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Indybay Feature

Muni Un-Reform is Back - Call Supervisors To Urge a NO vote

by Rescue Muni
Six years ago, Muni riders and environmental advocates got together to
pass Proposition E (1999) for Muni reform, creating an independent
Municipal Transportation Agency insulated from politics and governed by
strong service standards and a progressive Transit-First Policy.
Dear Rescue Muni Member:

Six years ago, Muni riders and environmental advocates got together to
pass Proposition E (1999) for Muni reform, creating an independent
Municipal Transportation Agency insulated from politics and governed by
strong service standards and a progressive Transit-First Policy. The
results are clear: despite major budget difficulties almost every year
since 1999, Muni has consistently improved reliability and service
quality, as measured by Muni staffers and Rescue Muni's members in
annual riders' surveys. Although service is not by any means perfect,
it's much more reliable than it was in the days of the Muni Metro
Meltdown.

Now, unfortunately, two Supervisors have decided that Proposition E
doesn't give them enough power. Never mind that in the bad old days,
when the Supervisors had direct control of Muni, service was extremely
unreliable; some members of the Board have decided that they would like
to return to the days when they could micromanage Muni's budget. Two
supervisors have introduced legislation that would gut Proposition E:
Supervisor Sandoval, who has re-introduced a charter amendment best
described as comprehensive un-reform, including a line-item veto over
the budget and the choice of MTA director (this amendment was soundly
defeated at the board last year), and Supervisor Ammiano, who has
introduced a narrower amendment that would give the Supervisors
authority over the appointment of three of the seven members of the
Municipal Transportation Agency board.

Both of these amendments would be terrible for riders. These would
give more power to the Board of Supervisors which recently rolled back
Muni's proposed increases in parking fees and fines, favoring auto
drivers over transit riders, and blocked very simple improvements in
Geary/O'Farrell transit service after a few neighbors complained last
year. This is the same board that has never used its authority to
reject a single MTA Board nominee or any MTA budget, yet now wants more
power over our commutes.

Rescue Muni strongly opposes both of these charter amendments. The
Sandoval one is obviously the more egregious, but the Ammiano amendment
would also be terrible, because it would lead to MTA board members
being picked for their political and ideological loyalty to the
Supervisors (consider the Police and Planning Commissions, now half
appointed by the Supervisors, not to mention the highly dysfunctional
School Board) and not for their understanding of public transit. While
the MTA board isn't ideal, it tends to avoid dumb ideological battles
and micromanagement in favor of focusing on the quality and efficiency
of public transit, and we think this should continue. This is
particularly important now that the MTA is searching for a new
director; no experienced director of transportation worth his/her salt
would consider working for the MTA if either of these amendments were
to pass.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: This Thursday, the Rules Committee considers both of
these amendments. If you can attend, the meeting is at 1 PM at City
Hall, room 263. Come and urge a NO vote on both MTA amendments!

Agenda: http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_page.asp?id=32583

Sandoval amendment:
http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/bdsupvrs/committees/materials/
050929.pdf
Ammiano amendment:
http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/bdsupvrs/committees/materials/
050818.pdf

If you can't make it, please CALL one or more members of the Rules
Committee and urge a NO vote:

Peskin, Aaron - 415-554-7450 - Aaron.Peskin [at] sfgov.org (Board President)
Alioto-Pier, Michela - 415-554-7752 - Michela.Alioto-Pier [at] sfgov.org
Mirkarimi, Ross - 415-554-7630 - Ross.Mirkarimi [at] sfgov.org

You can also call your own Supervisor and urge a NO vote if the
amendments reach the full board:

1. McGoldrick, Jake - 415-554-7410 - Jake.McGoldrick [at] sfgov.org
2. Alioto-Pier, Michela - 415-554-7752 - Michela.Alioto-Pier [at] sfgov.org
3. Peskin, Aaron - 415-554-7450 - Aaron.Peskin [at] sfgov.org
4. Ma, Fiona - 415-554-7460 - Fiona.Ma [at] sfgov.org
5. Mirkarimi, Ross - 415-554-7630 - Ross.Mirkarimi [at] sfgov.org
6. Daly, Chris - 415-554-7970 - Chris.Daly [at] sfgov.org
7. Elsbernd, Sean - 415-554-6516 - Sean.Elsbernd [at] sfgov.org
8. Dufty, Bevan - 415-554-6968 - Bevan.Dufty [at] sfgov.org
9. Ammiano, Tom - 415-554-5144 - Tom.Ammiano [at] sfgov.org
10. Maxwell, Sophie - 415-554-7674 -Sophie.Maxwell [at] sfgov.org
11. Sandoval, Gerardo - 415-554-6975 - Gerardo.Sandoval [at] sfgov.org

Thanks!

Andrew Sullivan
Chair, Rescue Muni
Add Your Comments
Listed below are the latest comments about this post.
These comments are submitted anonymously by website visitors.
TITLE
AUTHOR
DATE
San Francisco Voter
Mon, Jun 20, 2005 8:06PM
Transit rider
Mon, Jun 20, 2005 7:28PM
angry MUNI rider
Mon, Jun 20, 2005 1:14PM
guss
Mon, Jun 20, 2005 2:17AM
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