JURISDICTION: Santa Clara County: Regional Measure 2, March 2, 2004

REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF REGIONAL MEASURE 2
TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2004

Regional Measure 2, promoted as a "traffic relief plan," is highway robbery!
Of RM2's billions, only 11.5% improves Bay Area roads, freeways, and bridges, none of them in Santa Clara County.

• RM2 mostly underwrites extravagant transit projects — and huge new operational subsidies for limited-ridership transportation. RM2's nearest
  listed project is Dumbarton Bridge commuter rail (capital outlay, $135 Million; annual subsidies, $5.5 Million).
• 20-year projections of "250%" traffic-congestion growth by RM2's transit-agency promoters are preposterous and self-serving. In December, The Metropolitan Transportation Commission itself documented 17% less Bay Area freeway congestion in 2000-2002.
• Despite billions in new subsidies, transit (including BART) will still account for only 6.2% of Bay Area daily trips by 2025 [MTC, 2001]. With automobiles providing 84% of local trips, and bridge tolls providing all of RM2's funding, auto commuters deserve better roads and bridge crossings.
• Instead, State Senator Perata's RM2 diverts $630 Million to ferry purchases and operations. Since 1989, a developer and ferry operator-promoter has donated over $89,000 to Perata" [San Francisco Chronicle, 09/09/03].
• Ferries provide only 13,000 Bay Area passenger trips daily — versus 18,000,000 by auto. Yet RM2 subsidizes ferries with nearly twice the money
  allocated for highways.
• Politicians and special interests may like RM2, but it's a bad deal for
  Santa Clara County.

The League of Women Voters, its "impartial" Bay Area Monitor subsidized by
several transit-agency RM2 beneficiaries, now endorses RM2. We anticipate
similarly cozy special-interest RM2 campaign funding.

NO on RM2!

More information: www.svtaxpayers.org, (408) 279-5000

Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County
George Swenson, President Ray Strong, Chair

Alliance of Contra Costa Taxpayers Waste Watchers, Inc. (Fremont)
Kenneth E. Hambrick, Chairman Kenneth D. Steadman, President