From: peirce@outpost.SF-Bay.org (Michael Peirce)
Newsgroups: ba.transportation
Subject: Re: Measure A : Transportation solution?
Date: 22 Jul 92 17:42:58 GMT
Reply-To: peirce@outpost.SF-Bay.org (Michael Peirce)
Distribution: ba
Organization: Peirce Software
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In article <l6ojksINN67q@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> (ba.transportation,ca.environment,alt.activism), bm@bike2work.Eng.Sun.COM (Bill Michel) writes:
> There will be a ballot measure on the November ballot called
> Measure A, which is a sales tax measure to finish the road
> projects that the existing Measure A sales tax will not have
> done by the time it expires in 1994.
> 
> There is quite a lot of money in the new measure A for transit,
> and that is the bone that is being used to get people to vote
> for the measure. While there are, I believe, some good arguments
> in favor of the measure, I'd like to present the following
> arguments *against* the measure, since these are not getting much
> airplay in the mainstream media, and many of the groups who
> might otherwise have opposed such a measure have been given
> their individual "bones" in exchange for their support.
> 
> Bill
> 
> 
> REASONS FOR OPPOSING MEASURE A+

> 3. The impact of the road projects in the measure are greatly
> underestimated.  The completion of Highways 85 and 87 will
> trigger new growth in South San Jose, and will encourage people
> to drive, because "it is free", versus transit, for which you
> must pay both parking, and fares. Decreases in air quality, and
> increases in congestion, both on the freeways and on the surface
> streets will be the ultimate result of these construction
> projects.

I doubt you'd get voter approval if the new measure A+ didn't include
provisions for finishing the highway jobs.  People already voted FOR
these projects and many people want to see them completed.  I expect there
are many people who wouldn't vote for a measure A+ that didn't included these
projects.

> 5. The Citizens' Oversight Committee, as set up in Measure A+
> has extremely limited powers. The only explicit power given to
> the Oversight Committee (on which the Sierra Club has one seat)
> is the power to approve or veto amendments to the expenditure
> plan, which first must be initiated by the Transportation
> Authority (5 local elected officials). This so called "veto
> power" that the "Citizens' Coalition" touts so highly has
> absolutely no power to influence selection of staff, purchase of
> equipment, influence routing decisions, etc. These powers are
> granted solely to the Transportation Authority. Even the yearly
> audit that the Citizens' Oversight Committee may perform must
> first be approved by the Transportation Authority.

How is it that a private organization like the Sierra Club has a seat
on a committee that has any type of veto power over tax money?

This alone sounds like reason enough to not vote for this measure.
I surely don't want people controlling tax money who are not elected
representative or controlled/appointed by elected representatives.
What ever happened to representative democracy?


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