The plot against light rail

This is the reality of Phoenix's light-rail system: nearly 16 million passengers carried in the most recent fiscal year; expansion of the original 20-mile starter line to 26 miles; an essential link between ASU's Tempe and downtown campuses; 30 percent of riders use the train for work; large numbers use it to reach sporting events; $11 billion in private and public investment has occurred along the line since 2008.

Light rail has also proved essential in giving Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa a fighting chance in an era where talented young people and high-quality companies want to be in city cores served by rail transit.

None — not one — of the hysterical predictions of opponents to light rail came true.

No wonder that voters backed light rail in three elections, in 2000, 2004, and 2015. We built it.

But destructive forces never sleep, never stop. Backed by dark money — including the Koch brothers and their nationwide war on transit — here comes Proposition 105 in the Aug. 27th special election. As is often the case, it's presented as an affirmative to deliberately confuse voters. "Vote yes!" hoping some will think they are supporting rail transit by marking that line. Signs say, "Yes on 105. Fix our roads" — but this has nothing to do with fixing roads; that's a different budget and roads are being fixed.

Don't fall for it. Vote no on Prop. 105 and its devilish companion, Prop. 106.

The supposed cause of the new referendum is a backlash against the line to south Phoenix, which would include removing a traffic lane on each side of a limited segment of the route. I'm willing to believe some opponents are acting out of sincere, if misguided, concerns. But, as the New York Times reported:

At the heart of their effort is a network of activists who use a sophisticated data service built by the Kochs, called i360, that helps them identify and rally voters who are inclined to their worldview. It is a particularly powerful version of the technologies used by major political parties.

In fact, this extension was approved by a majority of voters, including in south Phoenix. It would provide this area a much-needed link to employment centers. The city held more than 500 public meetings. It offers financial and other assistance to affected businesses.

The experience on the existing line is that it brings customers. Construction is no more disruptive than major road work, much less freeways, especially the destructive Papago Inner Loop — but gets over-the-top media exposure because light rail is, ooooh, new and scary and we don't get out much.

(I still contend that the south line should jog over to Third Avenue next to Union Station to connect with future commuter trains and Amtrak).

Nevermind that the most livable cities in the world have extensive networks of light rail, plus modern streetcars, subways, and commuter trains.

Car-crazy Dallas has the largest light-rail system in the nation.

The goal is to give people transportation options, as well as fostering transit-oriented development and being an essential element in combating congestion, sprawl, and greenhouse gases.

If only such well-funded and persistent opposition was aimed at metro Phoenix's retrograde freeway boondoggles, which continue while advanced cities are tearing down some of their polluting relics of the past century.

The usual Kook tropes are being dusted off, such as the "flexibility" of buses. Don't fall for it. Buses get stuck in traffic and don't provide the same level of comfort and reliability as light rail. And the bus argument is almost always a bait-and-switch — the service, inferior to begin with, never materializes once light rail is defeated.

Don't be fooled. Light rail has succeeded in Phoenix, as it has around the country. 

If this poisonous measure passes, light rail expansion will be dead in Phoenix. All construction would be stopped. Not only that, but the city would be prohibited from ever building new rail transit, including much-needed commuter rail. It would lose billions in federal money, which would go to the many cities that are expanding or starting their rail systems. Seattle and Salt Lake would rejoice at Phoenix's expense.

Vote no.

Prop. 106, hawked by "Better Call Sal," is equally disastrous. It reads as if it were written by someone held back in eighth grade at a charter school. As the Arizona Republic reported, supporters are giving false information about city pension debt, trying to scare voters.

Like most things from Better Call Sal, it identifies a real problem but the “solution” is all wrong. The measure is so clumsy that it will seriously harm the city.

It claims to support police and fire pensions by restricting everything else we need to provide a livable city — parks, libraries, senior centers, youth programs. It leaves police and fire spending totally unconstrained and asks all other services to sacrifice for public safety pensions. The firefighters oppose it.

Prop. 106 is sold as paying down debt. But the city is already paying the required contribution for pensions. Think of it like a home mortgage. No one is concerned about having a mortgage balance of $200,000 when they can afford their monthly mortgage payment. Phoenix can afford its "mortgage payment." Prop. 106 would be the equivalent of sending your children  to school with no shoes while you make extra payments on your mortgage.

Again, vote no.

This is the biggest test of Kate Gallego's young mayoralty. Her predecessors fought smart and hard to bring Phoenix back from the brink and assure the assets that are making such a constructive change in the central city. It will be a test of the new City Council.

