CalTrain Power Play

2004 Christmas week: in the COVID-19 era it looks this deserted all the time

Caltrain, the commuter rail that provides transportation from San Francisco to San Jose, is on the brink: [bold added]

Having lost 95% of the ridership it relies on for the bulk of its revenue, the vital transportation and economic link between San Francisco and Silicon Valley needs voters to throw it a lifeline by raising sales taxes an eighth of a percentage point. All local governing bodies have to do is let the people decide.

The proper course was therefore obvious to San Francisco’s supervisors: Take advantage of the dire emergency to promote class warfare and do bureaucratic battle while threatening to paralyze an irreplaceable public asset.

Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Shamann Walton have joined officials in Santa Clara County in holding up the modest tax increase while reviving demands for more control over the commuter line, which is managed by the San Mateo County Transit District, known as SamTrans.

California government officials file lawsuits against the Federal Government when the latter withholds funds to force compliance with Trump Administration policies.

But when CalTrain, which is run by San Mateo County, wants a sales tax measure, San Francisco and Santa Clara hold up the ballot to get control over CalTrain's finances.

Whatever principles they espoused in their arguments against the Federal Government go out the window when the progressives hold the pursestrings. It was all about the power.