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?
Showing posts with label Legislature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Legislature. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
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????
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????
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Makeup of UTA Board...
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.
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.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
State Legislators Still Playing Games...
Rail-line funding still a question
Once again we have one of our state legislators tying to tell Salt Lake County how to spend tax dollars that the voters voted in. When will these guys realize that the voters have spoken and the proposition was from transit.
Once again we have one of our state legislators tying to tell Salt Lake County how to spend tax dollars that the voters voted in. When will these guys realize that the voters have spoken and the proposition was from transit.
Monday, August 22, 2005
UTA Board Makeup
There has been lots of talk lately of changing the make up of the UTA board of directors. Most of this talk is coming from politicians do not like John Inglish making the amount of the money that he is currently making.
Most of this talk is not coming from politicians who want to improve transit, most of the talk is coming from either anti-transit zealot politicians who are too caught up in their political dogma to see reality or they are out for power.
However the truth is there is no transit system that is run directly by politicians that is better off than UTA, in fact most transit systems run by the politicians are usually in worst shape than the UTA.
To give an example of a system run directly by the politicians is the Spokane Transit Authority better known as the STA. Most the of the time the politicians just rubber stamp what the planners have to say since they truly have no idea what is needed on the system since most of them would not lower themselves to ride it. To make matters worst most of the people on the board are only part time. This means they work a full time job, have their regular city council or county commissioner duties, and the STA board along with several others. Is it any wonder that STA does not get the proper attention?
However, that is not saying that the UTA board is much better because generally the board is made up of politically connected hacks who are appointed by the politicians. They also would not lower themselves to actually ride the bus, so they do not truly know what is happening on the system and could care less.
What is really needed is better rider representation on the board. Why not require that one of the board members be a regular transit rider so that the other side of the coin is giving? The ridership of the transit system needs better representation on the board and at the UTA. Instead of changing UTA for the worst, lets change it for the better.
Most of this talk is not coming from politicians who want to improve transit, most of the talk is coming from either anti-transit zealot politicians who are too caught up in their political dogma to see reality or they are out for power.
However the truth is there is no transit system that is run directly by politicians that is better off than UTA, in fact most transit systems run by the politicians are usually in worst shape than the UTA.
To give an example of a system run directly by the politicians is the Spokane Transit Authority better known as the STA. Most the of the time the politicians just rubber stamp what the planners have to say since they truly have no idea what is needed on the system since most of them would not lower themselves to ride it. To make matters worst most of the people on the board are only part time. This means they work a full time job, have their regular city council or county commissioner duties, and the STA board along with several others. Is it any wonder that STA does not get the proper attention?
However, that is not saying that the UTA board is much better because generally the board is made up of politically connected hacks who are appointed by the politicians. They also would not lower themselves to actually ride the bus, so they do not truly know what is happening on the system and could care less.
What is really needed is better rider representation on the board. Why not require that one of the board members be a regular transit rider so that the other side of the coin is giving? The ridership of the transit system needs better representation on the board and at the UTA. Instead of changing UTA for the worst, lets change it for the better.
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