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Richard Hall May 20, 2013 at 12:26 pm
Actually, just like SMART, the plan is more likely to increase congestion and CO2 emissions by…Read More diverting money away from highways into transit. Attempts so far in the Bay Area to subsidize transit have had this effect (they have failed):
1982 - 530m transit trips
2011 - 461m
Looking at transit %share of trips this also declined:
1980 - 11.6% used transit
2010 - 10.6% used transit
This despite the area's population growing.
The cost of congestion according to the Texas Transportation Institute consequently increased eight-fold between 1982 and 2007 - with the congestion causing untold CO2 emissions as cars are stuck in traffic (not to say inconvenience).
This essentially boils down to:
- Jimmy says we should all take transit, but he himself is driven in luxury cars to events that he attends
- Planners say we should all take transit, and make disproportionate investments in transit (that have been proven not to work)
Just like Jimmy many planners live in this Utopian ideal, pushing for transit use when people are time-focused and many trips aren't practical using transit so like Jimmy they end up using cars. Hence the title of this blog "planning for reality".
We are an innovative area that needs to recognize these realities instead of dwelling on sustainability dogma. To be truly sustainable we need to acknowledge these realities, only then can we build a truly effective plan.
Jimmy Fishbob Geraghty May 17, 2013 at 05:04 pm
Agenda 21 and Randal O'Tooles hogwash about chaining cars together, which is then just mass transit…Read More on a conveyer belt, which again is way more expensive than real mass transit like BART.
Richard, you have still not explained away the impact of your "No Plan". All the data shows increased congestion, increased GHG and continued sprawl. Just what the Birchers, Tea Party and Cato institute are calling for, and why... they can sell more oil... they don't want sustainable communities, mass transit and walkable communities.
I'm all ears, how will "No Plan" screw up the Bay Area?
Tina McMillan May 13, 2013 at 05:07 pm
No Jimmy. While southern Marin has Basic Aid Districts, Novato is a Low Wealth District. Our taxes…Read More don't begin to cover our education costs and never have. In the meantime with 34% of our students being socioeconomically disadvantaged we have test score in the elementary schools showing that we are not making sufficient progress specifically in English Language Arts. These schools and the district are in Program Improvement. The Title I funds that are being received through the Federal government have some schools getting five times the funding but still not raising test scores enough to satisfy NCLB requirements. In a few years NCLB will expire and the attention to the struggles of poor students in schools will no longer be on the front page. That doesn't mean that anything will be resolved or made different. Your cries of NIMBY are bigotry at its worst because you don't even know the specific issues of each community.
Having lived in Novato for 30+ years I can tell you that as a community Novato has given every possible advantage to affordable housing developers including 100% of the tax increment generated by the Redevelopment Agencies. This strategy has created a structural deficit as Novato has not been able to maintain a secure property tax base or a secure sales tax base. Our RHNA was reduced when our city council asked ABAG and backed their request with numbers to show what had been done.
Jimmy Fishbob Geraghty May 13, 2013 at 04:37 pm
Tina, it is hard to reply to every thing you mention, but let's look at water and over consumption…Read More of resources in Marin. I agree with you we need to deal with water conservation and stop thinking we can just turn on the facet and let it run, we are dealing with finite resources and we pretend we have a never-ending supply. So, I'll work with you on curbing excess water waste, which means behavioral changes in how we live.
As far as schools, the schools being looked at are Basic Aid Districts which means they have more money from property taxes than the state would give them. That is a good thing, they are better off than other districts that get funding from the state.
I think there are a few things we agree on and can work to imporve.
Eleanor Sluis May 13, 2013 at 04:21 pm
Increasing the number of cars is the reality, which the Sierra Club, Green Alliance, Economic…Read More Organizations, and business groups do not address in their fervor to build tacky, tall, 4-5 stories, segregated units on the highway, near the railroads, and at small shopping malls.
Smart Train voters said no the first time and yes to the propaganda the second time, which left out the connection to high density and more traffic leading to more not less green house gases.
Thanks, Tina and others who are adept at explaining the issues with the master plan for the Bay Area. Thanks to Pat Eklund, who is making a stand to limit traffic in Novato.
There is a need for new jobs to create better cars using lower gas emissions. Federal and state funds used for educating students in science and technology, engineering and biosciences help in solving the CO2 emissions.
