So what do you do when you can’t convince people to pay 75 cents to ride a city bus system that is already costing tax-payers $2 million a year? You give away the ride for ‘free’ of course.

Asheville City Council members want to see more people on the bus ? and not just those who have no other means of transportation. A proposal under consideration would make the bus free for 90 days for all riders. Evening hours would also be extended by three hours, depending on the route. The regular fare is 75 cents. Revenue from proposed parking deck fee increases would subsidize the free period. The plan will be put to a vote when the council adopts the city?s $116 million budget at the end of June.
~ The Asheville Citizen-Times, May 30, 2006

This ‘free ride’ will cost city taxpayers an additional $200,000 – in a year that city council is already faced with $2.4 Million deficit. What’s the old saying, ‘When in a hole, stop digging’? Apparently, Asheville city government never got that memo.