Carpool Lane Congestion and RCTC's Interstate 15 Corridor Improvement Project

Southern California's carpool lanes may appear to be dated given noticeable peak hour congestion, but that is no reason to simply do away with the system. According to Caltrans, the goals of carpool lanes are to reduce congestion and improve air quality on the State Highway System.

The law states that the carpool lane is used "to stimulate and encourage the development of ways and means of relieving traffic congestion on California highways and, at the same time, to encourage individual citizens to pool their vehicular resources and thereby conserve fuel and lessen emission of air pollutants."

Dedicated lanes for high occupancy vehicles is a viable alternative, according to the state government. In many cases, such lanes are the only alternative, in meeting federal air quality conformity standards for capacity-increasing improvement projects in metropolitan areas in conjunction with improving options for alternative high occupancy vehicle travel such as expanded bus and train services and marketing campaigns to form carpools. Carpool lanes represent one approach being used in regions throughout the state to respond to growing traffic congestion, declining mobility level, air quality and environmental concerns.

Yes, there are some corridors where the carpool lane may be lightly used during some hours. We've brought our views into the court of public opinion earlier this week on this one.

Many commuters sold on ridesharing

Those principles and benefits of carpool lanes are all good, and many commuters were sold on that notion. Guess what? Combined with the Inland Empire population growth, the carpool lanes are now jammed too during the rush hour. Under the federal law, carpool lanes are officially congested when the high occupancy vehicles in these lanes fail to maintain a minimum average operating speed of 45 miles per hour 90 percent of the time over a 180-day period during the morning or afternoon peak hours.

There have been claims that solo hybrids and electric cars are contributing to the chaos. There are some who are demanding that the exemption be abolished. Caltrans believes the state's rising population–and not solo clean vehicle access–is the primary reason for congestion in the carpool lanes. “More people are driving more cars longer distances. Our research shows that vehicle miles traveled increased faster than population growth," according to Caltrans' Chief of Traffic Operations Robert Copp. "So, with population increases, we get more traffic, more congestion." That may be true, but placing solo hybrid restrictions could be one solution to explore given that they are not really high occupancy vehicles. Restricting such access in congested areas is not the cure-all solution, but it would certainly help. The reality is that it probably won't be much longer until the majority of cars would be considered clean as more hybrids and electrics are introduced in the marketplace and prices come down.

Speaking of solo's, the other exempted vehicles are motorcycles. Should they too be restricted? Positively not. Motorcycles are considered a high occupancy vehicle simply due to safety and their small size. If a motorcycle is stuck in the general purpose lanes, that makes the roadway more hazardous. One corridor does restrict motorcycle access to its high occupancy vehicle lanes, the 91 Express Lanes. They must have a FasTrak transponder and hop into the 3+ lane. Motorcycles should be exempted from needing to register for a FasTrak transponder and pay tolls during the PM rush hour, period. There is no excuse to motorcycle safety. Automated enforcement systems can certainly detect these high occupancy vehicles.

Combating Carpool Lane Congestion

Moving forward, Caltrans will explore several strategies to reduce carpool lane congestion, including:

• Adjusting hours of HOV operation
• Modifying vehicle entrance and exit points in HOV lanes
• Increasing enforcement by the California Highway Patrol, and
• Limiting hybrid access in congested areas.

Identifying bottlenecks and the modification of access points which could include the addition a transitional weave lane certainly should be looked at by traffic engineers. There may be cases where carpool congestion is caused by a bottleneck. That's why we're keeping a close watch on the 91 Express Lane extension and the bottleneck along the I-15 south at El Cerrito Road where the highway goes to three lanes with no high occupancy lane.

There have also been local discussions of changing the occupancy requirement for carpool from 2 to 3 during congested periods. That should be looked at on a corridor-by-corridor basis by traffic engineers. We understand that such a change will be a bit chaotic at first as 2-person carpools are displaced, but strong marketing campaigns to form 3+ carpools and plans implement all day transit service should be able to offset this issue. Long term plans may include doubling the capacity so that there are two carpool lanes in each direction. The I-15 Express Lane facility in San Diego County is a prime example.

Model high occupancy vehicle infrastructure: San Diego County I-15 Express Lanes

In San Diego County, the I-15 Express Lanes corridor between Escondido and San Diego has been nationally recognized for its innovative design. It is the first section of a regional system of interconnected Express Lanes. It fosters public transit with the presence of bus infrastructure. It encourages shared ridership with park & ride lots. There's no toll for 2+ carpools and vanpools, buses, and motorcycles. They do not have to preregister ahead of time or mount a transponder. They can get on for free and go! Intelligence-driven enforcement combined with heavy fines combats carpool and toll payment cheating. Starting in 2014, the corridor will offer an all day express bus rapid transit route. This multi-modal high occupancy toll lane facility features:

• Dual 2+ carpool lanes in each direction with the option of solo drivers to buy their way in with a FasTrak under real-time marketplace tolls. Much of the corridor also features a movable barrier where the number of carpool lanes in each direction can be adjusted easily. Under special circumstances, the barrier could be moved where one direction of the corridor would have 3 carpool lanes, the other would have 1.
• More than 20 access points that give travelers a wide range of options of where to enter or exit the lanes. 
• Direct access ramps that allow travelers to enter the Express Lanes from surface streets. New and improved transit stations are located less than a few blocks from these ramps, thus providing the bus transit infrastructure for high speed express bus services both from public agencies and the private sector.
• Robust bus transit stations less than a few blocks from the corridor: Unlike LA's I-110 Harbor Transitway where the transit stations were placed in the freeway median, the stations are placed on either side of the freeway, thus making non vehicular access more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Speaking of the notion of placing transit stations within the median of the freeway, such proposals generally must be discouraged. Getting to stops is hard enough. Patrons are often required to bridge over or under several lanes of rushing traffic. Once they are finally on the platform, the environment is chaotic. Cars may be whizzing by at high speeds in both directions, producing noise and unhealthful air around the station. That's why it's better to place the transit hubs on either side of the freeway.

Concept: What a direct access ramp with supporting bus infrastructure from San Diego's I-15 Express Lanes may look like if replicated in Temecula. An extension of Bedford Court serves as the direct access ramp. Numerous casino buses, private carpools and future public express buses would utilize it. A transit station on the opposite side of the freeway would cater to connecting RTA buses and potential local high speed rail toward Los Angeles to the north and San Diego to the south. A gateway into the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve would also support the transit station and serve as a tourist stop. View map.

Could the Inland Empire use robust transit infrastructure like this? Let's see what our folks at the Riverside County Transportation Commission have planned.

Riverside County: Interstate 15 Corridor Improvement Project

The Riverside County Transportation Commission's Interstate 15 Corridor Improvement Project was recently reevaluated, right-sized, and re-prioritized as it emerges from its original plan of a 43.5 mile corridor improvement, to a more focused 14.6 mile stretch of tolled express lanes running North from Cajalco Road in Corona to State Route 60 (SR-60). The original proposal was to run the HOT lanes between SR-60 and SR-74 in Lake Elsinore and to build carpool lanes between SR-74 and the I-215 in Murrieta. Because of predicted growth in Temecula, we've advocated for the carpool lanes to be dual and to run through to San Diego County where it would seamlessly link with the I-15 Express Lanes. Under the current political and economic climate, that will not happen anytime soon; so prepare for more bottleneck shifting.

According to RCTC, the project has undergone the reevaluation of its project limits in order to deliver a project that could be constructed in this economic recovery period. The project originally was relying, in part, on local Measure A funding, the half-cent sales tax dedicated to County Transportation, for a large portion of its funding source.

