Metro derailed by culture of complacence, incompetence, lack of diversity

The Washington Times ^ | March 26, 2012 | Luke Rosiak

[Road Glide]

Ninety-seven percent of the bus and train operators at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority are black, with only six white women out of more than 3,000 drivers, according to Metro documents — a lack of diversity at one of the region’s largest employers that has led to an acknowledgment of failure in affirmative-action documents and spawned a series of lawsuits.

The homogeneity, interviews with dozens of current and former Metro workers indicated, is a proxy to a clubby culture of favoritism in which merit has little to do with promotions, and accountability, such as noting safety violations, is a career death knell. In typical examples, court and Metro records show, a black man who spent eight years in prison for dealing PCP was promoted to a high-level management position soon after his release, and whites in the same positions as blacks with far less seniority are inexplicably paid less.

[cloudmountain]

This same phenomenon happened in MOST urban areas with ghettos of black populations. It was called reverse discrimination by those who had the backbone to call it like they saw it.

Cream always rises to the top and the sour milk always appears when government tries to legislate morality. Never works; never will.

[Jumpmaster]

The Road We’re On.

[GeronL]

It’s a government agency, “independent” or otherwise.

Efficiency is seen as a bad thing.

[Tijeras_Slim]

The Zimbabwefication of bureaucracies.

[babble-on]

that’s just gruesome. How can anyone see that and do nothing about it? The rot goes to the top.

[davius]

When I was 17, I worked for a summer at the Univ. of Md. doing custodial work. The supervisor dropped me off at an unoccupied building and detailed the tasks I was to perform (collecting trash, sweeping the halls, and wiping down the brass and glass). He said to give him a call when I finished and he'd take me to the next building.

45 minutes later, I had completed everything and conducted my own inspection to ensure I hadn't missed anything. I called the supervisor and he came and looked the building over. We climbed in the truck and rode a short distance. He pulled over and very kindly explained to me that the building we had just left was a 3 hour job. He said he appreciated my energy, but if I kept it up that I would make him and his crew look bad. I agreed to pace myself for his benefit but I also started looking for another job. Within a month, I found a job in construction and I left them to their 'milking' operation.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Marion Barry was their Mayor.

Do we really need to be discussing this?

[kristinn]

I read the entire article. It is a stunning expose’ of rampant racism, unionism and deadly incompetence.

[Road Glide]

“I read the entire article. It is a stunning expose’ of rampant racism, unionism and deadly incompetence.”

Indeed it is, and you are absolutely correct on all points.

By the way, this article is only the first of three parts. More to come...

As another poster quipped, this portends the “Zimbabwefication” of the D.C. bureaucracies. I’m thinking of more than just the Metro System. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same situation exists in much of the -federal- D.C. bureaucracy, since a disproportionate number of those working in such agencies are now “minorities”.

[davius]

No. I suppose in the scheme of things, we don’t need to be discussing anything.

[EQAndyBuzz]

I didn’t mean to be facetious about it.

It’s just when you elect someone like Marion Barry to be your mayor, there would be no reason to think that this is news.

[mikey_hates_everything]

Those LED signs in the trains indicating the station name aren’t just for deaf people. The announcements are mostly unintelligible.