Last week, the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) board met to evaluate two spending plans for a tentative tax measure on transit known as Elevate SD. SANDAG Executive Director Hasan Ikhrata weighed in to offer his support and to shut down any rumors of conflict between MTS and SANDAG.
However, despite MTS and SANDAG both stating a lack of tension between the agencies, there are still major discrepancies between them. MTS has been releasing projects before SANDAG has even constructed its plan for long-term transit. Ikhrata announced the plan from SANDAG will not be released until March.
Yet, the discrepancies between the agencies have raised major concerns with San Diego citizens given the ambiguity being displayed. In a pathetic attempt to clear the situation, Ikhrata said “I personally think Elevate 2020 is a down payment on a greater transportation system. SANDAG will eventually decide and the people of San Diego will eventually have to agree to pay for a system. It’s not going to be cheap. It’s not going to be easy. But it’s going to be an important system for the future of San Diego.”
SANDAG Executive Director Hasan Ikhrata
Ikhrata spoke like a true self-serving bureaucrat. His statement basically implies that SANDAG has no interest in serving San Diegans, but will come up with a plan that ultimately benefits SANDAG in the end. Moreover, SANDAG has a corrupt and reckless past to prove it.
In order for Elevate SD to commence, taxes will inevitably be increased. However, SANDAG has been known to mismanage taxpayer money and funnel it into independent expenditures, leading to promises and plans going unfulfilled and taxpayer money being poorly spent. Based on the current trajectory, Elevate SD will likely follow suit.
SANDAG is less interested in creating transit for the future than developing a project that generates the most revenue in the end. Ikhrata will continue to hide behind the mask of “better transit” but will inevitably fall back into his corrupt and reckless ways, putting San Diegans at risk. Ultimately, the proposals for this measure by SANDAG and Ikhrata are just plain nonsense as usual.
Featured Photo by Josh Esh
