Henry B, Philadelphia, PA
SEPTA, Philadelphia’s public transit system, is widely hated for its rotten service. SEPTA’s workers face hundreds of assaults each year and mandatory overtime, while CEO Leslie Richards takes home a $425,000 salary. Fare increases and threats of deep service cuts are looming.
I was shocked to see Richards at a subway station. I had to ask, “Are you Leslie Richards?” before expressing my outrage at proposed service cuts.
She responded with cool CEO optimism, thanking me for riding and paying attention. She spoke to me like I was an infant. Richards said the train service I depend on every day won’t be completely stopped—maybe just cut in half!
I asked about using Philadelphia’s $856 million police budget or other funds for transit. Blind as a bureaucrat, Richards insisted that money could never go to SEPTA!
I asked about her salary. She spewed fake sympathies for SEPTA workers while excusing her salary as the executive board’s decision—all in the same breath! I talked about the system she’s responsible for—over 800 SEPTA operator vacancies, crumbling stations, operators killed on the job, and a poverty wage! At that point she was done talking to me, so I walked to my train, adding that we could hire eight more operators instead of paying her!
Knuckleheads like Leslie Richards run the whole world for now, but, in our lifetimes, the communist revolution will sweep every CEO into the dustbin of history where they belong!