Concept: Dual high occupancy express lanes along the I-15 freeway just north of Cajalco Road which supports free non-transponder carpooling complete with infrastructure to support future rapid express buses and private sector intercity coaches like Greyhound. The access point pictured is actually officially proposed by the Riverside County Transportation Commission as part of a scaled-down version of the I-15 tolled express lane project. Also pictured to the right is infill marketplace job growth at the Corona Crossings area.

When the Measure A funding endured multiple years of unanticipated downturn, the I-15 CIP was evaluated for what could feasibly be built that would bring maximum benefit to the public. RCTC was therefore forced to downsize the I-15 Project which is now focused on the highest traffic impact areas within the corridor.

No more excuse making

We will continue to hold the state accountable for supporting policies that would entice the local marketplace to grow and for getting our transportation infrastructure to a point of where it needs to be and county officials should think likewise and pass resolutions to demand the state to stop misspending our money. Wasteful government spending of our transportation money positively should not be tolerated. With carpool demands high and growth on the way for the corridor, the I-15 needs robust infrastructure to support the high occupancy vehicle traffic so it does not become the next 91 Freeway Corona Crawl. The corridor needs to mimic San Diego County's I-15 Express Lane system with bus transit infrastructure and usage policies that support free non-transponder carpooling. Charging mandatory tolls and transponder preregistration on carpoolers which drives non-registered HOV's out of the express lanes should not be a substitute. The state simply has no excuse for this downsizing.

Public continues to question the state HSR project

Many Californians are not happy with how the state is planning to improve our rail transportation infrastructure. A poll put together by the USC Dornsife and the Los Angeles Times found that 52% of respondents wish to stop the first phase of the $68-billion California High Speed Rail Authority bullet train project segment that would run from Los Angeles to the Bay Area. The same poll found that since voters approved funding in 2008, 70% of respondents would like the project put on the ballot again. Concerns are tied to the hard economic times: If citizens have to cut on expenses, so should the government. The train would run at 220 mph and begin transporting passengers in 2028.

There are other good reasons why concerned citizens are questioning the project. Here are some facts.

As mentioned, the CHSRA business plan estimates a $68 billion price tag for the Phase 1 project, connecting San Francisco with Los Angeles via the Central Valley and Palmdale regions. The agency has calculated the travel distance to be 432 miles which includes the Palmdale segment. Do the math and that adds up to an astounding $157 million per mile. The public has every right to question the inflated costs.

According to a Reuters blog post, the LGV Sud-Est bullet train which links Paris to Lyon was completed in seven years in 1983 and cost $5 billion in today’s U.S. dollars. The distance is 254 miles which adds up to about $20 million per mile. The Shinkansen high speed rail system in Japan was completed in six years for $20 billion in 2010 dollars. The per-mile cost added up to $63 million, a bit on the high side which earned the line some bitter criticism. China's Wuhan-Guangzhou line cost $17 billion, or $28 million per mile. These are facts that must be put into the high speed rail debate. To be fair, the Chunnel HSR system under the English Channel linking England to France cost nearly US $500 million per mile in today's currency and 80% over budget. Tunnel boring remains expensive and serious problems like fires, illegal immigrants and asylum seekers obstructed the Chunnel's construction progress.

According to the post, trivial regulatory bureaucracy, NIMBY opposition lawsuits filed in the name of protecting the environment, and union pandering have combined to slap U.S. high speed rail proposals nationwide including California's high speed transportation infrastructure project with price tags that are possibly five to seven times inflated than compared to other industrialized countries.

If state and federal officials can solve these bureaucratic problems, stop pandering to union leaders, truly close CEQA loopholes to reduce the per-mile cost to at least match the Shinkansen system of $63 million per mile, getting high speed transportation infrastructure built would be a reality without the questionable price tag opposed by concerned Californians. Under cost effective policies, the approved state start-up money combined with the awarded federal funds totaling $12.7 billion would allow for more than 200 miles of high speed rail infrastructure, even through the hilly terrains.

Retrofitting conventional steel-wheel rail lines with linear synchronous motors, most likely mounted to the railroad ties between the rails, would cut down the cost of traversing through steep graded areas and provide an affordable alternative to tunneling. 200 miles of rail lines would be more than enough to close the LA-to-Bakersfield rail gap through the Newhall Pass and possibly link the Metrolink Perris Valley Line rail corridor to the LOSSAN rail corridor near La Jolla via Temecula and Escondido. That would better entice the private sector to finish the remainder of the project for a statewide high speed rail system done right.

Speeding up the slow progress of building true RTA RapidLink service

Several public transportation studies long show that establishing a bus rapid transit alternative for the Magnolia and University Avenue corridors is desirable and feasible. True BRT involves dedicated stops with ticket vending machines, dedicated transit lanes through high density areas, traffic signal priority, 10-15 minute service frequency or better, and early morning to late night service span. Major transfer hubs could also be staffed with teams of volunteer transit ambassadors to assist riders in purchasing tickets and getting them to the right connecting local bus.

The Riverside Transit Agency has been exploring this alternative for a number of years now. The hold-up of getting BRT or even limited stop runs of existing services onto Riverside's streets has long been funding. We really cannot fault either RTA or the Riverside County Transportation Commission on this. Both local agencies are at the mercy of a stubbornly soft Inland Empire economy which provides the local resources. The misspending of transportation dollars at the state level which we pay into also contributes to this madness.

The fact that the cost of public transportation infrastructure is artificially inflated certainly does not help. The State of Indiana, for example estimates that upgrading a railroad crossing with automatic warning devices and gates is about $250,000. Fair enough. Ohio estimates $200,000 per upgrade. In contrast, according the Press Enterprise, Riverside County officials estimate the cost to upgrade a Perris Valley Line rail crossing in Box Springs to be anywhere from $3-$4 million. Even if the surrounding streets required upgrades, that is more than 10 times the cost of a single family home, which requires far more construction labor. We'll take a closer look at the Box Springs railroad crossing drama before making any judgement, but the inflated cost to upgrade the grade crossing is absolutely questionable to say the least.

Also, the City of Riverside must coordinate RTA's RapidLink plans into its Riverside Reconnects project, even if that means using articulated buses as the selected technology in lieu of the streetcar. By the way, here's our take and position on the city's streetcar proposal.

RTA RapidLink funding and proposed phases

Back to BRT. In June, RCTC issued the 2013 Multi-funding Call for Projects (Call) in order to acquire transportation funding from the federal government. RTA reports that available funds from the feds under Call adds up to around $116 million:

• Congestion Management and Air Quality Program (CMAQ): $61 million
• Surface Transportation Program (STP): $52 million
• Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP): $3 million

Money for BRT falls within the CMAQ program. Specifically, the CMAQ program is geared toward transportation projects or programs that are air quality beneficial and provide congestion relief. Hey, shouldn't any major transportation project not contribute toward dirty air and actually address traffic congestion? Anyway, under CMAQ, eligible transportation projects generally include construction activities on highway and arterial capacity enhancements, signal synchronizations, intersection channelization, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and transit enhancements. BRT is one of these.

RTA staff applied for funding to implement Phase 1 of the RapidLink BRT service...Well, it's not quite BRT just yet, but limited stop service will certainly provide a speedy alternative to slow local bus rides to get across town by bus. The Phase 1 service involves launching peak hour limited-stop bus runs that would operate concurrently with Route 1 between UCR and the Galleria at Tyler bus transfer hub. Here's a map of the proposed route and stop locations.

Under Phase 1, the limited-stop service would serve 15 stops in each direction during peak rush hours as compared to 55 stops in each direction on the local Route 1 between UCR and the Galleria at Tyler. Service will start at 5:30 a.m. and continue through 8:30 for the morning rush hour and from 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. in the afternoon. The interval between limited stop buses would be 15 minutes. RTA predicts Phase 1 will start in January 2015 pending a public comment period. The agency reports that Route 1 records 7,586 weekday daily boardings, far above the system-wide weekday average of 822 weekday daily boardings among 40 routes which excludes the trolley circulator routes.

