DONT BE DECEIVED! Voting NO will NOT reduce
road repairs! Repairs should have a high priority, but they are
already fully funded! Freeway proponents wrote ROAD
REPAIRS ... shall ... be adopted in their ballot summary
only to get votes. This measure actually forces spending state
and federal discretionary transportation funds primarily on NEW
FREEWAY AND HIGHWAY PROJECTS for the next 34 years! VOTE
NO!
THE MONEY WOULD COME FROM PUBLIC TRANSIT! This measure wont
raise taxes, but the money spent for freeway projects has to come
from somewhere! This money comes from short-changing public transit.
Previously, these funds went to both transit and highways. This
measures full text says [these] funds shall
not be used for transit projects. This makes ALMOST ALL of
these funds available ONLY for FREEWAYS AND HIGHWAYS! VOTE NO!
DONT BE FOOLED! No project on their list will ease congestion
permanently. The same interests pushed the sales tax for Freeway 85.
Its construction triggered HUGE LAND DEVELOPMENTS. As a
result, just two years after opening, the same congestion returned
--including on parallel roads. Freeway proponents raised our taxes
for TEN years, increased smog, but we got just TWO years of
traffic relief. VOTE NO!
This measure handcuffs the next generation of elected officials
until 2036. They cannot react to unexpected transportation
problems. Consider that:
Sales tax has plummeted 24.3% in one year
according to VTAs most recent Revenue and Expenditure Plan.
Transit has the shakiest funding source, a sales tax,
while freeway spending was given the more stable funding.
This Measure is a power grab by the VTA Board and
their supporters. Being subject to term limits, this VTA Board wants
to dictate policy for future VTA Boards. VOTE NO!
See keepchoice.org
The undersigned authors of the primary argument against ballot
measure __ at the election in the County of Santa Clara to be held on
Tuesday, November 5, 2002, hereby state that such argument is true
and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief.
Signed __________________________________ Date
Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter by Rafael Reyes, Chapter Chair
lomaprieta.sierraclub.org
Signed __________________________________ Date
Modern Transit Society by Akos Szoboszlay, President
moderntransit.org
Signed __________________________________ Date
BayRail Alliance by Margaret Okuzumi, Executive Director
bayrailalliance.org
Signed __________________________________ Date
Santa Clara VTA Riders Union by Eugene Bradley, Founder
vtaridersunion.org
Signed __________________________________ Date
David Simons, Chair, VTA Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee