Whatcom County Councilman-elect Ken Mann is still continuing to reach out to people via his Facebook page.
Linking to Growth and Transportation reporter Jared Paben’s story today about Whatcom Transportation Authority staff members telling the board to ask voters for a two-tenths of 1 percent tax sales tax increase, Mann asks:
Lots of discussion about the WTA lately. What do you all think? Cut service, raise fares, add a .2% sales tax? Or a combination of the three?
Q: I echo that question from Mann. After reading Jared’s full story, what are your thoughts on the issue?
November 19th, 2009 at 11:49 AM
It will still be a cheap ride, even with a rate hike. I don’t want to go down the “cut service” road however.
November 19th, 2009 at 11:52 AM
It appears the WTA got 10 or 11 new buses from the stimulus package. Or are they on the way? Were the old ones really that inefficient or breaking down? I have never felt I was getting hosed by the WTA so I would have a hard time believing the opposition could be anything but knee jerk.
November 19th, 2009 at 11:57 AM
The list of possible options is VERY underwelming. Where is the option to have WTA look at how they could possibly cut costs without first cutting services? Have WTA employees made any sacrifices like other goverment and private employees have had do? This should be considered before reducing services that will in turn reduce ridership and cut in to the measly 10% they are actually “bringing in”. The other 90% of their “revenue” is a huge tax subsidy.
Reading the history of the WTA union makes it sound like that at one point in history it looks like public mass transit in Bellingham/Whatcom County was actually profitable. Then the City bought it…
http://www.ridewta.com/atu_history
November 19th, 2009 at 12:00 PM
The eleven men directing the spending of the last mandated mental health sales tax increase use up an estimated $250,000 a year just to decide who gets it.
Nice work if you can get taxpayers to subsidize you.
Rember that economic law says that,
for every increase in cost to the consumer,
there’s a similar decrease in business.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:01 PM
Uh, remember, that is.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:01 PM
Why do you assume they haven’t been cutting costs or making sacrifices just like every other entity?
Subsidy or not, we need mass transit and we would all be better off if more of us used it.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Also, I think it’s appropriate to state that this will raise our sales tax from 8.5 to 8.7 percent. That is much more tangible and understanble to the masses rather than simply saying it’s a “two tenth’s of 1 percent” increase.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Jurgen, I assume that because I have not heard or read otherwise. Have you? If so, please elighten me.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Bellinghammer, we do explain that it’d be 20 cents for every $100 spent.
But the 8.5 percent to 8.7 percent is a good idea, too. I’ll mention it to Jared. We did discuss that yesterday.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Citizen what are you talking about with the $250,000 figure? Who are you saying gets that money for what now?
November 19th, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Jurgen, here’s a link to Jared’s story on the new buses that ran in August.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:32 PM
The ‘panel’ that administers the estimated $2.5 million annually the tax brings in has a 10% expense ratio.
The total revenue numbers may not be the correct ones,
but when I read the article In The Herald that referred to this tax,
I did the math and that is the number I remember as being relegated to overhead.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:56 PM
If, when I go to the store to buy $100. worth of “extravagant lifestyle of the Americans goods,” which usually fit in a single bag with room left over these days; I will gladly chip in two thin dimes so that the guy in the wheel chair who relies on the bus can get over to Best Buy and get the new Star Trek, just like I did. I don’t assume the bus manager is a schlub or that lawyers are all slimy miscreants. Maybe, Hammer, your initial assumption of being scammed is the source of your angst. Were you molested by a postman? Did the assessor peek in your window? Or, do you, as I do, feel an almost uncontrollable revulsion when one of those dorky looking parking meters wants you to feed it? Bring back Rowdy!!
The article I believe I read in the Herald was probably back around the time of the last rate hike. I’m not sure, maybe a year ago or so? At any rate, I haven’t seen anything to lead me to believe there is anything nefarious behind their needing this to keep moving ahead.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Ciz, Eleven people working for about $23,000. ea. per year? Is that what we’re talking about? That sounds excessive? Enlighten me.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:13 PM
Citizen - I think you’re discussing the mental health sales tax increase, yes?
The advisory board that makes recommendations to the County Council and administration in terms of how they’d like the money spent don’t receive money for the work. The administrative figure would go to county staff members who work as part of the various programs that the mental health sales tax money either bolsters or helps to create. There may be staff members paid in part to help advise that volunteer group of citizens (paid to take notes, give expert advice on issues, etc.) but the advisory committee most definitely doesn’t receive all of the costs for administering the programs.
It takes money to manage programs, of course, they can’t just throw money at a program and not expect to have people working as staff for those programs, right?
November 19th, 2009 at 1:33 PM
Bhammer - First, here’s a link that’s literally going to expire in the next few days since it’s been, again literally, a year since Jared wrote this story. This gives you an idea of cuts between 2008 and 2009 budgets.
Second, says Jared via e-mail:
Here is a breakdown of those “cost savings initiatives” over $10,000, according to documents from WTA:
Replace high maintenance bus fleet: $115,000.
Reorganize workload: $215,000.
Change laundry vendors: $10,000.
Print fewer transit guides and change bus pass vendor: $92,000.
Reduce professional services and advertising: $99,000.
Long term telecom contract: $18,000.
Reduce IT licensing and services: $40,000.
Reduce utilities costs: $25,000.
Total:
$624,000.
Defer capital purchases: $224,000.
I hope this information helps.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:56 PM
The way I read it,
these are eleven part-time professionals that may actually direct funding of the mental health tax towards their own programs and even their own clients.
Paying the bills directly for administration would seem to be an OK use for tax funds,
but paying yourself to allot money selectively to ongoing programs does not.
