please enlarge the view on the screen

thanks!

mumbling

Please move your cellphone away from the computer

Jeff’s mic has issues

The audio is mumbled

Getting feedback..

Authorized is different than collections though. Pierce Transit is AUTHORIZED for 0.9%, but they only impose a 0.6%

Where is Mr. Didier's expert? Why didn't s/he show up to make comment? The "I know someone wjo knows something" is getting old!

BFT Board's choice to reduce the sales tax rate temporarily does not reduce BFT's sales tax authority.

https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/ben-franklin-transit-can-reduce-sales-tax-and-not-lose-state-funds

doubtful and biased

Exactly!

Mariya Frost, are you a lawyer?

her article says she is not a lawyer

This authority/rate side discussion is almost besides the point! Focus on the bigger picture!

political hack!

so let's just ignore her she has no idea what she is talking about

Yep!

I was told that public comment would be taken after the staff presentation. Why are you having board discussion before public comment?

Nice job Caleb! Many lives’ impacted. Employees and community

Let us get on to our public comments

Sounds like it's at least a $12M/year bet that the definition of authority is not inferring the amount of tax collected. Caution should be warranted so that money for the Tri-cities doesn't end up getting sent elsewhere. Caleb nailed it on the head.

good job Caleb; make sure everyone understands the actual words

good job Caleb

well all thank you

Wow, you people are super rude. Everyone is allowed a voice.

Correct--everyone!

you people? Who are you referring to?

Mariya did say it, but she’s probably not correct, since she’s not a lawyer

Many many reasons for kids to ride beside school

Well I can't ride to work on the school bus

not everyone is eligible for school busses.

I thought general board discussion was supposed to come after public comment

Thank you for your request to speak during the Public Comments section of the April 14 Ben Franklin Transit Board of Directors meeting. The Board chair will call on you in the order in which the requests were received. Please note that Public Comments on the sales tax reduction resolutions will be taken after the staff presentation on this agenda item (9A) and before the resolutions are presented for Board approval.

parents sign kids up to ride school buses based on their school zone. my kids live outside the school zone they attend. they could use the transit buses to get to school. that's not double taxation

Cable Suttle isn't part of general public. He is a non-voting board member. Jeremy bishop is the BFT attorney.

How long has Mr. Didier been on the Transit Board of Directors!

Didier can go

Chelsie - exactly right. Make your comments to everyone 👍

There are plenty of kids where the public bussing is easier to access or makes better sense for schedule than the school routes.

yes

They don't ride the bus

my children's school is a walk only school

The public transit is beneath their entitled, privileged selves!

Mobility is a human right.

yes

Sales tax (which is based on the price of goods) during inflation (higher prices) is a double-whammy for working families across the state. During this inflation crisis we need to keep families able to afford goods & services, not being taxed out of them.

Nice try! A world-renowned economist!

well - youre a fellow wildcat - so hello :)

YaY Caleb!!

there you go Bob Pishue, Transit helps Caleb fight inflation

Go Caleb!

get point

Bob Pishue I’m sorry that under $20 a year is a huge tax burden on you

amazing job Caleb

Awesome job Caleb

I see WSU TRI CITIES student take the bus out here where I live.

students

Its a lot to a lot of people. Especially the 0.6% of people that take transit (per US Census Bureau) - especially when you are charging the 99.4% of people who dont when they can't afford the necessities of life

Recall, please, that Seattle voters rejected the 90% federally paid money for a light rail system in the late '60s. If the commissioners' action create the loss of $$$M's for Ben Franklin, we can expect that restoration of the service will cost MORE in the future. It's not even "penny wise, pound foolish."

well said Salomon

👏🏼

Taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilized society. Maybe we should only have volunteer fire and police departments. That would save the taxpayers millions of dollars!

👏 Way to go Solomon!

beautifully said

Nice job--Solomon!

ntd.data.gov for the data

Almost a quarter of the residents in Washington State don't have driver licenses, and there are many other folks who can't afford to drive or who have aged out of driving safely. We all need to be able to get around our communities safely.

we should be moving forward not back

transit prepares us for population growth

"the tax is so little its a crisis if we lose it" is irrational. its either too little or too large

or not important or too important

You got it!

Thanks Dale!

75 million dollars Bob

went off on a tangent, but I got my point across

And Frank runs the sound board at a state for Tumbleweed Music Festival

Not only does it help people get from place to place but it helps them do it safely. There are so many people that could not safely get to their destinations whether it’s because of age, disability, or other reason. Not only does it put them at ease but also puts their families at ease knowing their loved ones are safe and can get where they need to go.

