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Re: SMART sales tax extension...Change? Board? And, Steam....?
Author: BOB2
Date: 03-04-2020 - 13:01
SMART still has plenty of time, and maybe it's time to take a look at some changes at SMART, and in SMART's management team, which has shown less than stellar performance, albeit with poor leadership and micromanagement on the Board, and a severe constraint in the financial resources. The SMART management, too often the creature of the Board, developed a project design, system choices, and priorities, that have lead to the resultant inability to operate at the frequency, reliability, at per passenger mile fares and costs necessary to attract the kind of ridership this system should have, based on travel patterns and congestion levels in that corridor.
Although, this do something this financially stupid, to "hold them accountable", would not have been my preferred solution to solve this problem. The Board's lack of leadership and lack of consensus, seemed to make this inevitable, as others on here have noted.
The local candidate results seem more positive, as several Board members, were ousted or played musical chairs. I think the Board make up is more important, long run. SMART needs to rebuild public confidence, and so with what appears to be what may be a long run more favorable/stable "pro-transit" maybe even pro-"SMART", less micromanaging Board make up and consensus. I also think this will put still more pressure on Mouse's other evil culprit in the vast conspiracy MTC, and even the State, to come up with more money, or "God Forbid" even raid the "runaway money train" trough, to fund some of these more "mundane" urban rail system opportunities that can serve real congested interurban corridor "needs" in CA.
It's probably time for SMART to bring in someone new, take a fresh look, and put together a more substantial and realistic short term plan to address some of SMART's deficiencies, and then go back in 2022, with the sales tax reauthorization and extension. Hell, maybe someone who can even get a spur for the brewery, and understand that revenue is revenue...? I just thought I'd throw in a positive reference to the NWP, just to get Mouse twerking....
Now, I know that Mouse and the SMART train haters on AP will probably $hit green apples, and blow a gasket over this idea.... But, I'd love to see a Southern Pacific "steamy" pulling specials up to the depot in Santa Rosa for the opening day of the County Fair? The publicity and the tourist business, and the public good will, and all that stuff the trains haters hate, could be just the kind of thing to build a lot of public good will, before the voters vote next time....
Although, this do something this financially stupid, to "hold them accountable", would not have been my preferred solution to solve this problem. The Board's lack of leadership and lack of consensus, seemed to make this inevitable, as others on here have noted.
The local candidate results seem more positive, as several Board members, were ousted or played musical chairs. I think the Board make up is more important, long run. SMART needs to rebuild public confidence, and so with what appears to be what may be a long run more favorable/stable "pro-transit" maybe even pro-"SMART", less micromanaging Board make up and consensus. I also think this will put still more pressure on Mouse's other evil culprit in the vast conspiracy MTC, and even the State, to come up with more money, or "God Forbid" even raid the "runaway money train" trough, to fund some of these more "mundane" urban rail system opportunities that can serve real congested interurban corridor "needs" in CA.
It's probably time for SMART to bring in someone new, take a fresh look, and put together a more substantial and realistic short term plan to address some of SMART's deficiencies, and then go back in 2022, with the sales tax reauthorization and extension. Hell, maybe someone who can even get a spur for the brewery, and understand that revenue is revenue...? I just thought I'd throw in a positive reference to the NWP, just to get Mouse twerking....
Now, I know that Mouse and the SMART train haters on AP will probably $hit green apples, and blow a gasket over this idea.... But, I'd love to see a Southern Pacific "steamy" pulling specials up to the depot in Santa Rosa for the opening day of the County Fair? The publicity and the tourist business, and the public good will, and all that stuff the trains haters hate, could be just the kind of thing to build a lot of public good will, before the voters vote next time....
