Posted on 07/29/2023 12:16:50 AM PDT by thecodont
BART’s board of directors voted Thursday to formally oppose a bill in the California Legislature that would decriminalize fare evasion in the state’s public transit systems. The board’s 5-3 vote came after a heated debate among members.
Under state law, those who are caught evading a fare three or more times may face a misdemeanor charge, which could result in a fine of up to $400 and a sentence of up to 90 days in jail. If Assembly Bill 819 — introduced by Assembly Majority Leader Isaac Bryan — were to pass, the third violation would no longer be classified as a misdemeanor charge. Instead, a third violation would result in only a fine not exceeding $400. Bryan, a Democrat from Los Angeles, said that he authored the bill because he believes the enforcement of fare evasion rules is disproportionately used against people of color.
At Thursday’s board meeting, BART staff, including the transit system’s police department, said they had no position on the bill. They cited data that showed that only 2% of the 2,350 citations issued for fare evasion in 2021 resulted in a misdemeanor charge, and only 1.4% of the roughly 1,800 citations issued in 2022 resulted in such a charge. Therefore, they said, the impact of the bill — if it were to pass — would likely be “insignificant.”
But the system’s directors took a different position. They heard from Brad Wilson, the vice president of the BART police union, who said that fare evasion is directly correlated with crime on the transit system — roughly 80% of those arrested on trains or at stations don’t have proof of paying the fare, he said. In that vein, Director John McPartland said the fare evasion issue is a matter of public safety.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
This is how crime rates explode, and the Demonrats are 100% responsible for leading the crusade for criminals at the expense of law abiding citizens.
I remember when BART started in the early 70’s. Shortly thereafter, the affluent suburbs of the east bay started experiencing home robberies because criminal blacks from mainly Oakland now had easy access to new hunting grounds, and it has never been the same since.
Perhaps as a group “people of color” ride without paying the fare. Maybe thats the reason more of them get in trouble.
Yep decriminalize the fare hoppers and then you will not have any revenue from riders. Just pull the cops now from the trains as well as they will be targets and will not be able to protect much.
Bart runs at a substantial deficit. Bart needs fares to make up for its deficits.
The deficits effectively result in less funding for other (more efficient and more effective) transit systems such as Caltrain and buses.
So the bill hurts minorities by hurting overall sf bay mass transit which is used by minorities.
Morality, honesty, personal
pride, integrity, patriotism,
respect, and love of God.
All disappearing. No country
can survive with just one
of these parameters missing.
What’s interesting here is to compare SF mass transit, and European mass transit. You won’t find a single country in Europe trying to decriminalize ‘free-riders’. Without the fares, none of them would flourish or survive.
What color?
Make the transport free.
Tax local “Big Tech” to make it so.
“Director John McPartland said the fare evasion issue is a matter of public safety.”
The leftys running Commiefornia don’t give a damn about public safety. All they care about is keeping certain groups out of jail, because laws are racist.
This is correct in my experience. We were legal residents in Germany for decades before coming home to the states. Having worked in a number of European nations, I have personally seen "migrants," school kids and teenagers, and even grannies ticketed for fare evasion.
The Democrats' current mania of charging nothing to those evading paying and expecting taxpayers to pay is insanity. And a crude form of idiot socialism, because even in some socialist nations throughout the 20th century, you were "given" a job, no matter how menial. The modern Democrats think there is a tree with free money for leaves, ripe for their harvest. Of course, the greater "share" of the harvest seems to end up in their pockets....
Here's a notion. Have the BART directors do their work without pay and without benefits. See how long they stick around....
Here in northeastern NJ we have the PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson), a train link which connects Newark to NYC (with several stops in Jersey City, and branching up to Hoboken along the Hudson River as well). Years ago there was discussion about extending it into wealthy areas west of Newark, and the people out there quashed it quickly - they understood ferals would be taking the train out to their areas and driving stolen cars back to Newark. Even newer highways branching out of the Newark metro area are designed with no exits in the wealthiest places.
Money talks!
Individual European cities and even entire countries (Luxembourg) have introduced "payless Saturdays" on which everyone can ride for free.
It "grinds my gears" although I suppose that there's no political (Socialist) message behind it, but rather only an attempt to alter traffic patterns, reduce the number of cars on the road, or stimulate shopping.
Regards,
“Bryan, a Democrat from Los Angeles, said that he authored the bill because he believes the enforcement of fare evasion rules is disproportionately used against people of color.”
Translation: most fare beaters are black.
I guess if most people arrested for murder are black, then the solution is we need to decriminalize murder.
One thing is for certain-it is the antithesis of “Broken Glass Policing”.
We know “Broken Glass Policing” works. Rudi Giuliani showed how well it does.
And we know how well “decriminalization” of crime “works”. San Francisco, Chicago, and a host of other blue cities have shown exactly how well it “works”.
Our experience in Germany was that government did indeed "attempt to alter" not only traffic patterns, but tempt drivers onto mass transit, and more. Our experience was also that it -- and Merkel's version of 'cash for clunkers' -- only looked like it worked, but taken across a couple of years' observation, it was all -- in your words -- another government "attempt to alter."
Humorously, I also worked in Belgium during those 500+ days when there was no political government to find new ways to "alter." Everything worked fine enough, and most Belgians didn't really notice the absence. Both the Walloon and Vlaamse. Perhaps more absence of government is a potential solution to much?
What does it mean to “decriminalize fare evasion”?
It means that they know that most people will pay the fare, and that a certain segment will not. This is a gift to them. It’s an invitation to waltz in without paying. And that’s what they will do.
I wonder if they see the contradiction in “decriminalize fare evasion”? “Evasion” means “breaking the law.” Imagine if they were decriminalizing tax evasion?
This is the same as decriminalizing shoplifting. Another contradiction in terms. Another free gift to the people who see nothing wrong in stealing whatever they want from a store.
It all makes sense in the context of turning this country into a communist paradise.
Prison reform started with trump moving the entire narrative left.
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