Who are the Critics?
Many people now recognize that rebuilding our roads and expanding
our highways cannot alone solve problems such as suburban flight
or congested roads. Funding for transportation projects is on the
rise as more American cities consider rail systems for their communities.
Yet mass transit still has its critics. CFTE has compiled the following
list of events, organizations and individuals that perpetuate common
transit myths using erroneous information. If you know of a transit
critic who is not listed here, please let us know so that we can
include their information and activities.
The "Preserving the American Dream" Coalition and Conference
The critics of public transportation, smart growth and planning
convened a national conference in Washington, D.C., in February,
2003. The conference, titled "Preserving the American Dream
of Mobility and Homeownership” drew close to 150 participants
from across the U.S. Organizers hope to repeat the event annually,
with the 2004 conference being planned for Portland, Oregon. Conference
goals included: (1) development of a new coalition to oppose the
smart growth movement.; (2) encourage the emergence of similar,
smaller regional conferences to be held across the country; and
(3) continue to build momentum for their movement through the creation
of an annual, national conference. The 2003 conference kicked-off
with a debate between transit critic Wendell Cox and the father
of "New Urbanism", Andres Duany. Themes discussed at the
conference included: identifying free market remedies to transportation
problems; demonstrating the failure of rail projects; "reclaiming"
the affordable housing debate; fighting restrictions on property
rights; outlining flaws in regional transportation, land-use and
growth plans; influencing local boards, elected officials, opposition
groups and allies; developing effective messages, media campaigns
and advertising strategies; and shaping state, local and national
public policies.
To view more information on the coalition, conference and their
future plans, visit: http://www.americandreamcoalition.org/
Opponent Organizations (In their own words)
American
Dream Coalition represents the outcome of the first
annual "Preserving the American Dream" conference held
in Washington, D.C. in February, 2003. Organizers of the conference
have developed plans for regional mini-conferences on themes of
smart growth, planning and public transportation. The website includes
resources for journalists, an opportunity to become a member of
the coalition and fact sheets on various public policy issues.
The
Buckeye Institute is a public policy research and education
institute, or think tank. As an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan
organization, its purpose is to provide Ohio's leaders and citizens
with new ways of thinking about problems facing our state and local
communities. The Institute's researchers and scholars focus on issues
such as education, taxes and spending, economic development, health
care, welfare, and the environment.
Georgia Public
Policy Foundation
the Foundation is the only private, nonpartisan research and education
organization in Georgia that focuses on state policy issues. The
Foundation's members are a diverse group of Georgians that share
a common belief that the solutions to most problems lie in a strong
private sector, not in a big government bureaucracy.
The Reason
Foundation was founded in 1978 in Los Angeles and is
a national research and educational organization that explores and
promotes the twin values of rationality and freedom as the basic
underpinnings of a good society. In advocating public policies based
upon individual liberty and responsibility and a free-market approach,
the Reason Foundation turns to practical policy research and insightful
commentary -- not idealistic rhetoric.
The
Independence Institute was founded in 1985 and is a
non-partisan, non-profit public policy research organization dedicated
to providing timely information to concerned citizens, government
officials, and public opinion leaders. The Institute addresses a
broad variety of public policy issues from a free-market, pro-freedom
perspective.
The Reason
Public Policy Institute conducts research which fuses
theory and practice to craft workable policy changes that foster
individual responsibility, choice, and competition. RPPI believes
that a dynamic world, conducive to discovery and innovation, is
essential to prosperity and human progress. RPPI's work involves
six main areas: privatization and government reform, environment,
transportation, education, land use and economic development and
social policy.
The
Public Purpose is run by Wendell Cox Consultancy. Its
mission is "to facilitate the ideal of government as the servant
of the people by identifying and implementing strategies to achieve
public purposes at a cost that is no higher than necessary."
The Public Purpose focuses on issues of international public policy,
demographics, economics and transport.
The CATO
Institute was founded in 1977 and is a nonpartisan
public policy research foundation headquartered in Washington, D.C.
The Institute is named for Cato's Letters, libertarian pamphlets
that helped lay the philosophical foundation for the American Revolution.
The Institute strives to achieve greater involvement of the intelligent,
concerned lay public in questions of policy and the proper role
of government.
Cascade
Policy Institute is Oregon's premier policy research
center. Its mission is to promote innovative, voluntary, market-oriented
solutions to Oregon's policy problems. Cascade combines sound theory
with practical application to develop policy alternatives that strengthen
Oregon's economy, support personal responsibility, and secure individual
freedom.
The
Heritage Foundation was founded in 1973 and is a research
and educational institute - a think tank - whose mission is to formulate
and promote conservative public policies based on the principles
of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional
American values, and a strong national defense.
Individual Critics:
Randal O’Toole, Executive Director of Oregon’s
Thoreau Institute (http://www.ti.org).