Phase 2 extends the limited stop services west to the Corona Transit Center with additional runs during off-peak hours.

Phase 3 would involve all day service implementation on weekdays from downtown Riverside to the Corona Transit Center with additional transit stop amenities, similar to OCTA's Bravo! limited stop runs of Route 43 along the Harbor Boulevard corridor.

Speeding up and getting true BRT onto Riverside's streets

As we've mentioned, a priority for both local elected officials and the state is to encourage the private sector marketplace to invest back into the Magnolia and University Avenue corridors with the jobs that go with it. The state must also stop bowing to the will of labor unions which inflates infrastructure costs. Voters need to hold those in power accountable. These solutions are absolutely necessary to help speed up the slow process of getting true BRT into the dense areas of Riverside County which would transport a productive labor workforce.

Under the current economic and political climate, RTA is forced to restrict its Route 1 corridor upgrades to peak hour limited-stop runs for now. Certainly limited stop bus service costs less than a fully implemented BRT service such as LA Metro's Orange Line and portions of the sbX BRT. However if the state demands its public infrastructure costs to not exceed marketplace rates and as more private investments come back to Riverside with both the entry-level and high paying marketplace jobs that go with them, should they, true BRT would come at faster rate.

RTA and the City of Riverside would then be able to quickly upgrade high density transportation corridors like Route 1 complete with true BRT stop amenities, dedicated transit lanes through dense areas, traffic signal priority, and frequent 10-15 minute service from early morning to late night including weekends by 2015. RapidLink would not just be peak-hour limited stop runs Route 1. That's a rapid reality.

Disposable Home Appliances, Safety and Pollution

It is a disturbing fact that many household appliances have now become disposables. In the past, when an appliance breaks down, it gets repaired. What's troubling now is that repair costs are so expensive that users find it more affordable to purchase a brand new appliance than to have the broken one fixed; thus more refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, stove tops, coffee makers, and washing machines end up in the trash.

The amount of e-waste is so high that it has become an industry of itself. Numerous resources are being spent to handle the recycling of such waste. However, much of that "recycling" involves the demanufacturing of the product. Without strict regulations and safety procedures for protection, such labor is damaging to both the worker and the environment. Worse yet, recycling companies are finding that the cheapest way to demanufacture broken appliances is to ship them to third world countries where protective safeguards are not existent.

Demanufacturing

The evidence of pollution from disassembling appliances is overwhelming, but here's the stat. According the textbook Principles of Environmental Science, taught in California's colleges and universities, groundwater and surface water contamination in China's demanufacturing areas alone are found to be as much as 200 times dirtier than what the World Health Organization considers safe.

It gets worse. A significant portion of the very cargo ships that are used to haul our consumables from developing countries which may include the very vessels that export our natural resources and electronics waste to China are dangerously demanufactured by boys and teenagers in Bangladesh. The groundwater has to be polluted beyond belief, but worse yet, such workers are regularly injured and killed under the dangerous conditions.



The Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights is credited for exposing that colossal scheme back in 2009. When presented with such shocking evidence like that, repairing and reusing such ships, the broken television set, desktop printer, or rice cooker might not be such a bad environmental and economic idea after all. We are now living in a disposable culture and the environmental and safety costs are grave even with the recycling programs. If every living person in the world lived like us, the entire globe would be flooded in such contamination. Have Congress, President Obama and the union-pandering U.S. Department of Labor cracked down on this maltreatment of workers?

Repair and Reuse

So what exactly makes repair costs so expensive? In many cases, the spare parts are proprietary or outsourced. Therefore, many parts are simply not available at your local Home Depot. What's worse is that many cases of broken appliances center around faulty electronic control panels, whereas the rest of the hardware works perfectly. Replacing such proprietary parts such as the computer microchip would be too expensive and therefore near impossible for the user. So, throwing out the whole unit and replacing it with a another one is the only option left. The cycle normally would repeat itself well before the next decade.

Today, there is certainly a market demand for a return to appliances and electronics that are not only user repairable, but also last for decades at a time. Many people are fed up with the disposable culture. The fact is that if appliances are built to last, less would end up in the trash and fewer units would have to be demanufactured. The question is what exactly is preventing start up companies from introducing such premium products into the marketplace? It's true that many companies capitalize on the sales of brand new complete units, but why not profit from the spare parts or on the repair guy? It's certainly doable. Look at commercial-quality machines. Look at the Odyssey Electronic Validating Farebox found on a transit bus near you. How about electronic traffic control systems like the stop light? Profits can still be made with premium quality appliances.

"Energy Star Plus" Concept:
A powerful sell item toward
appliance buyers looking for
long lasting products that can
be easily repaired.

Tax Incentive: "Energy Star Plus"

Many appliances today carry the Energy Star logo. The famous symbol is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency voluntary program that provides an incentive to manufacture and sell clean and energy efficient electronics. The star has been a powerful sell item toward buyers. If one sees the seal on an appliance, he/she knows the machine won't drive up the utility bill. However, because most machines cannot be repaired by the user let alone a professional repairman, the Energy Star symbol becomes absolutely meaningless whenever a breakdown occurs and the appliance has to be thrown out.

Perhaps Congress should authorize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement a second incentive program called the "Energy Star Plus" with the tagline "Long lasting with user repairable parts." This powerful seal combined with a tax rebate would incline manufacturers to get back into the business of manufacturing durable appliances that can be easily repaired.

The incentive includes the requirements needed for an Energy Star seal, but would also entice manufacturers to design and develop long lasting appliances with common user repairable parts and open source circuit board firmware which can be easily replaced should they fail or break. This would include spare user repairable microchips, electronic components, display screens, and buttons for easy repair of defective appliance circuit boards. Such common spare parts would be sold all throughout the marketplace with plenty of competition to keep quality high and prices low. The man of the house would once again be able to fix broken down machinery. Servicing jobs would be created as both supply and demand for affordable appliance repair would significantly rise. E-waste pollution would be significantly reduced. Deaths and injuries in developing nations caused by unprotected demanufacturing would drop. What's the hold up?

Transportation Tips: Question Authority

One of the countless blessings we have as United States citizens is the freedom to peacefully question authority under the 1st Amendment. The good folks in Moreno Valley are showing that being an informed individual pays off. Instead of going forth with their individual agendas, many in the valley "where dreams soar" have noted questionable special interest pandering in City Hall and responded by exposing it in the public arena. The controversy is the logistics development industry indirectly dictating city policy. Developers have donated to politicians in order to get them elected and, thus, attained a government that would say "yes" to whatever projects they applied for with total disregard to the people's will. Concerned citizens caught on to the madness and are peacefully fighting to take back their local republic called Moreno Valley. Residents are peacefully protesting in front of City Hall. Multiple Facebook pages have emerged opposing the runaway warehouse development. Residents are even organizing a campaign to put those sitting on the City Council out of power. The local press has been on board with detailed articles and sound editorial positions which echo the public's will.

This week's tip calls for you to question authority whenever you suspect the government or a special interest behaving badly. Besides Moreno Valley, we've pointed to several other controversies that have been obstructing both the market economy and the expansion of the Inland Empire's transit system. We've got a federal executive branch, the U.S. Department of Labor specifically, possibly overreaching its power to pander to the will of labor unions. Government labor groups are demanding higher wages without proposing realistic ways to improve the market economy and the value of the wage dollar that goes with it. Public infrastructure costs are artificially high because public workers are paid more than market value. The feds continue in a vain attempt to form a centrally controlled economy by pumping money into the marketplace which saps motivation, devalues the dollar and worsens the $17 trillion national debt. The State of California is one of the least business-friendly states in the nation. Trivial regulations are restricting the growth of jobs to part time or contract only.

