On news today that Metro Newspapers bought out the critical newspapers of Gilroy Dispatch, Morgan Hill Times, Hollister Freelance and Santa Cruz paper, I wrote the following Reply with respect to these communities and their newspapers key informative role in the Governor Brown's Northern California Trackway Scandal that far outpaces anything New Jersey Governor Christie is alleged by his opponents to have done. Here, in Calfornia, Governor Brown's longstanding rail fetish, dating back to his first term where he used, manipulated state road right of way lands to effect the return of taxpayer-funded mostly inefficient, congesting, money-losing streetcars (now labeled with the generic term of "light rail") that failed due to their inflexibility in contrast to auto-mobiles and buses and coaches.
But despite 204 deaths to date from 1/1/1995 to today, at a current rate of more than 1 death per month, including too-easy suicides. Already 3 track deaths this year, 2014, including a Pleasanton-homed Good Samaritan high-tech worker (Nividia) death in Santa Clara, just two days after the SC VTA held a "celebration" of Caltrain, the HSR's 30-year SF Bay Area Peninsula rail placeholder\. Incredible, to think this aged trainset is allowed to exist, and no Democrat in any local, regional, state, and federal position, except truly progressive Gavin Newsom are willing to fight to redirect HSR funds to local/regional needs, such as closing the final one-seat rail gap from SJ to SF with safer, electrified, non-congesting, frequent two-way BART in the Caltrain/HSR right-of -way: Here's my Reply note in Metro's San Jose Insider comment on Metro's takeover of the South Santa Clara County's critical news sources"
"I hope Metro maintains the independent integrity that Metro & Insider demonstrated on the Shirakawa and other scandals.... Gilroy and MH are the crux of SoCounty/SCC VTA HSR fraud enablement--and Democrat-backed VTA Board's plan for the final 13 mile SR152 (joint with SR156) Pacheco Pass toll road to US101 to help fund it (as allowed for nearby transit facilities, per AB2032, Dutra, 2004). Sorry to read of Gilroy Editor Mark Derry's departure.
Christie's Washington Bridgegate issues are nothing compared to Caltrain, the now, out-of-the-closet, placeholder/shill admitted Jerry Brown and Rod Diridon Sr clear rail fetish put on taxpayers, with its 150 year old street-level suicide, accident deathtrap and increasingly dense congestion (GHG) generator. The Caltrain shill, with same track size as HSR, blocking finally extending BART around the whole Bay, as BART was originally planned, and that all Bay Area counties have approved taxes to support BART, indeed, SCC by 2/3 vote in 2008!
BART would be super-efficient with dual direction high-frequency, safer, electrified, quieter, one-seat rail transit (like the 2 freeway loops around the Bay), separated from street-level traffic (required by law).
Both Gov. Brown and Diridon had on-air interviews (CBS Face the Nation w/ Bob Schiefer, and KBAY Sunday a.m with Sam Van Sant(?) in mid-2012) where they admitted to their up-to-now secret agenda. They both said they've been "...working to bring High Speed Rail to California for the past 30 years." This is when the first Gov. Brown gave the initial 3-year funding for Caltrain (1982).
The scandal is that hundreds have died in Caltrain's 150-year old street level trackway. Based on B.A.N.G. reporting, 204 dead since 1/1/1995, 45 dead since 2010, three this year (2014) continues the average of just more than 12 dead per month. Far fewer die on BART by any measure, including suicides. New BART trains, more bicycle friendly focus, and huge efficiencies result by our politicians and business leaders planning BART to close the last 21 mile gap from Santa Clara (Univ) to Millbrae with minimal neighborhood and environmental or land needs would be possible by replacing deadly Caltrain by ending HSR and redirecting NoCal $ to bring BART to SJ, SCU, then up to Millbrae. This save Billions that would be needed to update, separate, electrify, the incompatible Caltrain with BART's united efficient, ultimate Bay Area Loop.
Gilroy and MH would be better served with a Santa Cruz VTA coach-like service north to SJ multi-modal train/bus station than infrequent, rigid Caltrain, thus, the importance of Gilroy and MH, Hollister and commuters'points south--and completing SR152 without any tolls (we already pay for roads with our auto taxes and exorbitant auto fees).
This deadly, congestion-causing Caltrain placeholder for HSR ought to be investigated and exposed, at least since Santa Clara and SM Counties' voters voted to support BART, as other Bay Area counties did previously. Note that BART took over the ROW of at least 3 other formerly street-level trackways. Christie's 4-day Bridgegate is nothing compared to Brown's HSR/Caltrain Trackgate!
The Bay Area needs the Josh and Dan duo to investigate and expose this deadly, ongoing Caltrain/HSR sham and scandal that pollutes and endangers Peninsula residents instead of BART."
Also, posted on my Freemotorist blogspot site.
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