Good point E

More than 128164 people commute to work in the TriCities, just 814 of those commute via transit. It's important, but just 0.6% of people commute via transit. Do we KNOW where these future cuts would happen? Does it affect 1 person or 15? What routes would be cut?

Bob why not improve the services so that more people can and will use it...?

Is it mutually exclusive?

They have lost ridership since 2008, 14 YEARS of losing people, while the region has grown by leaps and bounds

how can it improve with less resources?

BFT's vanpool programs is one of the best IN THE NATION

expand that, focus on routes that are productive and move people

dont charge people extra sales tax on inflated prices when they cant even afford to put food on the table

if prices go up 20%, people are paying 20% MORE just with keeping rates the same

to BFT

An economist and a transportation expert! I've never called 911--why should I pay those taxes?

we are not charging more, its a percentage of the rate, when costs go down we will have less revenue. BFT is actively working on getting vanpool improved, making routes better, to do those it costs money. Cutting the rate will not allow us to make those improvements

Your savings of $1.66 will come with a heavier price tag if the board decides to vote yes.

Sales tax is a percentage of the sales price, if the sales price goes up (9% inflation anyone?) you are paying 9% more on that same tax rate

its not rocket science..

If our air pollution gets any worse, we will be forced to reduce the number of drivers, especially to PNNL and Hanford.

You can argue all you want, but there is no denying that sales taxes on top of inflation is a recipe for disaster for many working families across the state/country.

Answer my question about police and fire--maybe we can move to "pay to play" style system. That would save my family way more $ than cutting Transit Funding!

Thank you Emily!!!

Great job Emily!!!

good job Emily?

Bob, you do realize they aren't talking about RAISING taxes right?

,!

so when inflation goes down, does it not mean payers will pay less? yes or no?

👍 Emily

Devin - they are proposing a temporary decrease

That's only one option on the table.

temporary - change it in a year, but right now people need relief from high prices and inefficient transit budgets

and a permanent decrease as well. maybe spend less time on rocket science and more on whats being proposed

Several members of this community rely heavily on the transportation services offered by Benton Franklin transit. People such as the homeless, business owners, employees, migrants, refugees and much much more. Feels like people with disabilities are always an afterthought.

Do it temporary, people need help to put food on the table

change it temporarily to lose out on $75mil?

Thank you Emily for an amazing summary of the usefulness of our transit services! 👏

the temporary decrease would have bigger implications than the less than $2 paid in taxes

a $1.66 is not relief tax payers will even notice for helping in costs

LOL its authority, not imposed taxes

read the bill

Let's cut police and fire also

You can propose it Russell..go for it, but need for police and fire are UP, while transit has been bleeding customers for the last 14 years

$1.66 a month can't buy food it can't even buy you a gallon of milk

Dave Simmons thank you!

I thought Rocket Scientists understood irony!

Britt - you obviously haven't had $1 in your account or overdrafts like many people have. Must be nice

People are hurting out there.

Why would you assume she hasn't?

from bft lawyer sounds like authority and imposed are the same. till the state AG otherwise there is no difference

$1.66 per month is not going to help them.

I cant wait for the AG to chime in!

overdrafts is a bank issue not transit.

Yes Devin!

Thank you Francesca, appreciate your expertise!

Roll the dice on the definition of authority without actually consulting those who know. So much smarts. But no loss for the assumers or those they care about.

Devin - youre losing dude. You are trying to argue that sales taxes aren't regressive and dont hurt people

wow tell it Francesca

Francesca, thank you!!!

why does it have to be transit that has to be cut? why not all other public services?

I agree - propose it.

Its just that transit has bled users for 14 years Devin

despite rapid population growth

people continue to pay high taxes for a service few use (0.6% per Census Bureau)

1/10 of 1 percent will be such a relief to me. I'll buy a pint of gas!

Way to say it Francesca

so make transit more appealing

they should!

but why do they need top dollar to do it...

we definitely don’t need money taken away

the are getting high taxes based on high ridership, but now they just have high taxes and low ridership

WA state is data driven

i keep seeing transit1 "bleeds" the tax payers but yet ive lived here since 2009 and have lived wit1h bare minimum wage with no effect.

if the data doesn't fit your story

the science

Lets cut the amount of money Franklin County can shell out to pay for claims of elected officials. That could fund things for a while.

Britteni ❤️

Is Clint Didier even still here on Zoom, listening to his constituents?

He also fights hard for big government farm subsidies which he doesn't oppose!

