ORLY? The Latest “Free Muni” Scam Debunked…7 Months Ago.

You can tell it’s election season, and that some folks are starting to lose it. Take for example the latest gimmick in the SF Mayor’s race – Sen. Yee’s plan to de-fund Muni, all in the name of “thinking about the children.”
To which I would simply say, ORLY?
This is one of those “feel good” things politicians love to promote, and just hope to God you don’t poke around the news archives. That’s because this idea has been talked to death, most recently in February this year, when it was revealed that a plan to give “poor” kids free passes was stuck in a web of bureaucracy and “feelings.” At the time I talked about this good-sounding idea was another Road to Hell Paving Crew plan, and why it was necessary to think of the big picture, whereby everyone, including the youth of San Francisco, benefits.
What bothers me most, however, is how once again we see how Muni can be ruined by the politicians. It’s easy to whip up emotions with nice-sounding things like “free Muni,” “free Muni for kids,” “Central Subways” and the like. I’m sure the copywriter who came up with all of those felt really good about themselves and their work that day.
Unfortunately, good campaign rhetoric does not always make good transit policy. In this case, it’s even more ironic, given Sen. Yee’s penchant for cutting Muni funding while in Sacramento. Worst of all, even if he got elected, it’s not like this would happen, so it’s a double screw – either it screws a cash strapped agency of more money, or it’s just a crass attempt to rally votes in a close race. Been there, done that, time for a change.
When voting this fall, ignore the junk mail, the TV ads, and the online ads, and instead go back a few years and read up online from various news sources about the candidates. They can spend millions of dollars on propaganda, but you, the voter, can render it moot via the recycle bin, the ad blocker, and the mute button, and you’ll be better off for it.