With today's technology of blogs, social networking, and instant access to the news, getting legit and fact-based concerns into the public arena has never been easier. If you think that a special interest or a governing body is behaving badly by obstructing a robust transit system, clean air, and a first-rate market economy, question its authority.

Rep. Mark Takano's office engages The Transit Coalition

We've mentioned a few times on this blog that Congressman Mark Takano kicked off his "100 Businesses in 100 Days" tour in the 41st Congressional District which covers the Perris region, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Jurupa Valley. The Congressman has also surveyed his District 41 residents on transportation matters.

It's vital for elected officials and leaders to get out and see what's going on in the community in order to gather the facts needed to draft and support sound policy for the public's good with all partisan politics set aside. Takano plans to use this information toward crafting future federal legislation.

Takano's office staff contacted The Transit Coalition last week and we've engaged in a productive teleconference. Besides what was posted on this blog the morning of the conference regarding the transit survey and the 100 Businesses and 100 Days Tour, the Coalition learned one other major item regarding Takano's community engagement.

For the record, it's common for concerned citizens and the media to talk with public officials and gather information and exchange comments. However, we never make any political deals with any politician about any matter whatsoever.

What we learned:

From his staff, Takano is also concerned of ongoing freeway expansion without transit infrastructure. Such a mobility threat was mentioned once before in a Riverside Transit Agency Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT) analysis based on an RTA February, 2013 Board of Directors report. We've already pointed out and made it clear during the teleconference that the proposed high occupancy toll lanes in Riverside County need direct access ramps adjacent to transit centers and park & ride lots, much like the I-15 Express Lanes in San Diego County. Certainly, such decisions need to be made locally and not by the feds, but we've pointed out that those in Congress do have significant voices in the public arena.

We did mention some other ideas to Takano's staff that needs to be considered for future bipartisan federal legislation which includes policies for controlling the deficit and the $17 trillion federal debt. The focus at the federal level needs to be improving the economy by allowing the private sector to freely innovate and drive the marketplace to prosperity. While not mentioned in the teleconference, Takano supports eliminating trivial government red tape, but also generally supports direct government investments in the market economy. In other words, more deficit spending in an attempt to prop up the economy. Those are proposals that must be closely watched. We don't want the country to go bankrupt.

What we commented:

We've made our points clear to his office; so here it is. With spending out of control, the federal government simply cannot afford to pump more money into the marketplace. The feds should not directly hand out money to the private sector; this is a pathway toward a centrally controlled economy which is not compatible in the U.S. marketplace. If the federal government wants to clean up the trucking industry for example, which it should, regulate pollution but also give the private sector a tax incentive to develop the technology needed for cleaner trucks. That will clean up the air without killing the trucking business, but don't directly dump huge sums of federal dollars into the industry. Tax incentives have historically worked well with the funding of non-profit organizations, but we certainly don't want a repeat of the Solyndra fiasco.

We also made it clear that while common sense rules to combat corporate greed and corruption, pollution, and urban sprawl are vital, streamlining and/or eliminating trivial regulations and red tape are key to getting the marketplace back to a robust state. We know that building a clothing factory next to Yellowstone National Park is pure urban sprawl, but what exactly is preventing investors from building such a job site next to downtown Perris? By the way, we've brought Rep. Mike Kelly's speech on the economy and his legal nightmare of reopening a renovated ballpark into the conversation.

Increasing the value of the wage dollar:

We've also made this point: Under the Obama administration and heavy pressure from labor unions to increase wages for working Americans, the feds continue to pump and print money into the marketplace which causes the value of the dollar to weaken. Under a healthy economy with abundant jobs, the value of the wage dollar goes up. In the 1960's, the federal minimum wage was $2.00 per hour, but translate that figure into today's currency and that adds up to over $9.00 per hour; that's more than the current minimum and possibly a livable wage for a single worker. Do the feds and the unions understand that if they want higher wages and benefits, allowing the private sector to invest back into the economy is key to making it happen?

Drafting a bipartisan bill to improve the economy: 

Rep. Takano should take his findings, work with colleagues on the other side of the aisle, and write up a report and a bipartisan bill to get the economy back to where it needs to be without handing out any federal money. The bill needs to be written in a way that will address the spending madness. The legislation needs to open the door for the private sector to lead the nation and the Inland Empire back into economic prosperity with a productive labor workforce.

Total power in the special interests and executive branch...Not in my backyard

The political football game at the U.S. Department of Labor continues. Secretary Thomas Perez's questionable overreach into state government policy and misinterpretation of federal labor law has forced Governor Jerry Brown to support last minute state legislation that would exempt transit employees from California's Public Employees Pension Reform Act.

We'll point out the madness that has unfolded in a moment, but first there's some good news to report.

Good News: Feds to release transit money; service cuts to be averted

The deal sets the stage for the labor department to finally release the federal transit funds designated to our local transit agencies. Therefore, RTA, Omnitrans, and other statewide transit riders will most likely not face grave service cuts caused by the lack of federal money.

Generally speaking, Inland Empire buses will continue normal operations for now. Numerous workers won't face pink slips. Transit riders won't have to wait longer at the bus stop. Both the Labor Department and the Amalgamated Transit Union, the parties responsible for this chaos, indicated support of the deal. RTA has reported that it will cease contingency planning once the deal becomes law.

The fiscal madness and abuse of power continues on...

The pension madness in Washington is far from over. The fact that the labor department under President Obama had the power to indirectly veto state labor laws by exploiting old federal law is an overreach of power. The fact that the president failed to question Perez in the public arena on this matter is irresponsible. The fact that the labor department even had the authority to make a judgement on California state law encroaches the Separation of Powers. Isn't the job of interpreting and making such judgements reserved for the judicial branch? The labor department must not have the power to unilaterally penalize entities by freezing approved funding just because labor unions object to state labor law. An entity accused of violating any law must have its right to go to court, and that's where this case is headed.

It's no question California needs to reform its pension policy. Brown has already reported that the transit worker exemption is only temporary through 2014 and the state and the Sacramento Regional Transit District will be taking the dispute to federal court. The overwhelming evidence shows the pension reform law does not go far enough. The fiscal madness is an epidemic.

The labor department fiasco also clearly demonstrates a disturbing power between the labor unions and the executive branch which runs contrary to the will of the Founding Fathers. Congress needs to revisit federal labor policy, give the labor department authority to better police domestic and global trade, and make it compatible to the U.S. Constitution. The department secretary has no business acting like a judge. Being an agency under the executive branch, the labor department should enforce national and global labor laws and have the responsibility of fining or prosecuting those who abuse the workforce under due process. Heard about the disastrous factory collapse in Bangladesh which is the same place where American brand name clothing is manufactured? Are Perez and the feds holding corporations and international factory operators accountable for such maltreatment of the very workers who make our clothing? If the labor unions want positive attention, that's where they need to go.

Enough's enough!

It is becoming evident that the special interest groups and those in power who pander to their policies live for themselves, paid for by we the people. Today, many elected officials--to be fair, not all--are sold with lavish donations by the special interest groups in return for supporting policies that give them and government workers special favors, giant salaries and pension benefits. This creates a situation where such special interests unfairly have indirect power to run the state, and it's not just labor. Look what's happening in Moreno Valley when logistics developers indirectly dictate city policy. Remember when the Bus Rider's Union had a legal leash over LA Metro last decade? How about the ill-advised 91 Express Lanes non-compete clause in 1995 that stalled infrastructure upgrades for nearly a decade until OCTA bought the facility?

