Dear Real Change,
Thank you for Patrick Reis’ coverage of the Transportation Choices Coalition Friday forum on Proposition One at the downtown YMCA [“Enviros Split on Roads and Transit Vote,” Oct. 10]. I sat next to him.
The key aspect of revenue was not addressed much. Note that both the Regional Transportation Investment District and Sound Transist 2 rely on increases in sales tax. The one-tenth for the RTID represents one-third of its revenue stream. Use of the sales tax to expand highways is unprecedented in this state. Use of the sales tax for highway expansion is unfair, regressive, and inefficient, as it would not send a price signal to roadway users. The RTID had authority to use more tolling or the local option gas tax, both of which would have been more equitable.
The Futurewise representative is paraphrased to state that transit measures that have failed have not been brought back very quickly. Historically, this is not true; consider the short length of time between the first and second votes on Forward Thrust (1968 and 1970), Metro, and RTA measures (1995 and 1996).
Jack Whisner | 36th District Precinct Committee Officer