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Vote for Measure VV, but……………I am the only AC Transit candidate that advocated for this measure in their ballot statement before it was even designated as Measure VV. I said, “Do vote for AC Transit District parcel tax extension and vote for me to assure accountability.”
It is the monthly cost of a mere gallon of gas and AC Transit needs all the money it can get. But the caveat is that people must vote for me if they don’t want this tax to be used to purchase more Van Hool buses. The irony is that the Measure VV statement declares the funds will be used to “preserve affordable local public transportation that allows seniors and people with disabilities to remain independent…” while using the funds to purchase buses that seniors and people with disabilities hate.
To buy these buses AC Transit has had to engage in fiscal voodoo because federal funds, the usual source, cannot be used for imported buses. According to the AC Transit staff member who manages funding, the buses are paid for with local funds (among which is the parcel tax and Measure B sales tax) that are then back filled with federal preventative maintenance funds. But, she insists, all the federal funds for preventative maintenance are used for maintenance. Amazing!
But these games with funding will come to a halt if I am elected because three members of the seven-member board agree with me that there should be no more Van Hools. So I would tilt the board to fiscal responsibility.
* * * * *
It is unfortunate that a fallacious claim was resorted to in the Rebuttal to Argument Against Measure VV, that is:
* AC Transit consistently ranks as one of the best bus systems in the nation. For 4 of the last 7 years, AC Transit has been named “best of the best” bus systems in the nation.
I am sure the people who signed the Rebuttal were unaware how often hype substitutes at AC Transit for real achievements. This claim is simply false. APTA (American Public Transit Association) does give a “best of the best” award each year to a different transit agency but AC Transit NEVER won it! Check it out: http://www.apta.com/services/awards/
AC Transit has purportedly been a winner in some APTA International Bus Roadeos that test the skills of bus operators and maintenance teams, meaning they have some excellent bus operators and maintenance teams.
http://www.apta.com/conferences_calendar/busroad/
In fact when the word ‘best’ is used by AC Transit, the word ‘worst’ can be substituted, as in the “the Van Hool buses are the best in the world” and the hydrogen fuel cell program which consists of three Van Hool fuel cell buses that break down frequently, is “the best fuel cell program in the world.”
AC Transit even makes up awards for itself and puts decals on its buses. Not only the “best of the best” but “Bus of the Year” awards. In Europe there are “Bus of the Year” awards given in odd number years and the 3-door 40-ft Van Hool bus won it for performance in 2003. [The irony is that AC Transit stopped purchasing those buses because of poor performance.] But no “Bus of the Year” award was given in 2004 and certainly not for a 60’ ft Van Hool articulated bus, which these decals are on.
But, I still say, VOTE FOR VV!! It will be hard to make the needed changes at AC Transit that will lead to true achievements, like increased ridership!
Post Script: I just received the Yes on VV mailer and I see that it is “Sponsored by ABC Companies.” That is the agent for the Van Hool buses!! There are a number of pictures of elderly people, the people ignored by Van Hool!
For more on the funding of Measure VV see Bob Gammon’s comments in the Oct. 29, 2008 issue of the East Bay Express:
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/news/the_out_of_town_connection/Content?oid=855069
But, I still say, swallow hard and VOTE FOR VV!! If I am on the board ABC Companies will NOT get a return on their investment!