Because of this special interest madness, our state cannot develop or improve transportation infrastructure efficiently. We already pay among the highest taxes in the country. We continue to face the worst traffic congestion nationwide, overcrowded and slow bus routes, infrequent Metrolink train service, numerous potholes, overpriced infrastructure projects, and a state that is well on its way to bankruptcy.

Until this spending madness stops, we will continue to oppose budget-related service cuts, confront mandatory tolls and transponders for carpoolers to use high occupancy express lanes, question future fare hike proposals, and not tolerate any excuse making. Perez, the special interests, and the labor unions are not off the hook.

Local community engagement on transportation and the federal government

Rep. Mark Takano who represents Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris in Congress continues to engage the community by collecting public input and common facts. Takano plans to use this information toward crafting future federal legislation. We'll point out some suggestions in a moment, but first we'll look at his transportation survey results.

The Press Enterprise reported that the congressman surveyed his District 41 residents. The results of almost 550 entries show that addressing traffic congestion by expanding freeway capacity and rail options are top transportation priorities, not surprisingly. It's no question that Inland Empire traffic congestion is at unacceptable levels during peak commute hours and weekends. Worse yet, getting around the region on a Friday afternoon is a complete disgrace. The fact of the matter is that full time jobs are scarce in the Inland Empire and housing prices including rentals in Orange County, north San Diego County and West Los Angeles are inflated through the roof. Try to compare the prices of apartments in Irvine and Temecula. While it's true property values naturally go up in areas with a robust economy, under no circumstances should prices be inflated by short supply or marketplace speculation.

Takano also toured the Perris Station Transit Center, one of the major southern stations for the Perris Valley Line Metrolink extension. The long proposed line combined with the existing routes run through the heart of District 41. Based on the Takano's survey project, his residents support the expansion of passenger rail. This demonstrates that while many Inland Empire residents may specifically oppose the bullet train project sponsored by the California High Speed Rail Authority, they support having a fast rail alternative in general. The grade separation projects taking place in Riverside should contribute toward faster Metrolink service.

Inland Empire mass transit and federal legislation

With Congressman Takano deeply engaged in the community, what can be done at Washington to cut down on long distance commuting and chronic traffic congestion in the Inland Empire? The Transit Coalition's Future Vision of Inland Empire Mass Transit generally shows what needs to be done. At the federal level here are some suggestions:

• Streamline and/or repeal trivial government rules and regulations that obstructs marketplace economic growth with full time jobs. Our transportation system will be worthless without a robust labor workforce. What is obstructing full time job growth in Riverside? What is preventing infill housing projects from taking place in Southern Orange County to address demand and control inflated costs?
• Debate real solutions to curb artificial price speculation which unfairly drives up housing prices through short supply at the population centers.
• Control the out-of-control federal deficit as the national debt is fast approaching $17 trillion. We don't want our country to go bankrupt. Stop the waste. Allow the non-profit sector and volunteers to take a more active role in worthwhile social justice programs to cut unnecessary taxpayer costs. Why are local homeless outreach organizations like Project Touch shut out from setting up shelters all due to excessive government bureaucracy?
• Stop pandering to the will of special interests through unaffordable salaries and benefits which artificially drives up public infrastructure costs and contributes deeply toward government waste. This is a prime reason why expanded transit and public works infrastructure appears unaffordable. As we've mentioned, the way to drive up the value of the wage dollar and benefits is getting the private sector to freely invest in the marketplace economy, not by inflating the dollar amount. We don't want a repeat of the Hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic.
• Revisit trivial federal policies that obstruct private sector hiring which contribute toward income inequality. Stockholders and those at the top simply will not sacrifice their profits, period. As businesses are forced to cut salaries, reduce take-home pay, and replace full time positions with part time jobs all due to trivial rules and regulations, income inequality will actually worsen. In a robust market economy where jobs are plentiful, American workers are paid more simply because such businesses actually need them and can afford to hire them without negating their profits. Ever wonder why the stock market doesn't reflect the true economic picture?

To be fair, the feds do need to continue to regulate and combat common issues like corporate greed, artificial price speculation, environmental pollution, and urban sprawl. Any fair-minded individual knows that. However, if the feds want to fill our transit fleets with a productive marketplace workforce, they need to allow the private sector to expand the economy.

Higher wages and pension benefits done right

Source: Riverside Transit Agency

Southern Californians well know that they pay deeply into the U.S. Treasury known as federal taxes. Taxpayers expect to see such funds returned to the region in the form of federal services which includes defense, federal law enforcement, intelligence, fiscal oversight, public works infrastructure like this new fleet of Riverside Transit Agency buses, and other vital services for the good of the public.

Through the Labor Day festivities, the U.S. Department of Labor continues to hold federal transit funds which are supposed to be regularly designated to our local transit agencies like LA Metro, OCTA, RTA, and Omnitrans. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez continues to use trivial means to force California into a fiscal corner: Repeal the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act right now or else, no federal money returned for your transit riders. The Labor Department falls under the executive branch of the federal system, but it appears President Obama is not doing anything about this political madness, at least in the public arena.

The situation in Washington is completely unacceptable and certainly questionable under the U.S. Constitution. It's clear that the state's pension reform law does not prevent union workers from bargaining collectively. According to numerous sources, the law simply requires future public employees to pay more into their benefits package and raises the retirement age. Where does killing collective bargaining rights come in? Our 50 states, California being one of them, are sovereign areas. Sovereignty is having independent authority over a geographic area. California is not a federal agency. The executive branch executes federal law. Governor Jerry Brown executes state law. However, the behavior occurring in the Labor Department suggests otherwise. Why should the Obama Administration have the right to veto California state law by withholding funds that California taxpayers are expecting? If the federal executive branch and the labor unions think the state law violates federal law, they need to respect the U.S. Constitution and take the matter to court, not place our transit systems and numerous working Californians in grave financial limbo.

As we've mentioned before, the long term solution to the labor madness is allowing the private sector to pump more capital into the market economy by streamlining trivial government regulations that obstruct expansion while keeping vital rules in place to prevent corporate greed, corruption, pollution, and urban sprawl. With a robust job marketplace comes higher wages and benefits. Such policies will fill our trains, buses, and HOV lanes with a productive labor workforce. We've already pointed out that the value of the federal minimum wage dollar soared above the $9 mark in today's currency during the 1960's during the longest economic boom in U.S. history even though the amount was only $2.00 per hour back then. Have the transit unions and President Obama proposed fair legislation like that? Will they?

Friday Tips: Demonstrate good, productive and honest labor at work

Hardworking Americans know that in the market economy, job advancements, promotions, and raises are be achieved based on job performance and other common sense factors: Does the employee show up to work on time? Does the worker show a professional appearance? Does he/she show leadership and initiative? What about the discipline to learn and grow in the company or the industry? What's the worker's attitude toward the clientele and rest of the team? Ordinarily, one who performs well in these areas will take on greater responsibilities and thus attain additional pay and benefits.

This week's tip for Labor Day weekend: Enjoy the festivities, be safe on the highways, trains, and buses. Have fun. Of course, don't drink and drive. When you go back to work after the holiday, be a good, productive and honest laborer. Through merit and performance, more opportunities will be offered to you.

Fast food strike, the marketplace economy and transit

By the way, news of yet another labor dispute has flooded national headlines. Many non-union workers working in the fast food industry have joined a nationwide strike to demand livable wages, $15 per hour to be exact which is more than double the federal minimum wage.

