Thursday, November 18, 2010

The San Francisco Transportation Authority's proposal to toll inbound and outbound motorists, like other government agencies in the All Tax, Fee, Toll, and Spend, Democrat SF Bay Area, has been coming from passed stealth legislation from our Democrat California and Federal legislators (and the Fool Governor).  The Democrat monopoly of the Bay Area for the last few years, especially since the (Democrat) politician-loaded California High Speed Rail Authority's bond 'glamor' Proposition 1A (2008) passed, and the complete takeover occurred of the regional MTC (now proudly calling itself the "Bay Area Toll Authority) by anti-motorist Toll/Fee/Tax extremists, including its Executive Director Hemminger, and zealots like Ken Yeager, aim to create more Bay Area costly motorist pick-pocket "opportunities".Many more.
 Example:
 Immediately after the 2008 HSR bond passed, the next month, after years of purposeful delays, the Santa Clara County's political VTA arranged for over $5M with Caltrans, to suddenly "consider" (= do) finishing SR152 to Gilroy as a Congestion Priced Toll Road, in fact, all the way back to Madera under cover of a "Trade Corridor" highway! 

The fact is, HSR never has, nor will, come close to paying its own way for its elitist, wealthy, middle-class,  taxpayer paid rail chauffer service for its high-class riders.  When proponents say, "Europe and Asia" have these debt-laden, budget crushing dangerous trains, and so should we --for no good reason other than "the neighbors" have it, so we must!--they also mean that California, and Obama/LaHood's US HSR  also require European and Asian Toll roads, Toll lanes, and higher gas taxes (times 4 current cost to equal theirs).

The corrupt, Democrat California legislature, has quietly passed the toll legislation.  Blame none other than your own Democrat legislator: Alquist, Nava, Torrico, Yee, Ma, Huffman, Simitian, Hill, Ruskin, BEALL, Caballero, Steinberg (a real Socialist in my view!) etc, especially those in the Calif Enviro Caucus) for quietly advocating these charges against us.   Prop 23 would have stopped or slowed the AB32/SB375 authorization for this toll--to reduce driving--one of AB32's key objectives. 

"Conservation-minded", that is, brainwashed Gordon Moore (in my opinion), other stock option millionaires, and the wealthy Hollywood (multi-vehicle owning) types (Cameron (Avatar fame), Schwarzenneger,, along with other know-nothing rich fools, haven't a clue nor care of the impact on the middle and lower income residents.  They can afford the higher costs. They just want to feel good, without thinking about the destructive effects of such costs on the people..
  
During the election, as a transportation activist, this Freemotorist  tried to warn and advise about this coming flood of Democrat-induced tolls, gas tax increases, and soon, miles-traveled fees (have you seen your insurance company's request about miles traveled lately, ;-) at this Freemotorist.blogspot.com site and elsewhere.  Unfortunately,  this message could not get through the closed Carly, Meg, and Prop 23 (HJTA) campaigns as a winning issue, e.g., to oppose not only the underlying HSR engine for these necessary taxes, tolls, fees, fines, penalties, and other charges to fund it.  The fees are driven by what the HSR Authoritry refers to sneakily as "Public Private Partnerships" -- the toll, fee, fine, and other charges' collection equipment owners.

In this pre-holiday rage of the airline security/TSA fondling of passengers, the coming impact (post-election)  on motorists automobility...the 98% who use autos, trucks, vans, motorcycles only versus the the tiny 2% (7% in the SF Bay Area) who use wasteful, expensive, slow, only marginally effective, and ever-growing, public-unions' transit, will become clear by headline-grabbing road congestion during the 2010 holidays as motorists avoid the airlines pre-trip fondling.

Cleverly, Democrat politicians, SmartGrowth (hah!) EcoCommunist, well-known enviro groups will translate this infrastructure-handicapped road congestion falsely into needing wasteful more HSR boondoggle spending --  and other minimally-used transit.  In actuality, more free, general use road lanes (for everyone!), interregional highways, and improved traffic flow technology in congested areas are needed to move people under their own automobility while self-funding undiverted road funds --which roads already do, especially high-volume 1/4 million motorist per day 8 lane freeways.

The public doesn't have time to keep up with these intricacies of clever, full-time politicians who demonstrate that they don't have a clue about financial responsibility and the public's right to automobility (including trucking and motorcycling) of all types.
We must fight new motorist fees, tolls, vmt (miles traveled) charges by fighting High Speed Rail, the "driver" for them, too.  Taxes are for people, education, health, and human services, including roads that enable such, not for elitists, arrogant, wasteful, unnecessary, and financially devastating projects like HSR.  We are NOT Europe, nor Asia.  We are the United States of America, a still free country.  KILL HSR.  

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

UC and CSU to raise fees-again- to help pay for the High Speed Rail ripoff

Where are the students, parents, teachers, administrators, education, and all the other unions, like nurses and healthcare unions, public safety, fire, police, and so many other state worker union members who depend on a solid Calif General Fund? 
HSR is draining the General Fund for its annually increasing debt that will reach at least $800M/yr to service this monter's debt -- just for construction!  If it is built, then the annual operating subsidy will reach over $1B/yr with some estimates as high as $4B/yr (Long-Beach press Telegram).
Motorists are seeing more tolling of lanes, soon highways like Pacheco Pass in SR152 and three roads in SoCal--to start, just to pay for this useless, wasteful elitists' 'glamorous' project that will drive the state and so many of its residents to the poorhouse, especially those who need students, teachers, state workers, and those needing state health and human and safety services.

Kill HSR now before it kills California's wealth.

The San Francisco Bay Area needs both 1) a new bridge across the Bay for all motorists, 2) BART up the Peninsula - close the gap around the Bay for transit users

Bay Area Transportation officials MTC/BATA are considering a study for a new Southern Crossing bridge to accommodate the region's increased and growing population, more registered motorists of all types and kinds who need automobility, including trucking, while reducing pollution, congestion, GHGs, delays, and help power more economic growth.  Bridges, unfortunately with tolls--but only to pay off their construction debt, do pay themselves off--unlike any transit, anywhere.  This is the fiscally responsible way to build our infrastructure for prosperity.