JH 46 The situation at LTD

Brothers and Sisters:

I am sending this letter to Governor Kulongoski tomorrow. If you agree with this letter, then print out a copy and mail your own copy to the governor. It can be exactly the same. But where it says "Joe Hill," write, "I'm with Joe, another employee at LTD," or "I'm with Joe and I'm a business person paying taxes to LTD," or "I'm with Joe and my family is at risk," or whatever your situation is. The address to the Governor is as follows:

Governor Kulongoski
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, Oregon 97301-4047

But you must join with me, so that this is not a lone voice in the wilderness. Do it like your job depends upon it, because it likely does.

In Solidarity,

Joe Hill

_____________________________________

The Honorable Governor

Ted Kulongoski

Governor of the State of Oregon

Re: The situation at LTD

Dear Governor:

In the more than thirty years of existence of Lane Transit District, something has been missing. In this entire time, no person of color or ethnic minority has ever been appointed to the Lane Transit Board of Directors. Even worse, if that's possible, regular middle class persons have been rarely appointed to the Board of Directors. The Board position for the regular rider is going to be held, by someone, for an unprecedented twelve years.

No worker who serves others, or toils with their hands, has been appointed to this Board. No nurse, even when so many ride the LTD service. No, not a single Board member who might take the responsibility that this appointment confers, to act on behalf of working people who are the largest segment, other than students, who ride this service.

The current Board has permitted the District management to engage in colossal waste with the purchase of experimental hybrid electric buses that do not work. The vendor (AVS) is bankrupt, and the taxpayers have lost $2.6 million dollars in local and federal tax receipts. Because of the need to pursue the vain ambitions of managers, a very expensive bus system is being constructed at a cost of more than $5 million dollars per mile of service. Originally intended to be a guideway bus service, now most of the service will run in regular traffic. The time savings is estimated at 3 minutes, as compared to regular service. Governor, it is only through the stubbornness of LTD management, who have an apparent complete control hold over the Board of Directors, that the District continues with the growing controversial project. No market study has ever been performed to determine the want or need for this service. It is nothing more than a complete guess on the part of the management.

As a result of millions of dollars being spent in the capital acquisitions for worthless equipment and expensive transit alternatives, the general operations fund is being depleted by this capital buying spree. Service reductions have been made or proposed in each of the last three years, and for the FIRST time in the history of the District, riders are decreasing with LTD service three years running. Riders have even decreased in the face of unprecedented high fuel costs for automobiles. Before fuel costs peaked, LTD elected to raise fares 25% in one year. Is it any wonder riders are dropping out of our system in Eugene and Springfield?

As a result of errors by management, and oversight by the LTD Board of Directors, a labor dispute appears to be developing. This dispute is completely unnecessary, but for the reckless spending that has taken place for capital projects, that either have failed completely or hold little promise to deliver. Fortunately, it is not too late to step back and take a look at this situation. I guarantee that taxpayers (employers) are going to be very unhappy as they find out more about this waste and misuse of their hard earned and frequently unwillingly given taxes for service that neither their employees, or they, use. At present LTD is below 2% of the model split - meaning the number of bus riders compared to other means of transportation, and this number is falling.

I am forced to write to you under a pseudonym. LTD managers retaliate against those who talk out of school. A former manager was fired last year for blowing the whistle on the management at Lane Transit District. Many employees have heard that this manager was found by the Bureau of Labor and Industries to have been fired unlawfully for whistleblowing, and Governor, I just can't afford to lose my job in this economy.

I write on behalf of many who feel the same as me, and are equally afraid to speak out. You should examine the situation, and frankly I recommend that you fire the entire Board of Directors, as you did similarly with the Board of Higher Education. I do know that without your immediate involvement, as is permitted in ORS 627, a difficult labor dispute will end in a strike, and more wasteful spending by LTD. Please Governor, on behalf of many who have supported you in the past, investigate and act. You have had your own labor issues in the State, but you have handled them with professionalism and fairness. This does not seem to exist for employees at LTD.

This letter might otherwise be overlooked by you as a local labor dispute issue, but Governor, this management has wasted a minimum of $2.6 million from hurry-up, silly decisions. It is easy to be a Monday quarterback, but with a little due diligence, this error would have been preventable, as are many others we employees are aware of, and have no impact on without fear.

Sincerely,

Joe Hill

joehill_1915@hotmail.com