So if the board cuts the tax rate, that means the 300,000 residents of Benton and Franklin will get to keep $26.66 each/year, ($8 million/300,000), but now to figure out transportation for the vulnerable and transportation-deficient. That, to selfishly save $2.22 per month?

Great job Brit

Bob you work for Washington Policy Center

Very well put Britteni!

Solomon, update your google search bro

that was a long time ago

Excellent Britt, very heartfelt! Thank you!

or you could just ask me

Yep--out of state billionaire funded!

instead of trying to be sneaky ;-)

I have weak Google fu, no doubt, but still...

yea - I hear ya ;-)

It is crystal clear that the legislature did not want to provide funding for transit so agencies could reduce local funding. The one person per car commute to PNNL and Hanford is not sustainable. We will soon be forced to have bus lanes on 240 in order to reduce the number of cars and the resulting pollution.

im just bringing data tho, you are more than welcome to talk about it, discuss it etc. Im just talking about ridership statistics, money, census data, etc. Do with it what you will

Mr. Pishue, please worry about problems in Kirkland. The Coles Center for Transportation at Washington Policy Center has been known as an anti-transit organization for as long as I can remember. Are you still the director?

no

Who are you danny?

Bob Pishue thank you for being a perfect example of how foolish your side of the issue is.

thank you all for letting me share.

just imagine if BFT had a board that understood transit and wanted to improve it instead of padding their right-wing bona fides

Lap dogs for the rich!

How do you mute someone from this chat that you dont care to read messages from?

What routes would be cut again?

people are saying their routes would be cut. where is that published? i must have missed it

bob sounds like you dont live in this area so why does it matter to you?

Pishue is from the Washington Policy Center? Ha, ha, that explains a. lot.

something would have to be cut

i have family that continues to live there, i support them

we don't know which

Yeah Bob, what gives?

are you saying you wouldn't advocate for your family?

they spoke at the beginning of the meeting about restructuring and reduction of service.

Bob ain't even from here

I fought for my nieces school even though i didn't live there

i am advocating for my family. They use the transit service especially my daughter for DAR

i would fight for any one of my family/friends - sorry you cant say the same

Go home Bob LOL

laff

crazy you assume so quickly. go touch some grass and take a deep breath

Randy you with a paper?

we are advocating for our family our community is our family our community is our family.

exactly. my family is my community. they are hard hit by these sales taxes while the cost of goods and services are up 10%

they cant afford it anymore

youre pushing people out

tricitiesobserver.com

so 1.66 a month will help your family ?

Britt - yes.

That helps a lot of families that just straddle the line

Bob, you should know that your annoying and embarrassing yourself.

will you be advocating for the other public services to take a tax cut, for your family to help costs? or is it easy to pick on transit?

Give us a break Bob! Maybe they can get second and third jobs--pull themselves up by the boot straps. Isn't that what your side of the political spectrum tell poor black and brown people?

I just said, they have had ridership drop for 14 years

Go back to your cave, troll.

the data shows only 0.6% people take transit to work in the tricities per the Census Bureau, trips have fallen exponentially since 2008, 14 years ago

while revenues have increased

what more do you want?

I don’t see how the board, in good conscience and armed with any foresight and wisdom, can think that these two proposals are a good idea.

Yes, bus rapid transit now, before things get horrible. THanks ulises

kidney center patients need our service but if a 1.66 would help those families then that is your right to fight for them but I am fighting for peoples way of life to get to life saving treatment. thanks for your comments.

thank you ulises!

Eso ULISES

Orale

good points from another actual rider!

Thank you Cigdem!!!

Thanks Professor

the biggest feedback BFT receives is to expand to reach specific areas around the tri cities. which is what BFT has continuously done especially in past couple years, we dont ask for bonds for capital projects. More services, better/updated routes, and exposure will help increase ridership. Amazon and Dairy Gold are coming with giant centers and BFT is already planning on getting routes to those places. cut the rate and those would possibly be lost

tell it Kate

YES KATE!

thank you Kate.

KATE!!!!

Thank you Kate.

Thank you Odalys!!!

right on!

Thank you Austin

thank you Austin

thank you Austin

Thanks Austin

Well said Caleb

You rock Caleb

thank you Caleb

Thank you Caleb!

fantastic job caleb!

I wonder what Didier does with “excess funds”

sounds like Bloom is trying to... table this resolution?

For the record: Board remembers received at LEAST 215 letters from community members in the PTBA and letters in support of transit from WSU Tri cities and Columbia Basin Community college. I would encourage staff to deliver a report on those and other letters sent to the BFT Board that would be Public Record but could inform the board on community stances here

Navy Vet here too.

