I’d like to apologize for my work with Repeal SMART. I am so sorry that we aren’t voting on SMART this week. All I wanted was to give us that opportunity.
The outcome of the election was really not as important to me as just having one. I would like to thank the almost 15,000 people who signed our petition, the hundreds who gave their time and money, and special thanks to Clay Mitchell for being my partner in the effort to give the people a voice.
I will always regret that I didn’t do a better job with the petition management. It really was my fault that we failed. It’s wrong to think it was due to SMART support. I think SMART runs about even with the bullet train — about one-third of the voters would like to change their vote. I felt that it is the people’s right to decide the fate of this train in light of the major cuts, and not an unelected board.
SMART is anything but smooth right now. It was red-tagged last month for environmental violations in San Rafael, and must stop work until the spring. There has been major resistance in San Rafael and Santa Rosa over the zoning changes to build for the train. Also, SMART is quite happy that nobody has asked what happened to those 1,000 new jobs they had promised by now.
In order for SMART to now succeed, it needs to get the people behind it again. To own it again, and not just be the ones paying for it. The only way this can happen is if the SMART board becomes directly-electable by the voters. It would be nice to see Val Brown and Al Boro to be able to continue on with their passion despite retiring from elected office. It would also be nice to see someone from the bike community, such as Andy Peri on the board, as well as a critic or two. Giving the people a voice in SMART again will be the only way that SMART could ever ask for the second tax it will need to finish the project.
I was very optimistic when I heard both Michael Allen and Marc Levine promise to introduce legislation to make the SMART board directly-electable, at the Marin Grassroots debate in April. However, I was disheartened to see Mr. Allen go back on his promise just a few weeks later. He said that things at SMART had changed, although the only thing that really changed was that Mr. Allen won the primary. Mr. Levine says he still means what he said.
So SMART is on the ballot after all. If elected, Marc Levine remains committed to introducing this legislation, while Michael Allen will most definitely not. SMART hasn’t been an issue in this Assembly race, but it should be. A vote for Marc Levine will give people a chance to have a voice at SMART again.
Please vote. It really does matter.
How many Allen flyers did we receive in the mail and then more bashing Levine? What kind of leader is that? Go Levine! John: Can SMART be fined for their environmental abuse in San Rafael? Here they claim they want to get cars off the road for the environment and then abuse the environment. Farhad Mansourian does whatever he wants to do and to heck with anyone else.....pretty bad for being the highest paid public servant in California.
Do not blame yourself for the failure of the SMART petition effort. You faced very long odds against very staunch opposition as well as a lack of awareness from the populace as to what SMART is really all about. It is not a simple coincidence that all of this TOD/PDA "plan" came out well after the petition. SMART is not now, and will never be, a viable transportation solution for anyone in Marin. Well, perhaps it will support ridership to the new Casino going in up in Rohnert Park, but that will likely be just another Allen legacy. Thanks for all your hard work on this, and I really appreciated your efforts!
I'm curious just how many of those 1000 union jobs that the Allen's union buddies fought so hard for (translation: yelled at and intimidated our elderly volunteers for) actually materialized- then again, accountability and follow through has never been part of the corporate culture with SMART leadership. John- thank you for having the guts to stand up and fight- to take the abuse and vilification that was unfairly heaped on you. The community is better for it, as is the SMART project (though it still has substantial, even fatal flaws).
You must have slept through that. Too bad.
You must have slept through that. Too bad.
Jimmy, are you going to commute to a job at Target? SMART won't remove 1% of the commuters from 101. SMART's own white papers and Caltrans traffic survey show it. 101 will still be a parking lot. Up to 15,000 cars pass San Pedro road an hour. SMART has 156 seat trains leaving every half hour. And they want to add 600 more housing units to Terra Linda? The net effect will be a negative impact on 101. Talk about "one percenters" looking for special treatment. A bus system would have been more flexible and easier to expand. CalTrans Traffic Data (search for San Pedro and Sonoma) http://traffic-counts.dot.ca.gov/2011all/Route101.html SMART is all about building more housing in an area where jobs are not expanding. We did that in the Bush era. "Build housing and jobs will come." Stockton would be booming if that were true. Sustainable jobs should drive housing. Water limits housing.
I think you could develop a sitcom with all the names you have been called!
poor turnout in Novato when it comes to voting. If I have one complaint...it would be that. Thank you John and Toni for all your hard work and dedication. I'm ready to get to work for my town again.
...