Lawsuit and growing opposition starting to derail Bay Area transit bailout

 
 

Support for the Bay Area's troubled Regional Transit Tax is fading, as fresh, acute critiques challenge the proposed bailout of local transit agencies. Reports from Merc and SJ Spotlight, below. 

In the last week, a series of setbacks have slowed support for the Bay Area's Regional Transit Tax. 

First, a growing number of current and former elected officials are joining former BART Director Debora Allen in opposing the transit levy, notably:

  • Steve Glazer, State Senator, 2015-2024

  • Susan Candell, City Council Member and Former Mayor, City of Lafayette

  • Jelani Killings, City Council Member and Former Mayor, City of Pittsburg

  • Scott Perkins, Council Member, City of San Ramon, 2003-2024

  • Peter Ohtaki, Council Member, City of Menlo Park, 2011-2018

According to County Election Departments, these officials signed arguments opposing the tax in the upcoming November ballot. 

Second, the Transit Tax was hit by a strong legal action, which claimed that the ballot's current language "reads more like an ad" than objective descriptive of what the initiative aims to achieve. As the Merc reports, "Marc Joffe, who is also president of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, attributes the misleading ballot measure language to polling firms that test different language on voters to see what might be the most successful. He said while it is reasonable to help craft a ballot argument, it isn’t acceptable in the ballot text itself; that’s supposed to be neutral."  

Third, even the VTA board subcommittees are realizing that VTA needs to get way more serious about responding to withering critiques of the disgraced South Bay agency (often characterized as the "worst-performing agency in the country") by a Civil Grand Jury. Some of VTA's key projects {BART-to-San Jose extension} are relying on the regional tax for viability. 

 As San Jose Spotlight reports: “‘The (VTA board of directors) has recognized the need for additional oversight and guidance, but the board has failed to exercise its obligation to provide the strategic direction needed for a successful project,’ the {civil grand jury} report reads.

“On Aug. 13, the BART Silicon Valley Phase II Oversight Committee—a subcommittee of VTA board members—unanimously recommended the full VTA board of directors adopt a revised response to the {civil grand jury's} recommendations. A VTA spokesperson told San José Spotlight the agency will incorporate the oversight committee’s comments before presenting the response to the board on Sept. 3.”

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