Not surprisingly, U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Thomas Perez--the one who is responsible of putting our transit systems in fiscal limbo over frivolous labor union disputes--jumped to the conclusion that the strike demonstrated a need for the federal government to raise the minimum wage. It's too early to judge whether the sudden rise of these labor disputes were staged all because of the political views of Perez; there's no public evidence of that. However, President Obama needs to tell Perez to knock off this fiscal madness right now. Meanwhile, the federal minimum wage now stands at $7.25 per hour with California at $8.00 per hour.

Increasing marketplace wages the right way

One thing we need to make clear of the marketplace economy is private companies have every right to pay employees below the marketplace median average but never below the regulated minimum. The federal minimum was set as a floor to counter corporate corruption and workforce abuse. Of course, in today's economy, minimum wage is not sufficient to raise a family outside of the poverty line if only one member works. Look at impoverished places like Mecca near the Salton Sea. However, the answer is not for Washington to spike the nationwide minimum wage to $15 per hour which would exacerbate the problem with higher consumer and living costs. The solution lies in getting the private sector to invest back into the marketplace economy which would increase the value of the wage dollar.

In the late 1960's prior to the fuel crisis, the federal minimum wage was under $2.00 per hour, but tie in inflation and the value of $2/hour in the 60's adds up to over $9/hour in today's currency with a spike across the $10 mark in 1968 based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That, of course, exceeds both the state and federal minimum wage today. Informed individuals know that the country experienced its longest uninterrupted period of economic expansion in U.S. history during the 1960's. In contrast, during the late 1930's, minimum wage was less than $.50, but worth about $4 in today's currency coming out of the Great Depression. So it's clear that the value of hourly wages goes up when the job market is strong. If Perez wants to increase the value of nationwide wages as demanded by the unions and fast food workers, he needs to support the fact that the trivial federal regulations that obstruct economic expansion needs to be streamlined or repealed by Congress.

Tips for the labor workforce

Economics teaches that the value of marketplace wages rise and drop based on the job market; as more private sector jobs come back into the economy, marketplace wages naturally rise as more "Now Hiring" signs and ads are posted. Another fact is that not every fast food and retail business pays minimum because the industry knows that paying wages too low results in high employee turnovers. That's why places like McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, many gas stations, and Wal-Mart consistently hire during a robust economy, but that's their business model which works for them and they are free to practice it. In addition, such a business model provides entry-level workers a place to start building up experience in the marketplace. Even the burger restaurant Wendy's acknowledged that it was "proud to provide a place where thousands of people, who come to us asking for a job, can enter the workforce at a starting wage, gain skills and advance with us or move on to something else."

Again, here's today's tip for the hardworking labor force:

If you want more bucks for your work, perform well at your job. Be willing to learn more about the industry. Seek opportunities. Innovate. If there's trivial government red tape that stands in your way, put it in the public arena for debate. Don't use unnecessary government regulations as an excuse not to prosper.

If your employer does not take care of you or feel you're being morally cheated, seek work elsewhere. If you work at a fast food place that pays the minimum and believe you've built up the experience necessary to move on to something better, put in applications at places you know will take better care of its employees. Why do you think outlets like In and Out Burger, Starbucks Coffee, and Costco have better employee retention rates, yet are harder for entry-level workers to get into? You need to perform well to earn more in the marketplace economy.

Filling up our trains, buses, and HOV lanes with a robust and productive marketplace labor workforce depends on you.

Are the special interest labor groups smarter than a 10th grader?

Anybody familiar with high school academics and has watched the television game show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader knows where this point is headed.

It is becoming evident that the leaders of many special interest labor groups have forgotten what is taught in high school economics and world history, or at the very least, they are not living it out. That's why we have been questioning their authority and their policies.

The fact is that their notions are hurting working class Americans. To make matters worse, the U.S. Department of Labor continues to bow to their will which puts our transit systems in fiscal limbo. The groups support high livable wages and benefits for workers which, to be fair, is a noble idea. However, the only way that wish is going to come true is to get the economy back into a robust state, not force taxpayers into paying out unaffordable perks. If you're wondering why our local agencies like RTA, RCTC, and Omnitrans cannot afford to build out public transportation infrastructure at a faster pace, this is a prime reason.

For those who have forgotten the basics of how the economic system works, let's take a review, and we'll peak through the textbook World History: Connections to Today California Edition which is now taught in many California high school 10th grade history classes. If you've ever wondered why knowing your history is so important, "putting today's controversies into perspective" is a prime reason, as quoted from a 1990's syllabus by former Capistrano Valley High School U.S. History teacher Paul Pflueger. So, here it is.

The Industrial Revolution, Labor Unions and the Market Economy

Let's turn to page 178 of the textbook and review the worldwide Industrial Revolution. Here's the introductory paragraph of the lesson:

The Industrial Revolution brought great riches to most of the entrepreneurs who help set it in motion. For the millions of workers who crowded into the new factories, however, the industrial age brought poverty and harsh living conditions. In time, reforms would curb many of the worst abuses of the early industrial age in Europe and the Americas. As standards of living increased, people at all levels of society would benefit from industrialization. Until then, working people would suffer with dangerous working conditions; unsafe, unsanitary, and overcrowded housing; and unrelenting poverty.

Back then, labor unions were vital in getting world governments to intervene on the corporate corruption of the maltreatment and abuse of the working class. There's no question this was the right thing to do. Back then, such groups met in secret because many jurisdictions outlawed organized labor. Because of these labor groups, the governments passed fair and just laws which included collective bargaining rights. By the way, such labor abuse that occurred 200 years ago is still abundant in third world countries which make a significant portion of American marketplace products like clothing. The Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights is currently working with such hard working laborers. If the feds and the Department of Labor want to crack down on worldwide worker abuse in factories where our products are made, that's where the attention needs to go, not toward our law-abiding transit agencies.

Back home, we have a situation where significant amounts of public employee wages and benefits are above what is offered in the marketplace. California wants to crack down on it by reforming pensions offered to future employees to market value, and the unions are using the name of "bargaining rights" to obstruct it. This type of behavior is irresponsible and puts the working class in danger of losing jobs in the marketplace. If the labor groups want to maintain the status quo of high pension benefits, they need to support policies that will get the marketplace economy back into a robust state. Here's what the history book has to say about it on page 182:

Despite the social problems created by the Industrial Revolution--low pay, dismal living conditions--the Industrial Age did have some positive effects. As demand for mass-produced goods grew, new factories opened, which in turn created more jobs. Wages rose so that workers had enough left after paying rent and buying food to buy a newspaper or visit a music hall. As the cost of railroad travel fell, people could visit family in other towns. Horizons widened and opportunities increased.

That's how the system worked back in the 1800's. The marketplace innovates and provides the jobs while the government oversees and combats corporate corruption and abuse, environmental pollution, and urban sprawl. As more jobs are added to the marketplace, wages and perks go up as more and more "Help Wanted" and "Now Hiring" signs end up on shop windows. If a business fails to take care of its employees in a robust job market, it is faced with high employee turnover which drives up its employee training and recruitment costs; look no further than your local McDonald's and Wal-Mart.

The statistics overwhelmingly show that the market economy does not collapse or negate the lives of hard working individuals as shown by higher quality products, lower prices, and competition. If the labor groups want higher wages, both the unions and the feds need to accept the fact that the economy cannot be dictated or managed from Washington or the state governments; the private sector needs to have the freedom to expand the economy and the jobs that go with it. As more jobs are added to the marketplace, benefits and wages increase.

