Annual State Legislature Attack Begins

Audit: Subsidies crimp UTA's value

Legislative audit hits UTA hard

Our State Legislature is back in session so you know in the legislature's never ending quest for more power the annual attack on transit has begun. This year because it is an election year it appears that legislature is going after the bus system and not the rail system (those local legislators sure don't want to rile up the voters who support transit).

While I am the first to say that the UTA bus system has many issues including the route system that is designed with "transit mentality" instead of market matrix passenger friendly system, it is clear from these annual attacks that the legislature is not happy that it doesn't have direct control over the system and is trying to figure a way to get it.

The suggestions for the board will do little. The governor appointed chair would be tolerable but who thinks that it will not be some political hack that has a favor owed? Board members appointed by the legislature? Why should the legislature be approving board members when most of the legislature is from rural counties who usually only look toward their highway needs and not to the needs of the urban area.

Having the public vote for members will not do any good. What is happened in many cities is that people have run saying they want a good transit system and in turn only wanted to get elected to dismantle the system or do serious harm. Besides that most people don't know who they are voting for in the first place, do you think it will be any different?

What we cannot do is allow our power hungry legislature to do anything that will hurt the long term prospects for good transit service along the Wasatch Front.