‘Partnership’ With VTA Offers Little Benefit to San Benito
‘Partnership’ With VTA Offers Little Benefit to San Benito
Editor,
Regarding the editorial “Transportation Funding: A United Voice Speaks Loudest” (Feb. 20):
Will San Benito County’s leaders sacrifice our sovereignty to Valley Transportation Authority for the sake of “unity”?
Does our so-called “partner” behave more like a dictator?
If San Benito’s taxpayers are forced to pay for highway improvements that chiefly benefit our neighbors, why would we want to be a partner to such a disastrous deal?
What possible justification can there be for SBC giving financial aid to VTA?
Didn’t VTA purposefully engineer their present insolvency? VTA is the worst imaginable transport partner.
VTA was found to be the worst transit agency in the U.S. It was indicted by the Santa Clara County Grand Jury for governance flaws, fiscal irresponsibility and abuse of taxpayers.
It and AMBAG left this region as the largest area in North America without inter modal options at a time when inter modal transport has become the Class I railroad’s top revenue source.
It has taken away options for the east-west connector between U.S. Highway 101 and the Don Pacheco Y interchange, and given us an ultimatum.
San Benito County pays for the east-west connector that primarily benefits Silicon Valley-San Joaquin Valley commuters, and tonnage flowing into and out of the Salinas Valley and Silicon Valley.
In other words, their idea of “partnership” is that San Benito helps them bail out of the extreme insolvency their socialist transit boondogglers (e.g., BART to San Jose, light rail) have caused.
A year ago Santa Clara county voters rejected the VTA’s sales tax increase (Measure A), so now our partner needs our money.
I pray that our leaders reject VTA’s plea to help them cope with their insanity, and protect and defend that residents of our county.
We should not reward VTA and AMBAG for inflicting damage on our No. 1 industry.
We must not be in a partnership where all the burden falls on us, while all the benefits go to our “partner.” VTA dictatorship is no partnership.
Joseph P. Thompson
Tres Pinos
