More people are riding buses. But fuel costs and health costs are up, and Governor Schwarzenegger has consistently cut state funding for public transit. AC Transit needs to balance its budget.
When AC Transit's board started thinking about raising fares this spring, our organization and allies appealed to them to try to raise new money instead. To their credit, the AC Transit Board (including Chris Peeples, also on the ballot) agreed to take the risk.
V V would take an existing parcel tax that already helps pay for AC Transit's services and renew, extend, and raise it. The new tax would be $4/month ($48/year) higher than the current one.
Passing V V will keep AC Transit affordable, especially for seniors and youth who depend on buses the most. It's a public good in all sorts of ways: helps people in need, reduces energy use, and combats global warming.
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2 comments:
What do you think about what the East Bay Express, and other folks have said about AC Transit's insistence on the expensive VanHool buses and being responsible for their own financial distress? I've been trying to do research on this tonight. (cramming for my "voting test" tomorrow!)
MT - Thanks for asking. First off, no matter what you think about the VanHools, vote Yes on V V if you support public transit. A "No" vote will NOT tell AC Transit anything about which buses to buy. It will tell them you think it is fine for them to raise fares for seniors and kids, which is their other main option.
Secondly, I think the main causes of AC Transit's financial problems are (1) the Governor, who cut $1.4 billion in public transit funds this year - 70% of the state's contribution to running public transit. AND (2) Higher gas prices & health care costs.
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