Let’s fix SamTrans

In an editorial, the San Mateo County Times suggests that the SamTrans by-laws be changed so as to insure that future Samtrans appointments are done fairly, honestly and in the open.

This week, with supervisors Mark Church and Rich Gordon dissenting, the board selected Supervisor Adrienne Tissier to fill a seat on the SamTrans board left vacant by Mike Nevin.

In so doing, the board has perpetuated a more than six-year inequality that finds Daly City residents occupying four of the board’s nine seats.

If you agree, and want to be part of an effort to change the SamTrans by-laws, e-mail me your name.  If there is enough support them perhaps we can put together a groups who could petition the various San Mateo County legislators (Leland Yee, Gene Mullin, Ira Ruskin, Jackie Speier and Joe Simitian) and ask that they change the law.

Richard L. Silver
[email protected]

EDITOR’S NOTE:  I don’t know Ric, so I had some questions about his involvement.  The San Mateo County Times’ Insider column answered some of my questions:  "RAIL activist, political consultant and former county Board of Supervisors clerk Ric Silver is starting a group to lobby for changes to the SamTrans board after recent flaps over appointments. ...Some see Silver’s interest in the issue at this time as curious, since he has not been active on other local transportation issues such as Measure A. Silver said he’s simply interested in the SamTrans board because its budget decisions have a large impact on Caltrain."