Tuesday, October 25, 2005
VTA Must Compromise, Mr. Burns
Ultimately, the final scenario that is adopted by the VTA Board will require compromise from all areas of the county.I am committed to work with all of our local and county representatives to create an expenditure plan that has broad-based support and meets the county's transportation challenges.
Michael Burns, general manager, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Mr. Burns, in 2000 the voters of this county decided they wanted a nice compromise package that promised to pay for Caltrain electrification, extension of light rail to the airport, and other highway improvements. Since then this agency has unilaterally narrowed its focus to building the BART extension to the exclusion of other projects. This showed a total disregard for Santa Clara County's true transportation challenges.
Now you are telling those same voters that they need to compromise by approving another transit tax with no clear plan as to how it will be spent and without justifying reneging on VTA's promises in 2000. VTA squandered the public trust; now you want that public to trust you again.
Why should they?
