Debunking the transit tax advocates
How do we save the Bay's troubled transit system? Proponents of a five-county sales tax are peddling misinformation to convince Bay Areans that making everything more expensive is the only solution -- while The SF Standard and KQED take their deceptive talking points at face value. We caught up with Gregg Dieguez, spokesperson for the opposition, who debunks three of their most glaringly unquestioned claims.
Claim #1: Money from capital transit projects can’t be re-allocated to operations
The SF Standard: “Connect Bay Area spokesperson Jeff Cretan said…the argument that agencies should divert funding earmarked for other uses toward operations is not possible…most funding dedicated to capital projects can’t legally be redirected. … ‘it’s an idea that exists in la-la land,’ Cretan said.”
Rating: Inaccurate, deceptive
Gregg Dieguez: “Redirecting funds from capital projects is completely feasible. It’s already been done twice in California, in fact very recently.
“Once earlier this year, when Governor Newsom allowed Bay Area transit agencies to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars from state funds that had already been allocated for transit capital projects, in order to support operations.
“As Daniel Borenstein wrote ‘The biggest share of the capital money tapped for the loans had been allocated to help a fifth transit agency, the South Bay’s Valley Transportation Authority, build its planned San Jose BART extension.’
“Again in the 2023-2024 state budget, transit agencies were explicitly allowed to flex roughly $4-5 billion in transportation funding, including capital funding like the San Jose BART extension, to operating purposes to prevent immediate service reductions.
“Recent state actions also include High-Speed Rail funding shifts and the VTA-backed loan.
“There are some gray areas. But our detailed examination shows monies that are definitely reallocatable, and others that could be reallocated with simple political will.”
Claim #2: Vote for the tax or face “dire” cuts to BART, Muni, and other transit agencies
KQED: “Transit leaders have warned voters in five Bay Area counties for months that if they fail to pass a regional sales tax measure on November’s ballot, BART, Muni and other agencies will have to dramatically cut service, spiking the cost of living and commute times for many in the region.”
Rating: Mostly inaccurate, deceptive.
Gregg Dieguez: “By our analysis, the transit establishment could keep all these services running at current levels. Not only can they redirect funds, but they can practice basic financial discipline, like renegotiating union contracts, eliminating duplicative services, trimming service at low-performing stations, and eliminating unjustified capital projects.”
Claim #3: Overtime is just “pennies”
KQED: “‘While there are real negative examples of what some might consider to be excessively paid employees at transit agencies,’ [UC Berkeley’s Ethan] Elkind said, ‘We’re talking about pennies compared to the scale of the need here.’
“‘You’re not going to fully fund BART by making sure a police officer is docked a few hundred thousand dollars in pay,’ he said.”
Rating: Deceptive
Dieguez: “A lot of small things add up to big money. If you don't handle the small things well and establish a practice of financial discipline, you're not going to be able to handle the big things well either.”
Gregg Dieguez is spokesperson for Fixes Before Funding. Article excerpts in today’s newsletter are from The SF Standard and KQED.
Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity
We prize letters from our thoughtful readers. Typed on a Smith Corona. Written in longhand on fine stationery. Scribbled on a napkin. Hey, even composed on email. Feel free to send your comments to us at opportunitynowsv@gmail.com or (snail mail) 1590 Calaveras Ave., SJ, CA 95126. Remember to be thoughtful and polite. We will post letters on an irregular basis on the main Opp Now site.