Monday, August 22, 2011

Clarifying LTD's Spin


By LCCRG (reprinted with permission)

LTD Board President Mike Eyster
Sunday's guest editorial in the Register-Guard by LTD Board President Mike Eyster was a very clear attempt in misleading the public with more fluff and unsubstantiated predictions and dreams about future ridership that are based in fantasy, not fact. In this article, we strive to help sort "spin" from "proven and substantiated fact".

One of the first claims made by Eyster Is that the Franklin EmX line exceeded 20-year ridership projections in its first year of operation. What is conveniently left out is that rides were free during that first year. Also unknown is how exactly those ridership projections were determined, and what the projections even were. Verdict: SPIN. There are too many holes in LTD's claim about increased ridership to substantiate whether or not the increased number of riders was caused by the distribution of free rides, and the methodology by which ridership projections are determined.

Dear LTD
LTD also asserts that they are concerned about the impacts of construction along their proposed routes. However, according to the Dear LTD blog, LTD sent a construction crew to do some minor work on Franklin near the 76 station at Walnut St. The owner of the station was told that the construction would be done by 7AM, or by 10AM worst case scenario. The reality was that the crew was done just before 1PM, which cut access off to his business during the crucial lunch hour. LTD also did not even notify the station owner in writing, instead sending one of their spokespersons out to tell one if his employees verbally. A few months ago, LCCRG wrote an article about another business that was negatively impacted and abused by LTD's construction. Springfield Cleaners had their access severely compromised by LTD construction crews from January-April 2009, with the contractors cutting off a lot of their parking and doing virtually nothing to ease the impact to is business save for putting out a sandwich board sign on the sidewalk to let passers-by know they were still open for business. LTD representatives assured the business owner, Casey Dresser that her business would benefit from having the EmX go by her shop, however, she shared that not one customer she knows of has patronized her shop after riding the EmX there. Verdict: SPIN! If the way LTD has mismanaged their interactions with the above impacted businesses with false claims, gross abuses and outright lies, how can LTD be trusted to do the right thing for businesses along West 6th, 7th and 11th Avenues in Eugene? It's clear, they simply are not to be trusted.

LTD makes the claim that preliminary data, from THEIR OWN alternatives analysis that capacity for traffic along 6th and 7th will increase as a result of EmX, and that opponents claims are based on 27 year old data. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that of ODOT deemed it necessary to add a lane on those streets in the 1980's because of increased traffic, it probably would not increase traffic capacity to have EmX buses and turning traffic taking that lane back in the future.  Verdict: SPIN. LTD is using their own analysis, that has not been verified by any other transportation entity. Common sense and basic physics would dictate that if 3 continuous traffic lanes was not enough to meet the needs of 6th and 7th back in the 80's, it certainly would not be now, or into the future.

Eyster cites the recent opening of Cabela's along the EmX corridor as one of the retail opportunities related to this project. Really? Cabela's is a destination store, typically one that it's customers drive significant distances to get to. How many big game hunters do you know bought their rifle at Cabela's after taking the EmX there? Verdict: SPIN! That is simply a desperate attempt by LTD to tie retail development to their system. Also worth noting is that in the over 4 years since the Franklin EmX line opened, there has been no new developments of significance in Glenwood, save for an announcement that Planned Parenthood plans to open a new facility there.

(click image to see full size)
The tragic part of all of LTD's putting out information that is based on shaky ground at best is that they are wasting OUR resources in doing so. Every ad that LTD puts out touting the greatness of EmX is paid for by us. Every minute an LTD employee spends engaging in PR activities to cram an unwanted West Eugene EmX extension down our throats is paid for by us!

When considering who to believe about the EmX, consider what the following parties have at stake:

Our Money Our Transit: Their businesses and the livelihoods of their employees and families.

Taxpayers: The notion of seeing our country dive deeper into debt to spend tens of millions of dollars on something only 3-5% of Lane County residents use, and that has no proven need, either now or in the future.

LTD: up to $80 million in "free federal money" and untold millions more for future unneeded extensions.

We think one only needs to look at the motivating factors for all those involved to decide where the truth really lies.

12 comments:

  1. Our federal government is in massive debt. We cannot afford to add one red cent to our children's and grandchildren's tabs to pay off down the road. Even if such massive amounts of federal funds had to be spent on transportation, it would be much better spent on roads and highways that 90% of the population actually uses on a consistent basis.

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  2. We the people: Not Accepting Corruption Hogwash Or Spin!

