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FlintConservative
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Posted by Marjory Raymer | The Flint Journal January 12, 2008 18:30PM
Three stately, curved sculptures adorn the small lawn, just in front of a visitor parking area.
Cost: $25,000.
Twisted hangers, springs, and what look like auto parts hang from the ceiling, suspending colored glass to create a "universe" of random objects.
Cost: $5,000. Plus $3,000 to hang it.
All told, the Mass Transportation Authority has spent, or plans to soon spend, more than $600,000 on art in its facilities, according to MTA records obtained by The Flint Journal through the Freedom of Information Act.
The transportation agency's growing art collection includes at least 37 pieces, with 23 others on the way and probably 16 more to be added in the near future, the MTA documents show.
Taxpayers pick up the tab through state and federal grants.
Ironically, most of those taxpayers will never see the brightly colored acrylic paintings in the board room at MTA headquarters on Dort Highway, the silk-screen prints in a hallway near executives' offices, or the quilts hanging on the walls.
About half of the collection is behind locked doors at administrative offices or in other areas rarely seen by bus riders, such as near suburban sites. Others are in the MTA's downtown Flint transfer station.
The works eventually will include stylish tile mosaics, stained glass windows as well as more paintings and sculptures -- all made possible because of the agency's prolific fundraising skills.
MTA lobbied hard to get the money and is proud to be a "community asset," said MTA General Manager Robert Foy.
"These are positives," he said. "The people of this community deserve it."
But Stephen Boone, 31, of Flint, wishes that money went to improving service instead of expanding office space.
"Why would you buy original paintings for a bus station? Why not get prints?" asked Boone, whose son uses MTA to get to school. "The priorities aren't in the right place."
Want to know what else your money is buying?
$50,000 for tile mosaics in the men's and women's bathrooms as well as $84,000 for 14 stained glass windows in the downtown bus station.
$20,000 each for outdoor metal sculptures and $5,550 total for brushed aluminum MTA logos at service centers in Grand Blanc Township, Mt. Morris Township, and soon in Fenton.
More than $75,000 to the Greater Flint Arts Council for administering the program, including creating a committee to select art for new buildings.
"These are community assets and we have to feel good about ourselves. We (should) have good things," Foy said.
Because of state and federal funding rules, the money could not have been used for basic operations such as paying drivers or covering health care costs.
However, it could "theoretically," Foy said, have been used to purchase buses, tires, or maintenance of current facilities.
Richard Abrams, a member of the MTA board, said he and several other board members raised concerns early on about the amount of money going into art projects instead of services for passengers.
"(Board members) couldn't see spending that much money for art when we needed money for other things, but we can't spend it on other things," Abrams said.
He said he likes that the program keeps local artists employed. About two-thirds of the artists commissioned so far are from the greater Flint area and all are from Michigan.
And Abrams said he likes the art -- even though he does acknowledge some of the pieces are "a little bit beyond me."
"In these days with the doom and the gloom, a little art helps," Abrams said.
The funding for the art was folded into the costs of five construction projects since 2000 -- a $24-million building boom to create new garages for buses, administrative offices, and still-underway renovations to the downtown facility.
The renovations to the downtown facility will eventually total $6.5 million, including 15 flat-screen televisions and an outdoor, 38-foot electric bulletin board that has yet to post any community events. (Foy hopes to have it running in a month or so.)
When it's all added up, MTA's buildings and property are worth about $45 million, making it an empire compared to other transportation agencies in Michigan.
MTA's holdings are more than the public transit agencies in Lansing, Grand Rapids, even SMART -- the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation which services parts of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, according its Web site.
"We're the only one that is a countywide authority. We provide all services to all people," said Foy, who acknowledged some of the other agencies have service areas just as large if not larger than MTA's.
The money for this building boom comes from competitive grants, meaning MTA beat out other communities' construction requests.
"(Foy) does have a good reputation in Washington. He's a pretty easy sell, because he does have a good reputation for integrity and quality," said U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee, D-Flint. "He's been creative and innovative. His name is known throughout the country pretty well."
Kildee has helped funnel funding to MTA and said he plans to continue supporting the agency and its future construction projects.
The art purchases went mostly unnoticed in the Flint area until last year when false rumors surfaced about plans for a statute of Rosa Parks being in a bathroom, handcuffed or chained in the downtown bus station.
None are true, although there will be a $60,000 life-sized statue of Parks included in a mini museum at the station dedicated to the civil rights movement -- including 14 stained glass windows depicting issues such as women's equality, Hispanic immigration, black civil rights, and gay rights.
The downtown station eventually will be home to the bulk of MTA's art collection -- $381,000 total, making up about 6 percent of the overall cost of the renovation project.
That exceeds federal guidelines: The Federal Transit Administration recommends art make up between 0.5 percent and at most 5 percent of construction costs.
Foy said this project is different than most.
"The building downtown is part of the revitalization of downtown Flint," said Foy, who notes the 5 percent maximum is a recommendation, not a mandate. "This building has to be something very special."