Creating a university for these efforts is a better plan for the future than segregating minority populations. Integrating the minority within the towns with their cars for service use means that a balance is achieved.
The point is that each town decides what their budget may handle, and each town decides how to educate its population.
Jimmy Fishbob Geraghty May 17, 2013 at 05:14 pm
Richard, your Cato Institute Fellow is a sprawler, Novato Community Alliance has articles by Joel…Read More Kotkin, another pro-sprawler, and savemarinwood.org and 94903community.org both promote sprawling ideologies. So, I guess the people who label you are right on the money.
And yes, NIMBYISM does include racists as one of the many reasons people oppose anything in their neighborhoods, that much we've already proven.
What we still need to prove why NO PLAN is a better choice if all the metrics get worse and why you support "No Plan" knowing this.
I think it leads right back to nimbyism and classism and all the other isms exposed by code-words used by the NIMBY Coalition, CITIZEN Marin.
Jimmy Fishbob Geraghty May 5, 2013 at 05:54 pm
Robbie T
I always try to help Richard understand local Marin Issues. I hope he comes down to…Read More CMCM.tv and becomes a local producer himself, he'd find some like minded people there. There might even be a free orientation this Tuesday. I do hope he comes and participates, if only to prevent his mis-understanding of how the center works.
Robbie T May 5, 2013 at 05:46 pm
There's no point in responding. You're talking to people who think building any kind of mass…Read More transit is the same as "taking away your cars", and allowing the option to live in smaller houses closer to where they work will "force us into stack and pack housing".
Shauna Rudy May 22, 2013 at 08:24 am
"He reminded residents and visitors not to use or discard smoking materials near flammable…Read More vegetation." Why are they reminding residents? These fires are not being started by residents, but by the homeless camping illegally on the hill. When will the police crack down on this illegal activity? Will it take an out-of-control fire destroying the historic and irreplaceable Elks Lodge and Falkirk Mansion? Or maybe homes burning down and residents being displaced? Or worse, an encampment of homeless being killed by a fire? Why is no one but the fire department concerned about this?
Kirke Wrench May 22, 2013 at 09:30 am
I only met him a dozen times when we were photographing the same event for different news…Read More organizations, but I always enjoyed our brief chats. He seemed like a wonderful and kind man, as well as an outstanding photographer. I will miss him.
frank May 22, 2013 at 09:39 am
There is an 'opt out' procedure available for portions of Union Dues used for Political Purposes in…Read More CA. The individual still must pay his/her basic dues but the Local or International must provide a calculation of the amount used for Lobbying or Political Contributions and that % is not deducted. These individuals are termed 'dues objectors' but still retain full rights and protections of other Union Members. This has been in effect as long as I can remember.
Mike Van Horn May 18, 2013 at 03:25 pm
To fight this, the public sector unions will spend as much of our money as it takes to preserve…Read More their right to keep extracting money from us to cover their perks.
Al May 18, 2013 at 01:06 pm
I don't really see this as a big problem for unions. Most members know the value of their union's…Read More activities and representation. A few may refuse to pay but most know that they enjoy high wages and incredibly good benefits only because of the union's political activities. Why would they not want those activities to continue? I see no need to force the few folks who don't want to pay up to do so.
Chet Davis May 20, 2013 at 09:52 am
You are welcome Claire and yes indeed these tips will work on pretty much any mobile device with a…Read More glass surface.
Claire Comins May 19, 2013 at 08:40 am
Useful tips that will work just as well for iPads, iPod touches, iShuffle.... Thanks!
Ross Ingels May 20, 2013 at 03:40 pm
Congrats to San Rafael PD. you can also follow the Marin CHP @chpmarin.
Claire Comins May 19, 2013 at 09:02 am
An interesting story about twitter being used in a very positive way in our community. I'd be…Read More interested in the tweet-ups to see who else is sharing local news on twitter. Tweet me @clairecomins
J D Harris May 17, 2013 at 11:44 pm
Well said, Michael. It is sad how tethered people are to their cell phones, tablets, etc. Some…Read More cannot even wait a few minutes to do their "brown business" in a public restroom without talking on their cell phone.
Lisa May 21, 2013 at 08:51 pm
The stupid ass just got arrested for the THIRD time and released AGAIN!!!!!!
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