This is one reason I opposed the mandated levy - too much individual prerogative for its benefactors.
November 19th, 2009 at 2:25 PM
Citizen, I’ve asked Benita Bowen, president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Whatcom County chapter, via e-mail if she’d be willing to come on an chat with you about the costs.
November 19th, 2009 at 3:06 PM
I’d like to see an emissions, or car use tax. Seems like we ought to penalize folks for driving and make public transit more accessible. Sales tax penalizes the poor unfairly.
And can we have a special Hummer tax? Pleasepleaseplease?
November 19th, 2009 at 3:37 PM
hey, Thanks!
November 19th, 2009 at 6:27 PM
I would like to know the percentage of bus seats that are occupied on the combined total of all bus runs. A transit system ought to be able to operate at a profit if managed properly–and still offer low cost, or even free passes, to the needy.
November 19th, 2009 at 6:34 PM
I think the WTA should prepare themselves for the voters to reject the tax increase, I think the mood by the time this comes for a vote will be very dark. Things are not getting better.
Unless the bus riders are the majority of the electorate I can’t see this getting passed.
I would be interested in how much they would have to raise fares to break even.
I think answer is to raise fares and cut personnel cost.
November 19th, 2009 at 7:16 PM
One thing I don’t trust about selective sales tax hikes is that it’s too easy for the money to be a hardship and sacrifice on businesses and consumers,
and then be a convenient band-aid for poor spending priorities and upper-level type managers that save their own jobs first.
What’s more important for public funds,
having the latest bus terminal designed by Wright and Erte,
or having plenty of buses that are never late?
I fear that having your name on the door and a leather chair under yer rump makes for a set of priorities that don’t fit the bare bones you’re asking others to operate.
And I’d love Ms. Bowen to be available to quell my paranoia about the mental health tax being squandered on pet projects and high-profile clients with an enormous overhead.
November 20th, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Hey just drove by the WTA offices and I’s see all of these cars in their parking lot, so here’s my question, if the WTA is offering such a good service, why ain’t their own employees using it?
Just a question!
AFY!!thehseepdog!!!
November 20th, 2009 at 11:49 AM
For spinnwolf and AFY especially;
Current ridership is strongly influenced by our urban design - suburban sprawl. When a potential passenger has to walk 5-6 blocks from home, or work, to the bus-stop, they have a strong disincentive to use the bus. I have lived in cities where a large portion of the population lives, and an even larger chunk of workplaces, are within 2-blocks, and just the few live in low-density subdivisions.
That’s one big reason local ridership numbers now, are not a fair measure - the WTA does not write the rules for city zoning. Where there IS density - like the runs to the WWU campus, ridership is UP!
When I worked in Sao Paulo, they opened a new Metro-station near my office. Within three years, there were lots of new apartments and shops, clustered around that subway station. An easy walk, and no parking hassles. That’s what I see beneficial about “Urban Villages” when done right - and they help the transit system.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:32 PM
So if I was a reporter,
and I asked an official to please post an explanation of the mental health tax spending process on my blog,
and they didn’t respond,
I might think that the comments about that spending process were already correct.
And all a reply would accomplish would be justifying the obvious.
November 20th, 2009 at 12:32 PM
According to one of Jared’s most recent stories on WTA’s ridership levels, it was the fastest growing ridership in the country year over year between 2008 and 2009.
November 20th, 2009 at 3:04 PM
I really wish we still had our trolley system!
November 20th, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Well I’s still don’t think its speaks well for WTA that’s their own employees don’t support them, but they sure do have a nice (expensive!!) workplace at least and plenty of nice new buses to drive around, just looking at that place with the car lot full of cars tells me there can’t be no waste there, for sure!
If we lived in this urban village, why would we need a bus, we could walk everywhere couldn’t we? I like bikes!
At least none of those buses are increasing global warming when they run around half or even less than half empty, don’t you know! Check em out next time you see one headed down the road! No pollution there, for sure! I’s really like those little bitty buses that seem to carry, well I think I counted one person, while it was idling at Hagan’s the other day, I’s just cover me nose when I walked by so I’s didn’t get any of that fresh air theys got coming out the back!
Lovely things those buses be! It would be terrible to have less of them for sure!
Hey I gots an idea, how about lets add up everyone that rides the bus, each individual and divide that into the what it costs to run WTA, and betcha if you ask the riders if they would take those $$, they could find their way around and we might save taxes on pensions and thing, just trying to be helpful! I’s wonder how many bikes that would buy! We could even keep those pretty little bitty buses! Paint flowers on them, I’s like that!
AFY!!thesheepdog!!!
November 21st, 2009 at 12:48 AM
I enjoy my home out of town right now. I can get away from you riff raff, breath some fresh air, and gaze at forested hills and mountains. But because I can see the last innings of the game in the not too distant future, I accept that at some point I will have to move closer to transportation and friends. I will hold out as long as I can, so watch yer butt if you see an old guy in a Buick careening down your streets, but some day it will make sense.
It’s just me, but I never liked life in a barracks, an apartment house, a city, a dorm or with two brothers. Having a little bumpkin/country in me, living out of town has always been the tonic that keeps me going. I’m glad there are people who want to become hamsters on the mill, but this rodent likes to run free. But there are going to be a boatload of us vermin moving into town soon so I hope town gets it’s act together and maybe I can live in the new waterfront neighborhood—assuming they build it before I die in the next few decades. Or maybe there will be a groovy commune with free recreationals to keep us old fogeys tame.
November 24th, 2009 at 11:02 AM
And co-ed hot tubs!!
But thinkin of all of us old people naked in a hot tube together might be more than most young’s minds can handle!
AFY!!thesheepdog!!!