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The Foothill Transit agency approved $259,141 of federal transit money for two automated wheel polishers from Australia, the Pasadena Star News found. Watchdogs are obviously not happy, but the agency said no U.S. companies placed a bid, that the polishers will "dramatically" reduce time spent on prepping buses, therefore streamlining operations, and $72,000 a year will be spent on polisher supplies from the U.S. "If we were to look at the highest-priorities for FTA, I don't know that this would fit," said Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, to the paper. Foothill said most of the money they received went towards expanding programs.
$259K of Stimulus Money Spent on Foreign Bus Wheel Polishers
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Ummm, just how big a problem is unpolished wheels?
If Tom Schatz or this newspaper had done it's homework, it could have reported a more accurate picture of why these particular machines were purchased by Foothill Transit. I'm seriously surprised that they are more interested to see someone swinging in wind, than actually reporting the "whole truth".
The company that you are referring to IS an Orlando Florida based company. Vehicle Inspection Systems is incorporated in the State of Kentucky. The machine that you are referring to IS built in Austalia but is mainly sold in the U.S.A. and contains some U.S. manufactured parts. That's a whole lot more than we can say for Ford or Chevy who manufacture their cars in other countries and with parts made elsewhere as well.
The machine uses many consumable supplies which are soley made and supplies by over 12 U.S. based companies that supply over 500 jobs. Service and support are supplied by V.I.S. American employees.
The completely automated rim restorer is the only automated fully enclosed polisher manufactured in the world. No one builds anything even closely similar anywhere in the world. The only alternative to polishing wheels would have to be with a manual machine or by hand, of which either would be hazardous to the workers who run the machine who would be exposed to high volumes of aluminum dust. The fact that it is fully enclosed saves employees from being exposed to dust which would cause pulmonary lung disease among other things.
Additionally, polishing aluminum rims exposes dangerous cracks in the wheels which if goes undetected could cause significant injury or even death to the passengers who ride busses.. Another benefit is that it reduces the speed in which the aluminum rims deteriorate because of oxidization, which saves taxpayer money in the long run.
So I would like to personally thank Foothill Transit! Without the purchase of these machines, employees would eventually be filing workers compensation due to aluminum dust exposure, riders would be sueing for negligence for cracks going undetected and causing accidents, over 12 companies and over 500 employees of these companies, which supply the consumables would be joining the ranks of the unemployed,