traffic delays and congestion, including much longer commute times and slower average speeds. On top of that, it has  increased congestion on local streets around on ramps, which have traffic lights that slow the rate vehicles can enter I-95, thus backing traffic up into the local neighborhoods.

Not to mention the fact that on average, a commuter such as myself spends 7 to 12 additional minutes on I-95, thus using that much more gasoline, spewing that much more pollution into the atmosphere.The carbon footprint the FDOT created is the size of Al Gore’s ego!

But for those few that drive from downtown Miami to the Golden Glades Interchange, and are willing to pay a variable toll rate for the privilege of driving on a public interstate system, it has improved their commute. And that is the only thing that the Florida Department of Transportation measures. Just those two lanes!!!

Thus, it is no surprise that the FDOT, who profits from government grants and increased tolls now, has declared officially that the 95Express project is a stunning success.

If the FDOT were required to measure the total impact of their shenanigans, like the other four lanes on I-95 that are always, without fail, a solid clogged line of traffic, or the impact all along I-95 to the community with traffic backing onto the local streets, they would have to declare their project a complete and total failure.

However, if the FDOT were honest, they would not have the opportunity to collect $437,879 a month in brand new tolls! That is nearly half a million dollars a month in new revenue for the FDOT!

Let’s see…….new revenue versus honesty?

Ha! No contest! New revenue wins every single time.

The thing that really irks me though, is the propaganda. Those of us who drove I-95 every day prior to 95Express can remember what it was like, and can see with our own eyes the congestion now. I mean, the FDOT is pointing to a round beach ball and declaring it a watermelon! Yet, we can see the reality! But by producing self serving “research” and spending money proclaiming the stunning success over and over, they think that this will rub out our memories of the truth.

This is what governments do best though. The sad part is that the press, the media, the Fifth Estate, has 100% failed in their mission, yet again. No one in the press is pointing to the round plastic beach ball and saying, “Hey, wait a minute, it isn’t a watermelon!”

Which is why the Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the local TV and radio “news” departments, are all going broke and will be out of business soon.

At this point the question remains, which is the real tragedy here? Government being corrupt, or the press ignoring it?

Yep, Some Cranky Guy is in some kind of cranky mood over this.

SCG