Foy also hopes students from nearby University of Michigan-Flint and area businesses will become regular users of the facility's planned cafeteria and meeting rooms.
Boone called it "excessive," although he admits he likes the flat-screen televisions as long as they aren't airing Fox News, which he has complained about.
MTA gives about 5.3 million rides a year on its urban bus routes and the vast majority of passengers go through the downtown transfer center. So, people will see the art showcased there.
The other buildings featuring original art -- the administration building and three service centers -- rarely have passengers in them.
However, Foy said he intends to begin annual open houses for the public to see all of MTA's growing facilities.
Service centers are the base for each local community's Your Ride program, which gives about 700,000 rides a year.
The buildings in Grand Blanc Township, Mt. Morris Township, and Fenton house administrative offices, bus garages, and basic maintenance.
Similar buildings are planned in Swartz Creek, Clio, Flushing, and Otisville.
The buildings cost about $2.5 million each -- so when the hammer falls it will be another $10 million. And the transit authority plans to commission about $120,000 worth of art to go in the four buildings.
Each of the new suburban buildings replace facilities MTA has been leasing for between $8,000 and $40,000 a year.
So, why spend so much on new buildings when the current lease price is relatively cheap?
The leased buildings were "inadequate" and the cost of the new buildings is justified because they cut down on gas, wear and tear, and staff time by keeping buses in suburban communities where they are needed, Foy said.
"This community is entitled to quality public transportation," Foy said. "In order to provide that quality public transportation we must have quality infrastructure.
"And therefore we don't always go out and get the cheapest, the inadequate something, just to try to keep us alive." |
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Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:41 am |
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Opinionated
F L I N T O I D
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| Robert Foy should be put in jail. I never said I wanted my tax dollars going towards a painting that makes his executive offices look good. |
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If you can imagine it, you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it. |
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Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:43 am |
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FlintConservative
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fyi...Board members are:
Mike Zelley, Chairman
Paul Luttenbacher
Richard Abrams
Paul Newman
John Northrup
Rose Bogardus
Carolyn Sims |
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Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:48 am |
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twotap
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I can just imagine folks from all around the country planning their vacations so they can take in Flints MTA.building. Look kids thats a 58 buick hood ornament hanging there.  |
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Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:48 am |
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Opinionated
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
twotap schreef:
I can just imagine folks from all around the country planning their vacations so they can take in Flints MTA.building. Look kids thats a 58 buick hood ornament hanging there.
Or "Look, kids, we've made this trip from California to see the pretty Flint hanger thingee." |
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If you can imagine it, you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it. |
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Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:51 am |
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Opinionated
F L I N T O I D
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| Hey, FC - the Journal says that its $45 million, not $44. Aren't you giving them the benefit of a million bucks? |
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If you can imagine it, you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it. |
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Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:59 am |
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last time here
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maybe they should move to the cultural center... 
what a racket!!!!! 
it's a bus station!!!! such extravagant opulence....oh my.
"a spot of tea perhaps?"  |
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Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:05 pm |
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Dave Starr
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quote:
FlintConservative schreef:
fyi...Board members are:
Mike Zelley, Chairman
Paul Luttenbacher
Richard Abrams
Paul Newman
John Northrup
Rose Bogardus
Carolyn Sims
And Carolyn worries about what the Mayor is doing???
Hey, do they have crumpets with that tea? |
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I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Sun Jan 13, 2008 12:24 pm |
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FlintConservative
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
Opinionated schreef:
Hey, FC - the Journal says that its $45 million, not $44. Aren't you giving them the benefit of a million bucks?
Just trying to be conservative? No, seriously, I copied their headline. |
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Sun Jan 13, 2008 1:15 pm |
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Opinionated
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
FlintConservative schreef:
Just trying to be conservative? No, seriously, I copied their headline.
Oh, I definitely believe you. I just think it's funny that online and The Journal would have two different amounts.  |
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If you can imagine it, you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it. |
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Sun Jan 13, 2008 1:50 pm |
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countynews
F L I N T O I D
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| Mike Zelley? Wasn't he also chairman of Career Alliance? |
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Been there....done that. |
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Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:24 am |
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last time here
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oh-oh..countynews tryin' to get some s**t started!!   |
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Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:44 pm |
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FlintConservative
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
FlintConservative schreef:
fyi...Board members are:
Mike Zelley, Chairman
Paul Luttenbacher
Richard Abrams
Paul Newman
John Northrup
Rose Bogardus
Carolyn Sims
Just curious...any Republicans on that list?
I'm just asking. |
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Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:16 pm |
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last time here
Guest
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| good question. i don't know..adam probably does. |
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Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:45 pm |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
Just curious...any Republicans on that list?
Ill bet if they can come up with one it will be all his or hers fault. Of course Ill bet their aint a repub holding office anywhere in the Flint area and please dont try to use Kerry for prez supporter mayor Don.  |
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Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:55 pm |
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