HousePanel OK's UTA Bill

UTA TRAX train at Gallivan Plaza Station
Originally uploaded by jmdspk

House panel OKs UTA oversight bill

Here is a surprise to no one. A House Panel has passed the bill that gives the state more control over the Utah Transit Authority. Once again the misguided efforts of the Anti-Hunger Coalition that sees the state as their savior is going to cost them in the long run.

Just look at the two people who are pushing this bill.

First you have Wayne Harper out of West Jordan (what is it about West Jordan?), who has in years past tried over and over to have the state take over operation of UTA and thus steal the sales tax money approved for TRAX and move it to roads.

The other person pushing this is Senator Sheldon Killpack who is also shown to be anti-transit and looking to raid the UTA of funds to give to highways (even though all the TRAX money would only be a drop in the bucket).

Clearly neither of these two men have transit in their best interest.

I am sure that once the raiding begins Bill Tibbets and his gang of yellow shirts from the Anti-Hunger Coalition will take none of the blame and wonder were the money has gone and scream up a storm.

Once again as in the issue with the airport TRAX line, it is just amazing how it seems OK in this state for our state legislature to raid the funds of and reduce the power of local government, to take away the voting rights of citizens, and yet the people continue to vote for the clowns. Whatever happened to local control?

State Says no to Airport Light Rail Funding Proposal

No airport funds for TRAX line, under bill passed by committee

Once again the almighty state legislature is interfering in local decisions. The airport is owned and operated by the city not the state, but our state legislature continues to show they cannot be trusted when it comes to local decisions.

Also let us not forget that these are the same people that Bill Tibbets and his gang of yellow shirts from the Anti-hunger coalition have made their bed with to gain more power within the UTA. Do you really think you can trust the state legislature????

Makeup of UTA Board...

UTA TRAX Train
Originally uploaded by jmdspk

Makeup of UTA board could change

Once again Harper, a Republican from West Jordon is pushing a bill to change the make up of the UTA board. This is not the first time as he has tried to disband the UTA and make it part of UDOT on previous occasions.

This time he is trying to change the UTA board so that the legislature and the governor would appoint the top three positions of the UTA board and politicians or their hacks will control the other positions.

But Harper has an ally this time in the Anti-Hunger Coalition. Why are they supporting this? Apparently change for the sake of change. They are not looking at what the affects of the changes will be but it will show that they have actually done something and they desperately hope it will help their political agenda.

However, Harper is not friend of transit. He like many of his fellow legislators are mad that the tax money that the VOTERS approved for transit is actually going to transit and they cannot steal to pay for their pet projects.

As we saw in Los Angeles, the anti-transit forces will often use organizations such as the Anti-Hunger Coalition as pawns in order to advance their goals.

If this passes, look for raids on the funds to build rail transit for other things such as highways because this bill puts the fox in charge of the hen house.