Putting the high school history lesson into today's controversies:

Here's some ideas for those in labor groups and public office to improve the local economy: You want a robust transit center at the downtown Riverside train station and more downtown jobs? Entice a private entrepreneur to build the public facilities with a manufacturing job hub next door. Want to transform the Hyperloop pipe dream into a marketplace high speed rail system done right? Allow Inland Empire innovators to explore, mature, research and develop the technology into a robust system in the marketplace just like how the airplane evolved from a once dissented play toy into an industrial victory. What to get rid of drug and gang crime out of impoverished neighborhoods? Permit local marketplace researchers to participate in strengthening intelligence-driven enforcement solutions and procedures that law enforcement can use to catch and lock up more street criminals. You want more high paying jobs with benefits? There it is.

That's the type of policy the labor groups should be advocating which in turn fuels our transit systems toward prosperity with a productive workforce, and informed 10th graders well know it.

Public officials engaging in the business community

100 Businesses in 100 Days

Congressman Rep. Mark Takano announced earlier this month that he will be touring “100 Businesses in 100 Days,” gathering input from the private sector within his 41st Congressional District. According the official press release, Takano will tour manufacturing, exports, retail, construction, high-tech, hospitality, food service, and more. His office will compile a report that will be used to direct future federal legislation to improve the marketplace economy.

The Transit Coalition has long advocated for officials and leaders to get out from behind their desks and engage the community, just as the Coalition does to prepare its transit-related campaigns. We take part in gauging passenger behavior, identifying needs, and providing solutions to real-life transit problems. Additionally, we meet face-to-face with the community and pitch our fact-based positions to top transportation officials. This is what our field studies and research is about.

Takano who represents a large portion of Riverside County's population kicked off his tour on August 14. From the south, his 41st District includes the Perris region, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Jurupa Valley. As he continues gathering input from business leaders, finding ways to streamline federal regulations and working with the state and local jurisdictions to get rid of unnecessary legal red tape on their books will need to be a key component to future federal legislation. While those receiving unemployment benefits countywide has dropped from a peak of 15-20% three years ago and continues to go down, the rate still stands at 9.5%, and that does not factor in those who dropped out of the workforce altogether and became a dependent. The City of Riverside's rate stands at 9.7%, Jurupa Valley near 10%, Moreno Valley 11.1%, and Perris at 15%. It's clear there is work that needs to be done to get the private sector to invest in these regions with more full time jobs.

A call for action from Washington

From the national standpoint, one historic reason of why the United States has been such a robust country is because of its free marketplace economic system which promotes competition, motivation, and innovation which improves quality and lowers prices. Small business entrepreneurs and leaders need the assurance that public officials will do what is necessary to improve the economy without inducing urban sprawl, corporate corruption or pollution.

It's a fact that Washington should not inject more federal money into the private marketplace economy because the national debt is fast approaching $17 trillion. To be fair, the Treasury Department reported paying $35 billion toward the debt back in April, but according Brilling.com's U.S. National Debt Clock, the feds have spent an average of over $2 billion per day since September of last year. Vital programs such as defense, intelligence, public safety, public works capital and operations (which includes our highway and transit infrastructure), tax money oversight, and the government itself must remain, but the finances need to be policed better to get our federal budget out of the red.

All federal misspending must stop, especially with the bloated pensions. The special interests must concede and acknowledge the truth; the government cannot afford to pay public employees above marketplace wages, period. If the unions want higher wages and livable benefits, they need to follow Takano's lead, find out what needs to be done locally to improve the job market, and lobby for better economic conditions. That will get their workers the higher wages and full time hours.

With this and the government waste covered during the last two weeks on this blog, all of us will be negated if the misspending madness continues. Just look at the 91 Freeway and compare it with the 9.5% countywide unemployment rate. We don't want our state or country to go bankrupt.

Improving the marketplace economy for fully funded transit infrastructure

Last year, Congressman Rep. Mike Kelly hit the nail on the head with a possible solution to improve the national economy with this speech. For the record, we did not analyze the actual bill that was being debated back then--HR 4078: Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act--and therefore did not take a position, but Kelly's point is absolutely true.

While critical safeguards to prevent corporate corruption, combat urban sprawl and control pollution are necessary, over-regulating the private sector costs businesses huge amounts of money each year. That leads to higher prices and lower quality. In addition, companies are forced to scale back hiring and shift times to pay for the added costs. With the fewer jobs and resulting lackluster job market, those who have jobs will be paid less and work fewer hours.

How do the feds think they are going to get more high-paying full time private sector jobs if they continue to sack businesses with such red tape? How can the feds and local leaders of Takano's district entice business entrepreneurs into investing in downtown Riverside with robust marketplace job hubs? What is holding up the private capital from going into the downtown train station which would fully pay for an adjacent RTA bus transit station, a pedestrian bridge over the 91 Freeway into the downtown core, and direct access ramps the highway's carpool lanes? The feds know that the U.S. economy cannot thrive under excessive trivial regulations; that fact is taught today in high school social science.

On top of engaging the business community which is a great start, Rep. Takano should take his findings, work with colleagues on the other side of the aisle including Rep. Kelly, and craft a report and a bipartisan bill--without throwing any public money into the marketplace--which will lead the nation and the Inland Empire back into economic prosperity. That is how we can better fund the government and our transportation needs.

What the heck is going on in Moreno Valley?

Whenever elected officials pander to the special interests or the wants of themselves instead of the needs of the people, problems for both themselves and the jurisdiction they're supposed to represent are sure to occur. As many are aware, former council member and Mayor Pro Tem Marcelo Co of the City of Moreno Valley is in big trouble. He is charged with multiple counts of felony fraud, accused of illegally collecting nearly $15,000 taxpayer-funded government assistance money that was supposed to go toward the care of his mother. He was also the target of renting out properties that were not up to code. The City Clerk reported on the same day of his bust that residents initiated a move to recall Co. The accused councilman eventually resigned from his post the next day. His days in power are over.

Things aren't much better for the remaining City Council members. Both the Riverside County district attorney's office and the federal government have been investigating a potential political corruption probe in the city separate from Co's case. We really cannot pass much judgement of the probe until the facts are made public; however, one of the city's pet projects--The World Logistics Center--deserves further straight talk.

Moreno Valley Protests & Proposed World Logistics Center

Fed up with the political circus and officials pandering to logistics developers, Moreno Valley residents are fighting back. On Tuesday, hundreds of protesters showed up outside of City Hall to support a recall of the remaining council members, voice opposition to the sprawling World Logistics Center, and demand Co's replacement be elected from the jurisdiction.

Last May, this blog brought up a point regarding the proposed World Logistics Center: Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. The baby being the private sector jobs in the logistics sector, the bathwater being unnecessary urban sprawl, added diesel truck pollution and excessive truck traffic. It's no question that the locals oppose the bathwater as the World Logistics Center demonstrates.

However, the region could use a well planned marketplace job hub to increase wages, and logistics would fit well with the area's blue-collar demographics. Local unemployment is still above 11%. Robust facilities along existing rail corridors and industrial areas near the March ARB which link to the proposed GRID project in Long Beach would be prime spots to develop these job sites. Incentives for the private sector to develop clean ways to move freight would be welcome. If Moreno Valley wants to build up logistics jobs, do it right. Having sprawling industrial parks like the World Logistics Center at the base of the Badlands hills adjacent to the San Jacinto Fault with no rail line for miles is undesired runaway urban sprawl.

A disgrace to free speech

Lastly, local residents including our high school youth ordinarily would have every right to go to City Hall and question government proposals and development projects which includes the World Logistics Center and voice their opinion and concerns to their elected representatives; however this Press Enterprise blog post suggests otherwise.

Since becoming mayor in December, Owings has regularly taken on the city’s critics. He has called them “smear merchants,” accused opponents of the World Logistics Center of being racists and anti-Semitic, and even cursed on occasion. “We’re a great city and we don’t need to hear this crap every damn council night,” he said during an April 23 council meeting.

