VTA’s Staggering Waste Leeches Money That Should Go to Highways
Dear Editor,
So, our leaders want to expand VTA bus service in South County to “door-to-door.” Why? Isn’t there anything cheaper? Several cheaper, more efficient, taxpayer-friendly options include buying each rider a car or truck, hiring limousines, shuttles or taxicabs. With the money we save, hire a consultant to steer VTA from public-sector to private-sector, and get us out of the fore-hire transport of passenger business. Focus leaders’ efforts where 98-99 percent are taken: on the highways in private vehicles.
The editorial board of your sister paper in Gilroy urges dissolution of Valley Transportation Authority, joining a rising chorus around the nation regarding other bloated, boondoggle government transit agencies. But South County’s elected leaders propose enlarging VTA’s bus service to “door-to-door.” Are we crazy? Why do they think we can make the failed USSR’s economic policies work here? Just look at recent history and ignore subsidy recipients because the cries of the galley slaves are drowning-out the riders’ and employees’Â cheers. Reality check time.
Emperor “Transit First” is stark naked. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology study of all the nation’s transit agencies ranked VTA worst of all of them, inefficient, unsound, and unsustainable. The Santa Clara County civil grand jury found VTA wasteful, fiscally irresponsible, taxpayer abusive and suffering from incompetent management and exorbitant labor wages/benefits. VTA ignored both; hired a PR firm to initiate a blitzkrieg, changed executive directors, and plowed ahead, refusing to admit the truth. Like medieval physicians, VTA’s blind leaders called for application of more blood-sucking leeches – i.e., higher sales taxes to cover their losses. Despite transit advocates outspending opponents by a ratio of 100-to-1, voters said “NO. Cut the waste!”
We are a nation divided against ourselves. Do we return to our capitalist roots in transport, or do we attempt to make communism succeed here after having defeated the USSR in the Cold War? Or, as former Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta phrased his “crucial question,” “What should government do, and what should it leave to others?”
As we watch the latest round assaulting logic and reason, our leaders proclaim expanded VTA bus service will better the community, but it’s just the opposite. South County mirrors our national policy rift, split personality, schizophrenic divided U.S. House of Representatives, and hypocritical leadership: government invasion of private-sector businesses like carriage of passengers.
VTA’s staggering, abysmal operating losses exceed $200 million annually, not counting the billions of taxpayer subsidies that we’ve thrown down their black hole. Passengers’ fares cover only about 15 percent of the cost of a ride. Lucky for taxpayers that only about 3 to 4 percent of passenger trips in the county are on VTA’s boondoggles. If the car haters or fuel prices manage to cause VTA “ridership” to double, then taxpayer burdens will increase proportionally. With 96 to 97 percent of trips being taken in private vehicles, our leaders divert about 40 percent of the highway taxes to transit, sacrificing motorist and pedestrian safety.
Our berserk transport policy from our socialist Legislature requires that local government can spend no money for streets and highways, e.g., safety improvements, until all “unmet transit needs” are satisfied.
If VTA used generally accepted accounting principles to prepare their financial reports, which private enterprise is required to use, then the truth of their staggering, unsound, unsustainable losses would be revealed. Our Legislature, however, allows VTA and the transit agencies to use Enron-style “off-book” accounting, which distorts the true state of their losses. If they were to use GAAP to prepare their financials, then “farebox recovery rate” would be about 1 percent or less.
We could save taxpayers millions if we bought VTA riders their own automobiles; more if we had them call taxis and shuttles, and then paid the cabbies and shuttle operators. It is the trough-feeders who want us to expand VTA boondoggles, and who fought against Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Jim Cunneen’s ad hoc committee on VTA privatization. Around the nation “contracting-out” and other varieties of privatization have saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, but our leaders prefer that we enlarge VTA’s wastefulness. Why not? We could buy Caltrain riders houses in San Jose cheaper than paying for their train rides.
We could hire limousines for them and save even more. But our leaders have too much fun spending other people’s money and giving political pay-back to the trough-feeders at VTA. I suppose that they could justify it by saying it’s cheaper than light rail (HEAVY SOCIALISM), which is true and much cheaper than the proposed bullet train, which is true. But why ignore private-sector solutions that would produce more transportation for less money?
Joseph P. Thompson, Gilroy
San Martin Shelter for Animals Can Use a Holiday Donation, Too
Dear Editor,
For as long as I can remember, the community in south Santa Clara County has been wonderful in their care and support of the many, many animals that are taken in and housed at the San Martin Animal Shelter. In the past I have had the honor and pleasure of working with the great staff at the shelter as well as with the fabulous furry critters that call the place home (at least temporarily).
Please remember these critters during the holidays and if you have the means stop by with a donation. The shelter always needs donations (dry cat food and cat litter especially) of the usual things: food, bedding, toys, treats, cleaning products and good old hard, cold cash.
Adoptions seem to slow down in the winter and the shelter has a full house. If you have thought about adopting a cat or dog, there’s no time like the present! Talk about it with your family and if everyone thinks it’s a good idea, come on down a take a look. You just might find your new best friend.
Thank you, south county, for keeping the plight of the homeless cats and dogs in your hearts and minds during this holiday season. On their behalf, I thank you.
Sue Padgett, Gilroy
‘Tree of Light’ Event a Chance to Make a Difference
Dear Editor,
Tonight the community is invited to share in the second annual “Tree of Light Celebration” at Saint Louise Regional Hospital from 5:30 to 7:30pm. The hospital tree will be lit at 6pm with lights that have been purchased in memory of or in honor of a loved one. Refreshments will be served, donated by many of the local restaurants. Members of the Gilroy High School Chamber Choir will entertain us with Christmas Carols.
In addition, several florists and individuals have donated wreaths that will be available for sale as a silent auction. There are two lovely raffle prizes (tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5) as well as door prizes.
The “Tree of Light” is sponsored by the volunteers, in cooperation with the Saint Louise Regional Hospital Foundation. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Maternal Health Department.
We encourage you to come out and support the event. You may also purchase a light that evening. All names of the honorees are inscribed in a permanent album, which will be on display throughout December and January in the lobby at Saint Louise Regional Hospital.
Roxie Thomas, Chair, Tree of Light,
Saint Louise Regional Hospital
