Just when I thought that I might never again watch the mental perambulations of the Santa Clara County Supervisors and their allies on the VTA Board, they pull me back in! Their latest action — attempting to thwart the will of the voters of our county on BART — is beyond the extent of most of their general incompetence. Over seventy percent of the people voted for BART to San Jose (and few pluralities have even deigned to authorize other of their shenanigans), yet they have the audacity to chastise Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group CEO Carl Guardino for demanding the unpardonable: keep your word!
Even the most virulent opponents of the Arena in 1988 relented after the citizens voted in its favor. Coincidentally, one of the weakest supporters of the Arena, the most critical project to enhance San Jose’s reputation, was Supervisor Jim Beall. He apparently did not learn any lesson then, since he cavalierly undermines the will of our citizens now.
With such arrogance and lax oversight, including their failure to even read the contract of the forcibly retired chief of VTA, they are ready to shorten the Bart line, create fiscal and planning chaos, break faith with the electorate, and have a terminus in Milpitas, no less. Such denseness and arrogance are the hallmarks of a confused band composed of an odd mixture of Palo Alto-type elitists and out of touch populists. Berkeley, move over.
And just think, we thought their lobbyists-leading-the-blind white elephant of an ego trip, Fairground Music Hall, was the height of their hubris. Little did we know.
Wednesday: Why San Jose leaders and the VTA Board are tone deaf to the end of small business as we know it – BART construction.
having Tom McEnery criticize a fellow politician for being arrogant brings to mind what it might be like to hear Michael Jackson ding someone for being a tad strange.
Voters approved BART-to-San Jose when the economy was strong. Today’s situation is much different. The VTA Board, and the Supes, are right to question the cost of this project in light of today’s economic realities. That’s good government.
Does anyone think the project would still get over 70% suppoort if the election was held today?
That money is earmarked for BART which is what the people voted for – not to bail out VTA’s mismanagment and inability to run the other transportation systems. Sure, now isn’t a good time but when will it be? We need BART for many reasons and the lack of any progress made when the economy was good should not penalize the people now. I actually laughed out loud reading the VTA’s comment about funnelling that money into the bus system – what is that going to do? BART is not competing the Caltrain or the bus, it is a huge missing piece of the valley’s transportation puzzle and is where the people voted to spend their tax money.
Sounds like somebody forgot about the misleading campaign to bring BART to SJ. Didn’t they promise “Traffic Relief Now”? If BART ever makes it here it will be a long time from now. Not only that, the “overwhelming” support for BART was with the understanding that we would not be asked for additional taxes so the system could actually operate after it was built. Are the taxpayers really going to keep digging into their pockets with no end in site to the costs for this project? There is plenty to criticize the VTA on around this subject, but your comments appear to be misguided in this case.
You are missing the point raised here by Tom McEnery. Funds that were approved by the people to be spent on BART. BART is what is needed, not more bus routes. And of course, it will take some time to build it but the additional taxes that taxpayers will be digging in their pockets for will be for are to make up for buyouts and mismanagement of funds.
As someone who voted against bringing BART to San Jose. I say end the tax and give us our money back!
The point that is being missed is that the additional taxes will be for the operating costs of BART. This part of the BART scheme was well hidden in the discussion of the Traffic Relief Now.
Please save us from these idiots. To Milpitas are they serious. Where do they come up with these ideas? They must think of the most riduculous thing possibel then try it. Music hall at the fairgrounds, Bart stop at Milpitas what next remove term limits so they all can stay on longer. Seems to me Jim Beale and Blanco Alvarado are permanent fixtures here. Why haven’t they moved on to Sacramento like most of the others that want to ruin us for most of their lives. Lifetime politicians the scourge of the people. Get a real job please.
I’m sure I am just being naïve but it seems that what Santa Clara needs is an overhaul of the framework that empowers Santa Clara County Supervisors and snarls us in San Jose. It seems that San Jose’s government, with the majority of the population in Santa Clara should control this board, not be held hostage by it constantly. Isn’t it perhaps time to look at alternative arrangements for handling regional issues?
Tom,
Tom,
What is your definition of “weak support”?
Jim Beall supported the Arena. He supported all of the “extra” money that was needed to go into the building, the Sharks, increased parking, and better siding to the building.
At every stage a vote was needed, he was there. Is it because he asked tough questions? I don’t get it.
Jim Beall has also been a leader to get BART to San Jose. He did initially opposed putting the tax on the ballot because he knew it was not enough money to fund the project , which has turned out to be the case.
But once it was passed by the voters, he has been a tireless advocate for getting money through the MTC from the Feds and from the State.
This is not only a case of where’s the beef? But what’s the beef?
Rich – I was there. A ‘weak’ vote is when a politician puts his finger in the air, expresses support, then concern, and waits for the final vote. After the mandate in 1988, Mr. Beall gave the Arena his” full ” support without a peep. His antagonism to San Jose as evidenced by his votes on BART and the Fairgounds Music Hall sell-out, are not going unnoticed. He is looked on as a curious opponent of improving Central San Jose. As he consults smart operatives like you, he should remember that the road to Sacramento is full of potholes. TMcE
. . . and when you get to Sacramento it becomes a sink-hole.
As for Jim, he’s been very effective and supportive of downtown, transportation and helping those in need. While he has disagreed with you on some issues, his arguments have not been without some merit.
You and he ought to get together for lunch sometime because you have a least two things in common. First, you are both from Bellarmine and second, you’ve both failed to follow my cogent advice regarding some political matters.
Is it any wonder why you are both successful public figures?
Jim Beall is the worst kind of career politician I have ever dealt with. When he represented my district on the Council, he was unresponsive and unapologetic. He manages to run unopposed most of the time, and this situation prompted me to start leaving certain parts of my ballot unmarked as a none-of-the-above kind of statement in protest of people like Mr. Beall being allowed to skate through elections all too often.
Please, somebody run against this guy, get him out of local politics for good, and remove his springboard to Sacramento before it’s too late.
Is it just my imagination or did I read somewhere that our lovely lightrail (taking no one to no where slowly) is the most inefficient transportation project in the country? Oh yeah – here it is from the Merc.
“Operating at an average speed under 15 miles an hour, Silicon Valley’s light-rail network is the slowest among comparable urban systems in the nation.
It is also the most costly to operate per passenger mile.
And, it’s one of the most heavily subsidized transit operations in the country.”
So given San Jose’s tremendous success with lightrail, we’re going to entrust the same “visionaries” with billions more to spend on BART, basically a bigger, more gigantic, version of Lightrail – are you out of your minds?! These types of projects are nothing but monuments to city planner egos run amuck.
Deal with reality and quit worrying about trying to be a big league city. Mass transit in the south bay will never, ever work, period.
Pete