12-17-2015, 11:08 AM
We already do this somewhat, both with subsidized passes, and I believe the locations where we've had free meals or a place to sleep would give out a GRT ticket to anyone.
We have plenty of studies which show that the direct cost of doing an obviously good thing (e.g. paying to house all homeless people) is far less, and has far greater results, than the sum of indirect costs and impacts of "saving" that money.
I'd need to know more, but I like the idea a great deal on first glance. Sure, there will be questions. How much revenue would this remove? What would the administration costs be? Would buses become places the homeless would treat as shelters from weather or for sleep? I'm sure that last one is not a reasonable question, but it will be asked, along with many others, that need good answers from the get-go, lest we have the conversation start and stay on a wrong rumour foot.
We have plenty of studies which show that the direct cost of doing an obviously good thing (e.g. paying to house all homeless people) is far less, and has far greater results, than the sum of indirect costs and impacts of "saving" that money.
I'd need to know more, but I like the idea a great deal on first glance. Sure, there will be questions. How much revenue would this remove? What would the administration costs be? Would buses become places the homeless would treat as shelters from weather or for sleep? I'm sure that last one is not a reasonable question, but it will be asked, along with many others, that need good answers from the get-go, lest we have the conversation start and stay on a wrong rumour foot.