Ah Mon Ami,
Hats off for our local elected leaders, who help make our democracy work, and a government of, by and for the people. Many thanks for raising the subject of transportation. I served as a charter member of COG’s Citizens Rail Advisory Committee, and also of its Citizens Transit Task Force, and gave probono time for ten years at nearly all of their meetings, except when I was in Washington, D.C., for the annual gathering of the transportation bar at the Transportation Lawyers Association Annual Meeting. I’ve done 46 years of post-doc study of transport law & policy, including at the Norman Y. Mineta International Institute for Surface Transportation Policy Studies (renamed the “Mineta Institute”), at SJSU; at Transportation Research Board, Georgetown U.; and at the Library of Congress. And following 16 years with SPRR & UPRR, I’ve practiced transportation law for 42 years, representing carriers and their customers before State and Federal Courts and Agencies. You are right to focus on transport policy because BOS has abdicated its mandate from the voters to unelected COG directors, who govern without the consent of the voters, violating the civil and constitutional rights of the citizens of 2 County Districts. Although almost 99% of trips in SBC are in private vehicles and trucks, COG puts Emperor Transit First as its #1 top priority. That governance abuse costs us accidents, lives and injuries because highway improvements are delayed so that the special vested interests who control COG can feast off the taxpayers. I hope that the Suggestion Box remains open and that you will invite public comment, even if it upsets COG’s apple cart. Better to tolerate old fools like me than to miss a chance of improving local government. Caveat viator. Joe Thompson (408) 848-5506; E-Mail: [email protected]; Past-Chair, Legislation Committee, Transportation Lawyers Assn.; Past-President, 1999-2001, 2006 Gilroy Morgan Hill Bar Assn.
Hats off for our local elected leaders, who help make our democracy work, and a government of, by and for the people. Many thanks for raising the subject of transportation. I served as a charter member of COG’s Citizens Rail Advisory Committee, and also of its Citizens Transit Task Force, and gave probono time for ten years at nearly all of their meetings, except when I was in Washington, D.C., for the annual gathering of the transportation bar at the Transportation Lawyers Association Annual Meeting. I’ve done 46 years of post-doc study of transport law & policy, including at the Norman Y. Mineta International Institute for Surface Transportation Policy Studies (renamed the “Mineta Institute”), at SJSU; at Transportation Research Board, Georgetown U.; and at the Library of Congress. And following 16 years with SPRR & UPRR, I’ve practiced transportation law for 42 years, representing carriers and their customers before State and Federal Courts and Agencies. You are right to focus on transport policy because BOS has abdicated its mandate from the voters to unelected COG directors, who govern without the consent of the voters, violating the civil and constitutional rights of the citizens of 2 County Districts. Although almost 99% of trips in SBC are in private vehicles and trucks, COG puts Emperor Transit First as its #1 top priority. That governance abuse costs us accidents, lives and injuries because highway improvements are delayed so that the special vested interests who control COG can feast off the taxpayers. I hope that the Suggestion Box remains open and that you will invite public comment, even if it upsets COG’s apple cart. Better to tolerate old fools like me than to miss a chance of improving local government. Caveat viator. Joe Thompson (408) 848-5506; E-Mail: [email protected]; Past-Chair, Legislation Committee, Transportation Lawyers Assn.; Past-President, 1999-2001, 2006 Gilroy Morgan Hill Bar Assn.
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