But most of all, the outcome depends on you, dear voter. Don't get taken by the Kochs and Kooks. Vote and vote no.

 

Comments

[Stejeanne]

My "no" votes are in the mail. Thanks for reminding me why both initiatives are bogus. I suspect all civic solutions proposed by the Cissydude. As for 106 specifically, it is just wrong to allow an unlimited budget (that could include a lot of empty carbs) for public safety while forcing other Phoenix public services to follow a post gastric bypass meal plan.

[Phil Motta]

Jon, you really know how to assemble all the facts and present them lucudly. Our two NO votes are in the mail as, I trust, are thousands more. One of the biggest threats to democracy is misinformation. Those who would lie to voters, or even muddle the issues, are anathema to self-determination. The true sabotage here is that this proposition goes well beyond any gripes a South Central merchant might have about construction disruption. This prop attacks any and all rail of any kind, in perpetuity! That's precisely what the Koch Gang wants. They don't give a rip about what is best for the South Phoenix community. They'd like to kill rail of all types. Everywhere. In the entire country. Just as Phoenix said "no" to Donald Trump years ago when he sought a zoning variance on East Camelback, it needs to resoundingly say "no" to the Kochs on August 27.

[Cal Lash]

Good luck.There are a lot of folks opposed that reside from Central Avenue to 1-10 from Southern Avenue to the foothills of South Montana. Interestingly, driving down Camelback Road from Scottsdale to Phoenix are signs for a yes vote on both propositions.

[Lisa Anderson]

There was actually a flyer that we got in South Mountain that claimed Catherine Miranda was on the "Yes" side. That's false - she is against the measure.
Our No votes on both propositions will be in the mail on Friday. I will keep harping on people to vote against both of these destructive measures.

[Roger]

I'm seeing 'vote yes' on both props up in Paradise Valley and north of there. I keep wanting to rip them out of the ground.

I will be voting 'no' if and when my mail in ballot comes (which is strange, I have been getting one for years and have yet to receive one).

[Cal Lash]

Better check Roger. They mailed them out a couple of weeks ago

[Barry Kintner]

- I don't believe I've read as disingenuous an article, absent of so many facts, and instead packed with intentionally misleading words - near zero actual factual information - that you clearly could have included - and chose to leave it out. The comments of followers are so typical - no one is aware of the facts of this light rail system, and seem perfectly willing to allow someone to mislead them. - SAD indeed.

[Cal Lash]

Barry spouted a lot of nonsense and provided no information? Bad indeed!

[Petro]

No and no.
~Petro

[Mick Welsh]

Jon
You educated me and convinced me. Well done.

[Jerry McKenzie]

No and no (sent in last week). A friend of a friend was the guy that sold Trump that land. He got his price, but he left the meeting disoriented and wondering what the hell just happened!

[Cal Lash]

Yesterday we drove through the Roosevelt, Louise Quarles, Willow. Encanto and Coronado Historical residential districts. Quite a few No/No signs.

[Mark in Scottsdale]

I think both Props are poorly worded and overreaching. I think people tend to think twice when asked to prohibit something forever-ever, even if they don't care about light rail.

I have no idea what America's solution to civic and state pension debts will be; indeed, I think the very lack of political will to find a solution may someday lead to a lot of involuntary haircuts and a few defaults.

But, even as someone who is resolutely in favor of serious pension reform, this plan is too simplistic. It does not seem fair to exempt public safety from the budgetary effects of funding the generous pensions its own members earn.

[Cal Lash]

Koch will win the pave the roads vs lite rail by almost 2 to 1. It would even be by more if not for the Fire Fighter's support for lite rail. Here's to the, more Asphalt and concrete heat sink, nuts.

[Ruben]

Didn't this ruckus get started because the city decided to extend the light rail to an area of town that did not want it (south Phoenix) ? Maybe extend the light rail to an area that will welcome it.

[Mike Renzulli]

Check any municipality that has the kind of trolley Phoenix has and you will see it is not only wrought with massive cost over-runs but also has caused or somehow been included in auto accidents.

The so-called "light rail" (really a trolley) is a jobs program for Phoenix's elite to dole out to its constituents for its present-day Chicago-style political machine brought to you by former Chicago resident and ex-Phoenix mayor Anton "Skip" Rimsza.

You've written about the Phoenix 40, will you be writing about the machine that dominates Phoenix's politics and has since about the beginning of the century? I have and I am not even a journalist.