Citizens for Better Transit

You can trust Metro this time...really."

Citizens for Better Transit

–Principal points–

VOTE NO on PROP A, the Metro Tax!

1) Tax increase hurts the poor

Prop A is a 14% sales tax increase that hurts the poor disproportionately.

2) Likely to be huge cost over-runs

Metro isn’t trustworthy. a) They won’t tell voters which light rail route they are definitely going to build b) they won’t tell us precisely how the money will be spent c) the last Metrolink expansion ran at LEAST $150 MILLION over budget, and taxpayers are going to be paying down debt for 30 years.

3) Local population numbers won’t support

St. Louis City/County does not have the population density necessary to make Light Rail viable. St. Louis City has a population density of 6K/square mile. St. Louis County has a population density of 2K/square mile. An area needs a density of 10K per square mile to make light rail viable

4) Most will never use, but all will pay

Only 10,000 people in St. Louis County use public transportation, and not all of them use Metrolink. Why should St. Louis County tax payers fund something they’re never going to use? It would literally be cheaper to buy a car for every St. Louis County public transportation commuter – EVERY YEAR, IN PERPETUITY – than to raise taxes to fund metro another 80 million dollars.

5) Will take years to build

How is the extreme cost of light rail justifiable? In the best scenario, it costs $60 MILLION/mile. Light rail routes also take a MINIMUM of 5 YEARS to build.

6) Other options are cheaper and faster

Buses and Bus Rapid Transit (high tech buses and bus routes) are a fraction of the cost, and deployable in a fraction of the time it takes to build a light rail route.

7) Many more taxes will be needed

Prop A is a bailout for Metro mismanagement. Prop A, should it pass, will only be the FIRST of MANY new Metro taxes. Why? Because Metro has major pension liabilities, overly ambitious expansion programs, and wrongheaded expansion approaches that are BANKRUPTING METRO. And all of this while metro isn’t anywhere near self-sufficiency. 25% of Metro revenue comes from fares.

8.) Bus line cuts will hurt the poor

When metro expands light rail, it cuts bus service, also hurting the poor.

9) New taxes in the recession will keep unemployment high

Passing a new tax does NOT stimulate economic growth. Taxation in a recession is a BAD idea and hurts those hardest hit by the effects of the recession.

10) Metro is supported by special interests

Tax payers are being asked to blindly fund an irresponsibly managed organization so that wealthy special interests can receive subsidies. Special interests will get fat, as the tax payers get thin.

11) Metro is deceiving the public.

The publicized “plan” is nothing more than a wishlist. It lacks specifics. Voters have no clue what to expect. Again, it’s Metro and the East West Gateway Council’s mentality of, “Give us your money, and we’ll be sure to make the right decision for you.”

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Citizens for Modern Transit, one of several pro-tax Metro mouthpieces in favor of Proposition A (metro tax), recently cut a commercial for the Olympics.  The ad runs Friday, Feb. 12th.

This may not come as a shocker to some, but the ad is really a piece of work. A group of special interests with a lot of money to be gained at taxpayer expense prominently, proudly, and boldly identify themselves to the public.

Featured are Mark Wrighton, Chancellor of wealthy Washington University,Kitty Ratcliffe -- President, St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, Zelema Harris -- President, St. Louis Community College, Denny DeNarvaez -- President and CEO, St. John’s Mercy Medical Center, Mike Shannon, Al Hrabosky, and Fredbird -- Cardinals broadcasters and entertainers, Joe Edwards -- billed as the “mayor” of the Loop, Thomas R. Voss -- President and CEO, Ameren, Rev. Tommie Pierson -- Pastor, Greater St. Mark Church, Max Starkloff -- President and CEO, Starkloff Disability Institute.

Chancellor Wrighton of Washington University is notable in this ad because tax payers subsidize Wash U heavily. 9.3 MILLION DOLLARS heavily. The fair market value of the services Washington University receives from the Metrolink is roughly 11.5 million dollars. Wash U pays about 2.2 million. THE DISABLED PAY MORE MONEY TO RIDE THE METROLINK THAN ELITE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS! Of course Wrighton is happy about Metrolink. He’s getting a great deal!

Kitty Ratcliffe of the St. Louis Convention and Visitor’s Center is voting for Prop A because again, she and her union buddies stand to make some money off of the deal. More metrolink, more tax dollar subsidies to her organization.

And the same goes for the Cardinals as well. Everybody loves the Cardinals, without doubt. But the question is, why should taxpayers in St. Louis County be asked to subsidize the Cardinals?

Why should the tax payers subsidize all of these special interests?

Too bad the commerical didn’t include, but very well could/should have, bond seller EDWARD JONES*, MAUNE DEVELOPMENT, TARLTON, and the two dozen other special special that donated to the Advance St. Louis pro metro tax campaign…interests that stand to profit at the expense of the tax payer, should Prop A pass.

*Edward Jones has not yet, as far as I know, donated to Advance St. Louis’ pro metro tax, pro Prop A campaign. If they do, you’ll be the first to know.

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