At this time, our group is still discussing our stance on VTA’s Measure B – a 1/2-cent transportation sales tax proposal on the November 8 ballot. This discussion is taking place on our email list and our Facebook page.
To help you decide whether or not you should support or oppose Measure B, here is the full ballot text of Measure B, as VTA sent it to the County Registrar. In addition, here are the Attachments A thru D mentioning the proposed projects in the ballot measure.
Also, here are details on where your money on prior VTA transportation sales taxes went. This Mountain View Voice article from 2014 shows how nearly 80% of the $4.2 billion of your money from the last two ballot measures (2000 and 2008) went to the BART extension to Berryessa in San Jose. In addition, this Palo Alto Daily Post article from 2014 details how VTA’s spending of your money affected Caltrain and, to an extent, bus service throughout Santa Clara County, since 2000. For your reference, here’s the ballot text for 2000 Measure A and 2008 Measure B. For balance, here’s VTA’s “report card” of projects built with your tax money from 2000 Measure A. (A separate article on how your money was spent from 2000 Measure A is upcoming.)
The Mercury News has already endorsed Measure B. Here’s a counterpoint on why to vote against Measure B.
Based on the information given above, would you support or oppose Measure B? Our Measure B stance – and why that stance will be taken – will be announced this week.
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users
SVLG’s plan that VTA is willing to adopt says one thing and does another.
It takes transit which is on “life support” now and makes it even worse.
It has been created to win over politicians and voters but can never do all that they
said it will and will in fact create ever more “induced demand” and cause even more
people to stop using transit as the funding will not be enough to support it
according to VTA’s reports even though for the ballot they are claiming it will increase for
seniors, students and the disabled.
And the 80% of the funding to BART as well as the totally bogus ridership claims that are so inflated (in some caes 8x higher than previous MTC estimates!) that it is laughable to us but the general public believes what the politicians and non-profits are saying as they keep repeating this misrepresentations and outright lies.
On top of that what structural and cultural changes have occurred in VTA management and the VTA Board after the scathing 2004 Grand Jury and and 2007 External Audit?!?
For these reasons and many more, I implore you that a “No Confidence in VTA!” vote be taken in the form of a “No On Measure B!” endorsement!
Thank you!