On the State Level

Posted on May 6, 2009


HOUSE BILL 22 IS BACK ALIVE

Yesterday there was a vote for reconsideration of HB 22, and it passed with over 100 votes and $12million for Metro Transit.

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration and there will be a hearing in the Senate Appropriation Committee today at 1pm. In the hearing, several Senators will try to get a bigger increase than the $12 million in the House version.

Several House members, who voted ‘no’ at first, because of what the bill would have done to Meals on Wheels, MO Healthnet, mental health services, Food Stamps, and etc. have decided to vote ‘yes’ for the reconsideration and yes for HB22 for two main reasons.

First, Senate colleagues are going to try to increase Metro’s funding in the Senate. Second, if sufficient funds are not available next year, the governor can use a line item veto or withhold some of the spending so that it will not hurt Metro riders in the other areas of their life (Meals on Wheels, mental health services, MO Healthnet, Food Stamps, etc.).

THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: First, contact members of the Senate Appropriations Committee and tell them, better yet DEMAND to increase the $12 million to $30 million so Metro can bring back most of the eliminated routes so we can get back to work. Second, contact your state senator (NOT U.S. senators in D.C.) and DEMAND they support HB 22 with appropriations for Metro’s intact. Third, contact your State Representatives and House Budget Committee Members and thank them for the turnaround vote. Finally, thank the Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder for his hard work in getting by-partisan support in getting this historic turnaround vote in the House.

WE NEED TO DO THIS QUICKLY!

House Bill 22 Home Page and HB 22 PDF file (It is located in section 22.285. You have to scroll down towards the end of the bill. FIND YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS

Missouri State Senate
Appropriations Committee

MEMBERS

Edward Williams
Founder and Organizer
(314) 338-5153

On the Local Level


HOW DID WE GET INTO THIS MESS

No single act resulted in Metro's financial collapse. In fact, the final collapse was due to 30 years of neglect and outright harm caused by several Mayors of St. Louis, several County Executives, and numerous local legislative bodies. The collapse was contributed to significantly by the willingness of East-West Gateway policy makers and staff to push light rail as Metro's salvation before resolving its funding problems. Finally, the collapse was assured by the actions of four Metro CEO's and 30 years of Metro managers who refused to stand up to its funding partners who pushed light rail above a solution to the funding problems.

In looking at the facts as a rider, it appears that all of these people made a common error. They all wanted to build MetroLink more than they wanted to be honest about the funding of the agency. These leaders felt that MetroLink would cure Metro's ills. This belief caused several leaders to keep pushing forward with commitments to build and operate more MetroLink.

County leaders, of both parties, supported this push to expand MetroLink all the while cutting back on Metro's 1/2 cent transportation funding. The City supported expanding and the voters even approved an additional 1/4 cent sales tax in 1997. However, the City really escaped any serious responsibility by claiming it committed 100% of the two taxes it collected for Metro. The City ignored that fact that its funding base could not support the Metro services and asked Metro to proceed with building more light rail anyway. Metro management escaped culpability by claiming that it didn't make the decision to build MetroLink. Metro claimed that it merely followed its funding partners requests.

Metro employees have felt the pain as many citizens commenting in the paper have requested their resignations. However, the true loss is not to Metro employees. The loss is to the riders who depend upon the transit system for daily transportation. The loss is to the citizens of St. Louis who must still pay 34 more years for light rail system that is overcrowded and under supported by an ineffective bus and paratransit system.

Finally, we the riders and citizens of St. Louis must for once be honest with ourselves, despite of the failure of our leaders to do so. The system that Metro operates today is not sustainable, even as a reduced system. Eventually this reduced system will have to be cut back again.

The riders and citizens of St. Louis need to provide sufficient funds to support the $230 million annual cost of the transit system that we had before March 30. We need to provide revenue, which increases at least 3.5% annually. We as voters and transit riders must admit that Metro cannot afford to operate any new MetroLink, streetcar, or even improved MetroBus network unless this baseline funding is put in place.

Next we the riders and citizens of St. Louis City and County will not be able to support the revenue growth for an acceptable transit system unless the economy in the Metro service area begins to grow again at rates that will support annual inflationary growth to support the transit system.

We the riders and citizens of St. Louis must understand that public transit in St. Louis City and County must have new local tax sources and it must have adequate State funding which grows annually at inflationary rates.

The riders and voters of St. Louis City and County must never again commit to build any new transit systems unless adequate funding is provided up front to support both the capital and long term operating costs of both the existing system and the new system. Our elected officials have proven, so far, that they are unwilling to provide sustained leadership on the topic of public transportation financing. It is not enough to say you support transit or than any modern city needs a transit system. Our leaders at every level must be held accountable for their results, not just for happy rhetoric. For that reason, riders and voters of St. Louis must unite behind making public transportation an issue Missouri can't escape.

We are currently focusing efforts on HB 22 because of its time sensitive nature. After May 16, 2009, we will be posting what needs to be done to secure permanent funding for public transit.