back
to vtaridersunion.org main page
| Santa Clara VTA | Riders Union |
[Note: this was posted to the SCVTARU email list by our founder, Eugene Bradley, on November 6.]
Like Droopy Dog, I am not happy.
In case you haven't heard the bad news, VTA Measure B passed by a 74% to 26% margin. VTA Measure A also passed, by an 83% to 17% margin. This despite:
Our thanks needs to go out to Margaret Okuzumi, who spearheaded the No on Measure B campaign, as well as those involved in that campaign. While it was a landslide loss we experienced, the fact that Metro and Dennis Taylor from the Gilroy Dispatch wrote against Measure B amounts to progress, in my opinion. This was clearly two more endorsements than what the No on Measure A campaign received in 2000.
With the passage of Measure B, voters in the county have unknowingly locked out future state and federal dough for mass transit solutions until 2036. In other words - and I hope that we are wrong on this - voters have approved even more gridlock, more pollution, and have shown no desire to fund a mass transit system that is a viable alternative to driving.
As a transit advisory and watchdog group for the South Bay, now more than ever, we must ensure that the transit rider is fully represented and spoken for.
After this election, it should be obvious to everyone that the County Supervisors won't do it. They will be too occupied with their own multimillion dollar deficit that 1996 Measure B faces. It is also obvious that it won't be the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group. They appear more concerned with bringing BART into San Jose than with local bus and light rail service that is far more cost-effective. Ditto for the VTA Board as well. With Measure B's passage, they will also be concerned with highway expansion as well as the BART extension into San Jose. All this will be done with money they don't have now thanks to the near depression, California's state budget deficit, and the growing possibility of World War III in the Middle East.
Even at tomorrow's VTA Board meeting, the Board will vote to raise fares and decrease service on the DB Express as well as Outreach paratransit. The Board meeting will be at the usual place (70 W. Hedding Street in San Jose) at 6pm. The money they need to not have these things happen will be tied up in two consultant agenda items that will be decided on before the vote. With Measure B's passage, this will ensure that more of the same will become necessary. This is especially dire for current VTA employees, as their own jobs could be eliminated due to lack of funding.
On one other piece of news: Nancy Jewell Cross, who is also a member of our group, lost her two races for BART board and AC Transit board. Both BART's and AC Transit's boards have members directly elected from the general public - something SCVTARU will need to start focusing more on obtaining, in my opinion. It won't be easy, since the VTA was essentially created by the state as a special district, and thus requires an act of the state legislature for any administrative changes. This cloud does have some silver lining in it, though. Greg Perry, another member of our group, was elected onto the Mountain View City Council. We wish him the best of luck in his new office.
Also, Proposition 51 - which SCVTARU was against - lost by a 57%-43% margin. We were against its "pay to play" methods of campaigning, and its failure to consult the public on transit projects.
Let us fight on for better transit...
Eugene Bradley Founder, Santa Clara VTA Riders Union http://www.vtaridersunion.org/ Yahoo! and AOL IM: eegenebradley
back
to vtaridersunion.org main page