Agenda Item #4.1 - Joseph Thompson | Received 02/12/2024CAUTION: This email originated from an External Source. Please use proper judgment and caution when opening
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From:Joseph P Thompson
To:Gilroy Dispatch Editor; Brad Kava; All Council Members; chamber of commerce Gilroy California; Tammy
Brownlow; jane@gilroy.org; Mayor Marie Blankley; Thai Pham; SBC Board of Supervisors;
supervisorkosmicki@cosb.us; Supervisors; Angela Curro; supervisorsotelo@cosb.us; Sanbenitocog Info; RTDillon;
rwells@edcsanbenito.org; Roxy Montana
Subject:EXTERNAL - CAHSRA"S LATEST "BUSINESS PLAN" UP FOR REVIEW, PUBLIC COMMENT: WILL OUR ELECTED
LEADERS DEFEND THE TAXPAYERS? OR BETRAY US?
Date:Sunday, February 11, 2024 10:20:22 AM
GUEST EDITORIAL: LETTER TO EDITOR, DISPATCH, FREELANCE, MORGAN HILL TIMES---
PUBLIC COMMENT: NEXT MEETING; REAL OR VIRTUAL; REGULAR OR SPECIAL; PUBLIC
WORKSHOP
OR PRIVATE RETREAT---
Ah Mon Amis,
CAHSRA's new "business plan," which is up for review and public comment, is not a "business"
plan,
it's a bankruptcy plan, an insolvency plan.
Like VTA, they would take about 1% of the total costs from passengers, and require taxpayers
thru gas taxes to pay the balance 99% to make it go. Like COG, and all the other transit agencies.
If truth be told, it is a plan funded on taxpayer subsidies, for the most part, and a very small
percentage
by fares paid by riders. It is a roadmap to a trainwreck, a financial disaster like VTA, Caltrain, Amtrak,
ACE
Train, SMART Train, BART, Metroliner and Lite Rail boondoggles.
Conceived insolvent, born bankrupt, and kept running by ever-increasing taxpayers' dollars;
hemorrhaging losses, berserk bloated wages, salaries, benefits and pensions for the public sector
union members all the while motorists must pay higher gas taxes and vehicle fees to reward the
fraud, waste and abuse at another public sector monstrosity, a Supermassive Black Hole.
Alternative private sector options exist, but the turf protectors at CAHSRA will never even
discuss them.
In 2008 Californians voted for self-sufficient high speed rail, not a bigger Amtrak.
If CAHSRA adopts the new proposed "business plan," then they ought to next plan their
Ch. 9 Bankruptcy because they will be insolvent, bankrupt, from the start. Better yet, a Ch. 7
liquidation bankruptcy would be called for since their method of crucifying taxpayers to make
public sector transit work deserves to be put out of existence.
If it was a horse, we'd do the humane thing. Instead, they propose taxing motorists
higher gas taxes, a Road to Serfdom like Lenin's ideas.
Joe Thompson
(
Past-Chair, Legislation Committee Transportation Lawyers Assn.
Past-President, 1999-2001, 2006, Gilroy-Morgan Hill Bar Assn.