State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) walked from Philadelphia to the State Capitol — 105 miles in over five days — to bring awareness to what he calls a “funding crisis” not only for SEPTA but for mass transit in Pennsylvania.
Kenyatta said he is frustrated House Democrats passed five different mass transit funding bills, and the Senate only passed a bill that would have them borrow from a public transportation trust fund. That money, the Senate argued, is intended for capital improvements and infrastructure.
“I’m tired and in a little pain,” said Kenyatta when he arrived in Harrisburg. “Do your damn jobs.”
Kenyatta also blasted Senate Republicans for derailing the broader budget, in general, and mass transit funding, specifically. The budget is now several months overdue.
He specifically targeted his frustration toward Republican lawmakers whose constituents rely on SEPTA. State Sen. Frank Farry (R-Bucks) said threatened service cuts could affect fans commuting to the Eagles season opener this week.
“And that’s going to cause chaos down there on Thursday night, and they are willingly doing this,” Farry Said. “I don’t think they want a solution until they enact as much political pain as they can to try and win elections next year. I literally believe that in my heart.”
Kenyatta, meanwhile, criticized the senator’s concerns as flip flopping.
“He put ads on Facebook saying, ‘Frank Ferry voted to fund SEPTA,'” Kenyatta said. “That is a lie. That is a lie. So, not only do they not want to solve your problems, they want to lie and say, ‘I did solve your problems.'”
Farry said he’s never received any calls from Kenyatta trying to solve the funding issue. Instead, he said Kenyatta chose to play politics.
And while Kenyatta’s shoes may be worn out, so too is the patience of commuters in the state’s most economically important region, and the long list of folks who rely on state funding.
“How come my constituents are disillusioned?” said Rep. G. Roni Green (D-Philadelphia). “Well, I’m disillusioned. I thought that we all believed in the same thing, but I see that we don’t.”
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