These letters were printed in the SF Chronicle’s Letters to the Editor section:
*Don’t blame unions for all BART’s woes*
Here we are again, claiming financial ruin and blaming BART’s unions for what are, in fact, bad business decisions made by BART’s managers and board of directors. As happens every four years like clockwork, “evil” unions are bringing down the house. The truth is, BART’s money troubles have nothing to do with its unions and everything to do with poor business choices, i.e., spending $200 million on a never-implemented Advanced Automatic Train Control system. As reported, in The Chronicle (”BART board seeks to move ahead with airport connection,” May 15), BART recently approved $552 million for a people mover system to service Oakland Airport. Yes, over half a billion dollars. Buses have been doing that job for nearly 30 years at far less expense. BART will never see a return on that “investment.”
Consider BART’s Business Advancement Program system that is still causing paycheck shortages and resulted in BART being ordered to resume providing printed paycheck stubs. And money that’s constantly transferred to the “capital” account, never to be seen again. Workers should not be punished for irresponsible decisions that we have no say in. The time has come to inspect BART’s books and get to the bottom of these financial shenanigans.
DAVE PURSLEY, Antioch
* In defense of workers *
I’ve heard people say some insulting and derogatory things about transit workers. When everyone wanted to be real estate investors, Web designers or millionaires, my job was frowned upon. Now that the economy has changed and there is no longer a big arena for these professions, a transit job doesn’t look so bad. Why do these same folks now consider a BART job overpaid or too good for the people who do them? Furthermore, some insist that BART lay off workers and cut their benefits. How one-sided is that? Fewer station agents + fewer train operators = less service.
SIDRA JOHNSON, Oakland
