CAWM - The Sneaker Tax

../images/nbc_sm.gif (1972 bytes)

The Sneaker Tax
Kurt Erickson - September 1998

Passing Lane For a Dead End Road

Motoring down 101 is usually an experience to avoid. Side roads, backroads and le grand tour d'Sonoma are taken if time allows. In Sonoma County, on 101, traffic is a mess. In Sonoma County, the Transportation Tax Plan is a mess.

What happened to The Transportation Plan?

It got way-laid by Highwaymen.

It's being held hostage, fattened-up with side-bar throw-in projects and divvied up between constituencies. The hostages are environmental promises.

Leading groups favoring a more rail focused plan for future development are told to lie low,don't oppose, or have their bare minimum pleas be deleted. In parts of the County where people could care less about 101, they're running unrelated ribbons and bows up the flagpole to see who'll throw'em a vote.

Side-bar projects in the West County include one sad, another laughable. Bay Hill Road is one of the sweetest rides over a ridge to the Coast in Sonoma County. As a bone thrown to a Bodega Bay developer and friends, in return for 101 support and votes, local Supervisor Mike Reilly will ask for Bay Hill to become a non-by-pass, by-pass around town. Inappropriate, unneeded and unwanted by most. To address Sebastopol votes, he'll solve the traffic woes by changing the highway signs! On paper, move highway 116 to follow 101 (whatever happened to that desperately over-crowded road). Then 116 will turn out River Road to save Sebastopol. There! No more gridlock in Sebastopol!

But wait! If you don't like them apples... Behind that curtain is the alternative, a threat to run a Llano Road bypass across The Laguna! This is no way to run a transportation plan!

Especially since The Railroad portion of the program is being railroaded. It's being given a promised token to future stations and rail up-grades with no time slot to enter the program. Will it be put on the fast track to alieve construction congestion? No word as of now...

The importance of the north-south rail corridor is being diminished as the special interest projects are thrown tax dollars. The only redeeming feature of the plan is the promise of a start on a decent rail plan. Rail could become a backbone for transit oriented development, and planning decisions. Feeder lines and easy safe rail station parking will insure the acceptance of such a valuable form of, locally, scorned in the press, mass transit.

A new comprehensive transportation model won't have immediate support. Think how long highway funding has been considered a divine right. But now only the ostriches hiding their heads can't see by the brake lights in front of us that the current system has to be changed. Where's the money for Ferry development? The Bay area has shown tremendous support for the entire Bay Ferry fleet. The flexibility is un-matched, the appeal irresistible. You don't need more asphalt for increased boat trips. The Ferry could take people off the highway much sooner than engineering, grading and pouring the lanes that will be filled immediately. The proposed plan for the future doesn't look that far ahead.

The original Calthorpe Plan was a comprehensive agreement between business and environmental representatives. It addressed the needs and concerns of both Sonoma and Marin counties. As currently considered this tax plan is a bloated, over-priced fantasy that will be years behind in vision and results. A parent in Annapolis will be paying tax on a child's sneakers so shiny cars can sit in even longer traffic jams ten years from now when the lane is new and just as outgrown as the long lost shoes.

Since some of you may be sitting, stopped in your car, it will probably get the votes. But we're paying for a passing lane on a dead-end road.

Citizens Against Wasting Millions
P.O. Box 4449 Santa Rosa, CA 95402-4449
(707) 523-2686


	The Sneaker Tax Kurt Erickson - September 1998
	Passing Lane For a Dead End Road Motoring down 101 is usually an experience to avoid. Side roads, backroads and le grand tour d'Sonoma are taken if time allows. In Sonoma County, on 101, traffic is a mess. In Sonoma County, the Transportation Tax Plan is a mess. What happened to The Transportation Plan? It got way-laid by Highwaymen. It's being held hostage, fattened-up with side-bar throw-in projects and divvied up between constituencies. The hostages are environmental promises. Leading groups favoring a more rail focused plan for future development are told to lie low,don't oppose, or have their bare minimum pleas be deleted. In parts of the County where people could care less about 101, they're running unrelated ribbons and bows up the flagpole to see who'll throw'em a vote. Side-bar projects in the West County include one sad, another laughable. Bay Hill Road is one of the sweetest rides over a ridge to the Coast in Sonoma County. As a bone thrown to a Bodega Bay developer and friends, in return for 101 support and votes, local Supervisor Mike Reilly will ask for Bay Hill to become a non-by-pass, by-pass around town. Inappropriate, unneeded and unwanted by most. To address Sebastopol votes, he'll solve the traffic woes by changing the highway signs! On paper, move highway 116 to follow 101 (whatever happened to that desperately over-crowded road). Then 116 will turn out River Road to save Sebastopol. There! No more gridlock in Sebastopol! But wait! If you don't like them apples... Behind that curtain is the alternative, a threat to run a Llano Road bypass across The Laguna! This is no way to run a transportation plan! Especially since The Railroad portion of the program is being railroaded. It's being given a promised token to future stations and rail up-grades with no time slot to enter the program. Will it be put on the fast track to alieve construction congestion? No word as of now... The importance of the north-south rail corridor is being diminished as the special interest projects are thrown tax dollars. The only redeeming feature of the plan is the promise of a start on a decent rail plan. Rail could become a backbone for transit oriented development, and planning decisions. Feeder lines and easy safe rail station parking will insure the acceptance of such a valuable form of, locally, scorned in the press, mass transit. A new comprehensive transportation model won't have immediate support. Think how long highway funding has been considered a divine right. But now only the ostriches hiding their heads can't see by the brake lights in front of us that the current system has to be changed. Where's the money for Ferry development? The Bay area has shown tremendous support for the entire Bay Ferry fleet. The flexibility is un-matched, the appeal irresistible. You don't need more asphalt for increased boat trips. The Ferry could take people off the highway much sooner than engineering, grading and pouring the lanes that will be filled immediately. The proposed plan for the future doesn't look that far ahead. The original Calthorpe Plan was a comprehensive agreement between business and environmental representatives. It addressed the needs and concerns of both Sonoma and Marin counties. As currently considered this tax plan is a bloated, over-priced fantasy that will be years behind in vision and results. A parent in Annapolis will be paying tax on a child's sneakers so shiny cars can sit in even longer traffic jams ten years from now when the lane is new and just as outgrown as the long lost shoes. Since some of you may be sitting, stopped in your car, it will probably get the votes. But we're paying for a passing lane on a dead-end road.