His publications include: ISTEA: A Poisonous Brew for America’s
Cities; Light Rail Myths and Realities; The Vanishing Automobile;
and Light Rail: Yesterday’s Technology Tomorrow. O’Toole’s
background is in economics, and prior to being energized by Portland’s
Urban Growth Boundary, he worked mainly on forest issues and against
the federal subsidization of logging. He was the primary organizer
of the February 2003 transit critics conference, "Preserving
the American Dream."
Wendell Cox, a self-employed privatization proponent
who lives in the St. Louis area who has written attacks on transit
and Amtrak for the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the
Highway Users Alliance and others. His work includes the Cato publication
False Dreams and Broken Promises: The Wasteful Federal Investment
in Mass Transit and has continued with numerous op-eds, seminars
and radio and TV appearances in communities considering new transit
investments. Cox has authored reports for the Wisconsin Policy Center
and the James Madison Institute attacking the proposed Milwaukee
rail system and the Florida Overland Express high speed rail project.
Cox’s background as an expert is derived from his appointment
to the old Los Angeles County Transportation Commission as a citizen
member. He has been employed by various conservative and road building
groups over the years. Cox is also known for his anti-Portland and
transit-bashing website, (http://www.publicpurpose.com),
which Peter Gordon has cited in his presentations.
John Semmens, a fellow at Phoenix's Goldwater
Institute. His major contribution so far is the report
"Public Transit: A Worthwhile Investment?" The report
was an attempt to de-rail the Phoenix Transit 2000 initiative, which
called for a .4 percent tax increase to expand bus service and build
a light rail line there. The ballot measure was approved in March
of 2000. Semmens' report includes a number of fact sheets, including
"A Declining Industry", "A Financial Disaster",
"A Blight on the Economy", and "A Failure Everywhere."
Robert Poole, President of the Reason Foundation.
He and others at the Reason Foundation have published detailed attacks
on the Los Angeles MTA’s rail projects and on transit investments
in general. Poole came to Phoenix before the 1997 referendum to
attack the proposed regional transit system at seminars and on the
radio. This visit created negative coverage in several local media
outlets, including the Arizona Republic, which was otherwise in
favor of the project.
Stephen Mueller of the Independence Institute
played a role in undermining support for the 1997 referendum on
the Denver light rail project with his paper Light Rail In Denver:
Taking Taxpayers for a Ride and numerous appearances in the local
media.
John Charles of the Cascade Policy Institute
in Oregon began as an environmentalist and has evolved into a libertarian
who promotes congestion pricing and attacks transit and planned
growth. His recommendations include: "Local transit taxes should
be abolished, Oregon’s ties to federal government transit funding
should be terminated, and publicly owned transit assets should be
auctioned off. Stop any further spending on publicly owned urban
rail systems." He also travels to spread the word: the Phoenix
Business Journal reported that "... Charles was invited to
Phoenix by the Goldwater Institute."
Peter Samuel, editor of the self-published Toll Roads
Newsletter, wrote a piece for the Reason Foundation which
makes the case that one can build one’s way out of congestion.
Samuel is a libertarian and an advocate of building toll roads and
converting existing highways to toll roads as a solution to transportation
problems. His past work includes writings for the Cato Institute
promoting highway privatization, and he is also associated with
something called the Sutherland Institute, and has joined the fray
over Salt Lake City’s light rail proposal, arguing that the
absence of rail has been a reason for growth in the West.
Other main actors include Peter Gordon and Harry
Richardson of the University of Southern California, Charles
Lave of the University of California at Irvine, Steven
Hayward of the Commonwealth Foundation in Pennsylvania,
and others.
The Highway Lobby
The
Road Information Program (TRIP) is a 501 (c) (6) organization
sponsored by "equipment manufacturers, distributors and supplies,
and businesses involved in highway engineering, construction and
financing" -- in short, by the highway building industry. (http://http://www.tripnet.org/).
The
American Highway Users Alliance is the lobbying arm
of the automotive and highway industries, (it was founded by General
Motors in the 1940s). The President of the AHUA is William D. Fay.
While not a transportation or smart growth expert, he has extensive
experience in negative PR campaigns, having led the industry campaign
on the renewal of the Clean Air Act in 1990 and having led the manufacturing
lobby’s campaign to limit product liability. ( http://www.highways.org
)
The American
Automobile Association (AAA) is best known for its
excellent road service, and is primarily a service provider to its
subscribers. However, the AAA also has a long history of lobbying
for more roads to the exclusion of other transportation modes.
The American
Road and Transportation Builders Association is the
main lobbying arm of asphalt, concrete, steel and engineering companies.
While their members mainly build roads, some also build transit
systems, so their rhetoric tends to be more pro-road and less anti-transit.
(http://www.artba.org)
The Pro-Sprawl Lobby
Pro-Sprawl
Players
Funny thing…..anti-transit people tend to also be pro-sprawl.
After reviewing Sprawl Watch Clearinghouse’s list of pro-sprawl
players, one begins to understand the “other” perspective.
Other Resources
Transport-Policy
Yahoo Group
A favorite meeting place for critics of public transportation, this
group has dozens of postings a day.
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