NCTD sprints to future failure

By: JIM CRUTCHFIELD - For the North County Times | Tuesday, December 23, 2003 8:18 PM PST ∞

The uncertain financial future of the North County Transit District's Sprinter rail project just took a major step backward when board members voted 7-1 to purchase 12 diesel self-propelled rail cars for $50 million with nonexistent funds. The excuse for this highly touted move was to hedge against future escaladed costs for the machinery needed to run their proposed 22-mile rail system between Oceanside and Escondido. The 20-year old rail technology and antiquated propulsion systems they committed to purchase were not a consideration in their action. Apparently, their approval was more of an evasive maneuver to leverage community support for the Sprinter project, which is headed for a financial failure of epic proportions. Once the NCTD has 12 shiny new rail coaches, it will be easy to coerce the community into providing the funding to complete the project.

Just prior to NCTD's vote, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger presented a proposal to the legislature to cut state participation in the rail system by $80 million in a move to cut unnecessary expenditures from the budget. Once again this announcement did not influence the NCTD board because the Federal government has formerly pledged $150 million of the $351 million estimated to complete the project. Assuming the estimated $351 million for the project is valid, where does the next $201 million come from? Certainly not from a state depleted of funds and tiptoeing on the brink of bankruptcy.

NCTD board member Lee Thibadeau, representing the city of San Marcos, cast the lone dissenting vote against the purchase. Thibadeau remains the only voice of reason suggesting that the board is guilty of placing the cart way before the horse in this decision. The NCTD has no hope, neither at the present time nor in the future, of paying for the project unless additional subsidies are generated from federal, state and community resources. The entire Sprinter project is suspect because the NCTD transit system has operated at a loss for years and will never generate enough revenue to support retiring even a fraction of the loans required to make the rail system a reality.

Most prudent observers of the recent collapse of the spend, spend and spend policies of the Gray Davis political regime that led to his recall as governor would reasonably assume that the people of California are fed up with irresponsible politicians with their collective pork barrel money schemes for fiscally irresponsible projects. However, County Supervisor Bill Horn and fellow NCTD board members, who voted in favor of the expenditure for the new Sprinter light rail cars, simply do not get the message.

Jim Crutchfield lives in San Marcos