To be fair, Mayor Tom Owings did openly apologize during a June 4 meeting about this type of behavior, but it's all too common to turn toward personal attacks when one cannot win the debate and not concede. Does that mean that if we go to City Hall and question the World Logistics Center and bring fact-based evidence into the discussion, we're going to be publicly humiliated without any evidence to back it up?

Officials know they cannot defend such vile personal attacks, and many politicians reserve such behavior to their election campaigns, not the public chambers. The political madness caused by residents simply questioning the logic of the World Logistics Center clearly demonstrates that City Hall does not care of the negative impacts caused by developing the hub at the base of the Badlands. What the city appears to be doing is catering to the will of developers while ignoring the legit and fact-based concerns of their residents.

What the heck is going on in the city "where dreams soar?" Fed up residents are looking to fix that.

What happens to transit when the U.S. Department of Labor bows to labor unions?

It is nearly a stone-cold fact that the U.S. Department of Labor is currently in full support of the will of special interest labor groups. The agency is spinning federal law in a way that penalizes our local transit agencies without due process just because California wants to--at least--begin to contain the out-of-control pension madness fire.

The federal government clearly has the power both from Congress and the White House to stop this political football game right now which is occurring in the Labor Department. Here's what's at stake: The 1964 Urban Mass Transportation Act gave Labor Secretary Tomas Perez authority to hold federal transit grants as a means to hold transit agencies responsible for respecting their worker's rights to bargain collectively. In this day in age, that clause is questionable; a more sensible approach is to hold those in power directly accountable for respecting the basic rights of workers. If an agency manager unlawfully retaliates a group of employees for organizing or bargaining, fine him or lock him up. Don't subject innocent citizens to public service disruptions.

The Rights of...Job Applicants?

When the labor unions cited the 1964 law and complained to the feds, they relied on the rights of non-hired future employees to back up their claim. Perez' unwillingness to take exception to this notion clearly overreaches the power of his office. Many fair-minded individuals and several newspapers conclude that California's Public Employee Pension Reform Act actually does not wipe out a worker's right to assemble, organize and to bargain collectively. What the law did was close up loopholes to stop unjustified and unfunded hikes to pensions for future workers who apply for the job.

In other words, what the special interests object to--and what Perez is bowing toward--is taking bargaining and benefit rights away from those who are not even on the payrolls of California transit agencies. Since when does a non-employee of a transit agency have the same rights of those on the payroll? This misguided madness is now placing the budgets of our transit agencies in limbo.

Any fair-minded individual knows that a job applicant who has yet to be hired has no business to get directly involved in labor negotiations. It's true members of the public can voice support or objections toward labor unions by writing letters and choosing whether or not to patronize businesses or cross picket lines during a strike. However, since when do outside individuals have a right toward any benefits designated to transit workers? We'd like Perez and President Obama to address that. If this madness continues, we might see this situation end up in federal court with transit agencies spending precious resources preparing for the worst. The public arena must hold the special interests, Perez, and the feds accountable.

No Excuses: Getting real about transit worker labor rights

The labor unions need to look at real solutions to protect the rights of their workers and ways to improve the marketplace economy which in turn increases marketplace wages and benefits. The President needs to order Perez to release the transit funds and take exception to the frivolous objections. Congress needs to explore amending the Urban Mass Transportation Act and close up its loopholes. Heaven forbid, should a transit agency or the state actually abuse its public workers through unsafe working conditions, unjustified labor, paying workers below minimum wage, or preventing them from bargaining collectively, and the labor department and the feds have evidence of such abuse, that would be probable cause to have the feds look into criminal charges against the offending officials with mandatory fines and/or jail time. If a boss unlawfully abuses an employee, fine him or lock him up. Don't obstruct transit operations like a NIMBY. Have the special interests proposed fair legislation like that?

Today, there is absolutely no logical reason to hold federal transit funding--let alone transit riders--hostage in the name of worker's rights. It's time for Congress and President Obama to lead us out of this federal fiscal fiasco.

Friday Tips: Demand your elected officials to release federal transit money

U.S. Department of Labor officials seem to be unwilling to release federal transit funds that Inland Empire taxpayers paid into in the name of bargaining rights, when in reality, the dispute between labor unions and the transit agencies is over trivial issues in relationship to California's pension reform. Special interests are demanding exemptions of the reformed law and are relying on the labor department and legal loopholes to freeze transit funding from RTA and Omnitrans without due process. U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez appears to be bowing to the special interest's requests. To be fair, Perez cannot go above the law, but there is little evidence that he is even willing to work with the White House or Congress to close up the loopholes for the general public's good.

Granting transit labor groups exemptions of California's pension reform law is not a practicable option as any fair-minded individual well knows. Bloated salaries and unfunded benefits contributes to government waste and a substandard transit system--just look at the 91 Freeway. If the state gives one group an exemption, other special interests are going to pressure the state for the same. California will then be on the road to bankruptcy. This whole situation is also clearly not a labor rights issue; otherwise why would the special interests place numerous transit jobs and private sector employees who take transit into limbo? That's not defending worker's rights. That's abuse. We simply cannot afford the status quo.

It's time for Gov. Brown, Congress, and President Obama to take control of the situation. This week's tip: Ask your elected representative, the Governor and the White House to work together to do whatever they can in their power to get the funds released without permitting exceptions to California's pension reforms, close up the loopholes so that the states can freely decide on pension policy, and amend federal labor law where labor groups can continue to have the freedom to assemble, organize and bargain, but not have the freedom to garnish transit agencies' funds without constitutional due process.

Who is responsible for the Omnitrans sbX fiscal mess-up?

An April audit by the Federal Transportation Administration potentially shows that significant portions of Omnitrans' $191 million sbX bus rapid transit project may not be making it to the E Street corridor as it should. The audit which was made public last week accuses Omnitrans of violating more than 20 federal guidelines, more specifically, how construction contracts were awarded and managed. According to the press, violations included a contract worth $15 million without going through the bidding process. Another mess-up includes a 15% price hike on all change orders--the feds prohibit cost-plus percentage.

While Omnitrans and its new leadership are defending a few of the violations brought up, the agency has acknowledged responsibility of most of the accusations including the cost-plus percentage count. We predict that under the leadership of newly appointed Procurement Director Jennifer Sims, the transit agency will be able to resolve this matter by cooperating with the federal government. At this point, the agency has not reported whether or not all of this fiscal madness fell under the fault of former Omnitrans CEO Milo Victoria or whether the violations were intentional or done in error. What we do know is that Victoria resigned earlier this summer abruptly, yet at the same time, this is the first time Omnitrans has ever taken on a capital project of this scale.

What the public needs to find out is who exactly is responsible for the violations so that such a fiscal disgrace does not repeat itself for the proposed long term sbX extensions toward the west. Omnitrans has promised the feds to come up with a report by the start of next week and work is underway to update fiscal procedures, but more needs to be done. Officials also need to investigate the matter to determine if any crimes were committed with these transit funds. As mentioned, anybody found guilty of defrauding or embezzling our public funds should be put away in jail with mandatory sentences.

Regarding the sbX project itself, this project is certainly no boondoggle; it will be a fast north/south transit alternative to slow local bus rides in the area. The limited stop BRT line promises to speed up public bus transit times for a transportation corridor linked by high-volume activity centers: Cal State San Bernardino, downtown San Bernardino, the Loma Linda University area, and points in between. sbX will connect to a future Metrolink station in the downtown area. The line will mimic LA Metro's Orange Line through downtown and LA Metro Rapid in other areas--both are productive means to move people. Currently, one of Omnitrans' busiest local bus routes--Route 2--serves the corridor and current end-to-end trip times can last in excess of an hour. If officials can clean up the line's fiscal mess, it will be okay.

We want sbX done right!