It's absolute that state funding will NOT be available if the agency cuts local funding.

Exactly Randy

Franklin County also oddly has two commissioners on this board. I'm not sure why but would love to hear an explanation.

Matthew...really? that's amazing

run Saturday and Sunday just like the rest of the week

Except from old Bob, from the "evil" west side 😊and the Washington Policy Center, I don't see any cutters in this chat.

people don't just have those days off or adjusted hours

they need us

thank you Richard for actually riding with us.

LOL Randy.....poor Bob

We don't need to be a transit system like Seattle? What does that mean?

Thank you Mr Bloom

thank you mr bloom

Thank you Mr. Bloom

thanks

Thank you Mr Taylor

If we cut the taxes here, and the state decides that means they cannot send us our grant money, that would mean the west side gets our money. Anyone that doesn't live here that wants us to chance loosing our money likely will gain what we lost and is automatically suspect in my eyes.

Then hold BFT accountable for that!

Don't take it out on the public

Since I've been on roads in Franklin County that haven't had any cars on it, perhaps by their logic people in Franklin County should pay less for roads and less roads should be built out there.

Do you think he has his gavel in his hand?

so work to expand BFT service to rural Franklin County...?

Exactly Solomon

And Prosser. And all over our region. We need money for that.

Why would we not work to expand the transit then? You want to help those people? let them have an option to save possibly hundreds in gas and car payments by taking the transit. Taking away funding and cutting service will do nothing but harm our community.

Who is they, that work out there in rural Franklin County?

Mr Didier let's make it better. I have a family of 5 and even if it was 1.66 each a month I'd happily give it up for my clients to get where they need to go. let's get buses out there let's fight for that all

People choose

🙄

Good job Clint!

Sounds like Didier is a fan of direct democracy rather than a representative republic.

Exactly

who would oppose more fuel efficient vehicles? the state grant money could help electrify the fleet

let’s see both motion die for lack of a second

👍Salomon

Good reasoning from Christensen.

YES!

yes!

Expansion to Franklin county

Didier's point about the folks working asparagus is well taken. What he misses is that a flexible, creative transit system could very well be able to meet the needs of some of those folks. Trade the 1.66 for a tankful of $4 gas? I think that's not a bad deal.

thank you Brad pressure makes a Dimond.

I agree with holding BFT accountable Beauchamp

So take the money, and spend the next 15 years coming up with ideas to make the transit self sufficient

Yes, think bigger picture!

board membership is a lot of responsibility

being a member of this community is a lot too

The Board is BFT's bosses. Your job is to help the Transit be more efficient.

help us be as efficient as we can with what we have, don’t hamstring us

Cut the local funding and we will not get state funding,

Thank you Kate

don’t tighten the budget, expand to use all the budget

so true!

Oh, come on. The legislation is clear.

Thank you Ed!

good point Ed

Thank you Ed

why would they give us money to improve with out the saying okay you can't take money away in hope that the state as a whole will cover the cost instead of the money being an extra to improve.

Thank you Ed!

Amen to in person

Good luck recruiting a GM to an agency under attack by its board.

yes in person please. we wish Ed was our gm permanently

Good point Francesca

Public comment is closed Jerry

good point Jerry.

Yeap

Thank you, Jerry.

by 2030

⚡️⚡️⚡️

Yes, thank you Jerry! We need to look to the future!

can staff clarify to when those resolutions are tabled to? To next months regularly scheduled board meeting?

Will items 9a from the agenda be on the agenda for May?

There technically wasn't a motion that was seconded to table the resolutions, so perhaps that was a misspeak.

^That's what I was wondering, I didn't hear a motion to table either

There was a motion, but there was never a call for a second or much of a chance for it to be seconded.

There we go. 😊

Wow, shocking.

I know ridership is up

I'm running with a almost full bus most of my shift

my route tapers off... and there will be changes to routes that aren’t populated

can agriculture businesses in rural Franklin county use Vanpool?

I believe so

as long as the trip starts within the transit benefit district

now we are about to see if the Board is seriously worried about saving working families some $$$...

have them get an ID like they have for seniors

Agree lyle

we could show people grace and compassion re letting “kids” ride free

that’s one option

but it needs to get figured out

school students can show school ID

just like cbc

Yes, agriculture businesses are able to utilize Vanpool. We currently have a couple of vans running to the Horse Heaven Hills.

but maybe we can agree to not let Fox News have any bearing on our decision making...?

good to know, Terry!

Schools already have many passes they give to students, both fixed route and DAR.

Perhaps there can be an annual pass schools can give to students vs the month passes they already have. They can verify the ages and status.