Like the age of the horse and buggy, the age of BART and other government run, failed, rider less, costly, dirty, disease carrying, crime vehicles, home to the homeless, is over.
“It is so bad; they may have to shut down 2-3 lines in 1-2 years. As I rode the train through the tunnel between Orinda and Rockridge, I had to put in my earplugs as the track noise was so deafening! Yuk! On my vacation to Germany, I rode their Metro systems all around. Silent running, clean on-time trains with very helpful personnel.
Suggestion: revoke BART’s Special Interest status, fire all the employees, and hire the Germans to run the system. I, and many of my colleagues, are at the end of the rope in putting up with these bureaucratic and dysfunctional government organizations.”
We can no longer afford to pay off unions, incompetent bureaucrats, greedy corporations and politicians for an ancient system that does not work. Maybe we should sell it for $1 to the Germans—that would save us billions.
Tears shall drown the wind by Richard Eber
Richard Eber, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views, 3/28/23
In the course of writing about the wacky world California of politics, I receive more suggestions of topics to cover than Dear Abby might inspire. The poison pen letter received below is a good indication of what can be found in my correspondence file.
What makes this memo so unique is that it was sent by an 80 year old plus stalwart liberal Democrat. It would appear even those on the left are getting frustrated by the increased incompetence of government.
In the Bay Area. Where I reside, public transportation is the focus of complaint by a body politic whose patience is severely tested each day
Thus I was told
“My turn to get on the soapbox. I have tickets to the SF Broadway productions at the Orpheum and Golden Gate Theaters. Unfortunately, my best travel option is to take BART. In a simple sentence, BART is totally mismanaged and dysfunctional
Let’s go down the list:
1. Super noisy trains
2. Dirty stations
3. Safety concerns
4. Rude station employees
5. High fares. How does this happen and continue to happen?
Well, they are organized as a Special District in the State of California. That basically means they manage themselves with practically no oversight. The BART management votes themselves salaries in the $350K range.
The employees are among the highest paid transit workers in the nation. And, they deliver 1-5 above. Oh sure, they blame Covid, but the problems were there way before Covid. You could start with the initial design of the cars and tracks which are non-standard and cost 2.5 times the cost of an equivalent car say in Washington DC’s metro.
If you recall, there was a strike several years back that ended up caving into the employees demands for super high salaries, benefits and retirement packages. If you have been following the East Bay Times articles, you may be aware that they are about to run out of the emergency Covid money they got from the Federal government.
It is so bad; they may have to shut down 2-3 lines in 1-2 years. As I rode the train through the tunnel between Orinda and Rockridge, I had to put in my earplugs as the track noise was so deafening! Yuk! On my vacation to Germany, I rode their Metro systems all around. Silent running, clean on-time trains with very helpful personnel.
Suggestion: revoke BART’s Special Interest status, fire all the employees, and hire the Germans to run the system. I, and many of my colleagues, are at the end of the rope in putting up with these bureaucratic and dysfunctional government organizations.”
Unfortunately, what was recounted above is not an isolated incident. BART’s mishandling has been repeated from Sacramento to Los Angeles. The volume of ridership of these systems has declined by at least half in the Covid-19 era. It will take a long time to recover because of a stay at home work force and high fares which only the affluent can afford.
Meanwhile State government is unwilling to intervene to cut costs with Bart and other transit agencies because their workers are all union. Layoffs or reducing wages is simply not on the table. The solution of politicians residing in Sacramento is always raising taxes and finding more Federal money to fund their multi-billion public transportation empire.
Going along with this foolishness is the Bullet Trade debacle which is a total joke was it at all funny. This service which is supposed to be utilized by those driving or flying between Southern and Northern California, will likely take at least 20 more years and 60 billion dollars more to build.
It is not difficult to understand why the critic of BART wants to bring in Germans to operate the system. The same could be said for the Bullet train where it would be wise to import Chinese workers to speed up construction and reduce costs.
The problem is when the Bullet Train is finished, who will be willing to ride it? The answer is likely to be hardly anyone.
Meanwhile Interstate 5 and US 99 are overused. Except when they are in close proximity to cities, they have only two lanes in each direction on pothole infested roads. Driving is a necessity, even with the highest gasoline costs in the nation.
Unfortunately, the incompetence of government in California does not end with mass transit or the Bullet Train shooting blanks. Green New Deal-Climate Change environmental crazies in charge of the Sacramento legislative asylum want to force residents to follow their dystopian vision for the future.
This includes forced use of electric cars, banning natural gas powered stoves, driers, and heaters; along with eliminating fossil fuels prior to when there is technology to accomplish this goal.
But wait there’s more!
The genius’s running State Government are passing laws to eliminate the construction of single family in favor of Multi-Unit Project Development communities located near mass transit. Transport by autos would be discouraged as few parking spaces will be allocated as it is assumed public transportation will be utilized.
It is also assumed families might be willing to trade in their backyards and play areas in favor of work out facilities, bike racks, and small community parks. Such a notion is pure insanity but “Big Brother’s” colleagues in charge of the Legislature simply don’t care. There are not enough Republicans and middle of the road Democrats to provide viable opposition to the continued destruction of the former Golden State.
At the same time middle class and wealthy continue to flee for green pastures. Moving to Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Florida, and beyond, they are putting the insanity of California behind them.
For the rest of us Macbeth’s lament “That tears shall drown the wind” is a reality we must endure each day