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  3. LTD thinks it had something to do with Cabela's moving to Springfield? I like the point where you can't even take most of what Cabela's sells on the bus. Does the EmX have a canoe rack on it, better yet does it have a gun rack in it?
    What's next LTD, telling us the EmX will bring world peace, cure cancer.
    There is no current need for the EmX on W.11th. Even former GM Mark Pangborn of LTD admitted this was a pre-need, the cart before the horse. Mr. Pangborn even equated the EmX to the railroad pushing west, and I-5 when it was first put in. NO CURRENT NEED. In 20 years there will be none of today's buses on the road, and STILL no need for the EmX.

    LTD, wasting tomorrow's money today.

    Once again LTD you are either smoking the good stuff, or you think we are.

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  4. I can't believe "we" payed Mr. Eyster to write that preposterous-propaganda-sales-fluff-spin. Does Mr Eyster think we are all complete morons?

    You have lost the public's trust LTD. Stop spending "our" money to try and tell us how to think.

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  5. LTD Board Members are unpaid community members who spend hours dedicated to an important community service. How much time do you volunteer to your community?

    Those who believe the LTD Board should be elected should think about this. As soon as you bring politics and elections into it, it means $. It costs a lot of money to run a campaign, so now we are restricting the candidate pool to those who can afford it. The money has to come from somewhere, so now we have "interest groups" paying for campaigns. It corrupts the whole thing. It costs all of us. Eventually you will have to pay people to serve on the Board, just like we now pay City Councilors.

    It is just a bad idea. If you look at the makeup of the Board, you see community activists, people with disabilities, long-time bus riders, people who have a pure reason for serving. No agenda. Let's keep it that way.

    LTD IS ACCOUNTABLE. Rigorous oversight by the FTA, annual independent audits, and all information public record. Don't be sucked in to the smear campaign!

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  6. This anti-LTD agenda is a well-organized and very well funded smear campaign, plain and simple. Not based on truth or fact. Lies and misinformation. Follow the money folks. Do your research, talk to LTD, serve on an LTD committee, come to a public meeting. Don't believe the haters -- they are being paid to spread the lies.

    Public transportation is very important to lots of people -- particularly elderly and people with disabilities. More and more it is important to our community, our state, and our world. I know you just want to drive your car forever, but you never know when you might be the one to need the bus -- think about it.

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  7. Please stop calling yourselves "the public." 200 people in a community of over 300,000 does not equate to "the public."

    "Put it to a vote" you keep saying. I say two things: 1. That costs the public a lot of money. and 2. Our representative democracy was created to elect leaders who will made decisions based on what is best for everyone, not JUST the majority. Many of the people who benefit most from EmX (young, disabled, elderly) may not be eligible or able to vote.

    If we had a majority rule on everything, we would still have segregated schools. I am counting on our elected representatives to have the guts to stand up for what is best for the community instead of caving to a bunch of loud bullies.

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  8. 200 people? Where do you find this data? The number of people that like Dear LTD on Facebook? Not counting the 350 people on the STOP THE GREEN Dragon Facebook? Or the countless others that either don't feel the need to "like" or the others that do not have a Facebook? Then you disregard LTDs own poll that says 49% of the area doesn't want EmX on 11th. A few thousand dollars to save millions.
    By the way, the LTD board is not an elected board.
    Hard to believe you can try to equate racial equality to an unneeded bus system.
    Are there only 200 people that don't want the EmX on 11th, or a majority?

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  9. The poll was created and conducted independently by the Lindholm Company. http://lindholmcompanyblog.com/?p=5450

    It was not done by LTD or commissioned by them. 200, 350, whatever (200 of those 350 are the SAME PEOPLE). You do not represent "the people."

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  10. <a href="http://www.infrastructurist.com/2011/03/02/top-world-bank-economist-us-should-invest-in-infrastructure/"

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  11. Tired of the all the EmX BSAugust 23, 2011 at 12:33 PM

    LTD should be kissing Dear LTDs butt. All the pro and anti EmX trolls are here, not on LTDs actual official page.
    To think LTD tried to shut these people down. That alone says stupid.

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  12. So when the Lindholm Company called the 400 random (200 random twice) likely Eugene General Election voters for their last EmX polls during January 24-25, 2011, and November 29-30, 2010 you are claiming that they beat all odds and coincidentally called 41%-49% of the people that are against this WEEE project twice? Since you claim there are only 200 people against the WEEE that would be what you are saying. 350,000+ people in Lane County and the Lindholm Company managed not once, but twice to call over 90 people (all from Eugene) out of the 200 people (from all of Lane County) that oppose the EmX? So basically they called almost ALL (90%) of those who oppose the WEE between the two polls. Imagine the odds of that? Your claims are starting to sound all fluffy, and cooked like LTDs. One might even construe your claims as litigious in nature.

    You do not represent those who understand math, or those who understand how polls are conducted.

    You are although right about one thing. LTD had nothing to do with that poll. Trust me on that one.

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