What’s going on with Lane Transit District? Why are the employees preparing to strike? Why have 200 of the employees signed a petition of no confidence in the general manager’s ability to run Lane Transit? Why aren’t the citizens of Eugene and surrounding areas up in arms over the excessive capital expenditures by the current general manager?
Everyone who has an employee or is self-employed in the area serviced by Lane Transit District pays the employment tax. Do they realize that their money is being spent on grandiose projects and not to support service for the riders? The current general manager, Ken Hamm, started with a capital expenditure budget of $2 million when he came on board four years ago, and the budget is now $27 million for 2005. He has done this while cutting the number of routes served and the hours of service, resulting in a 24 percent cut in service in the last three years.
Ken Hamm and his board of directors has also now requested an increase in the payroll tax. If this is the way you run your business — buying new buildings, remodeling, repainting and buying new vehicles while cutting your services and service hours and raising your rates — then support Ken Hamm. However, if you see this as a way to business ruin and, in this case, a gross abuse of the way your taxes are being spent, contact Rep. Peter Defazio, your LTD Board representative, Gov. Ted Kulongoski and don’t forget to write letters to the editor. Please, help save Lane Transit District.
Melinda Raven
Springfield