by Joe Buffaloe
Daily Lobo columnist
There's something neat about streetcars.
This notion got drilled into my head early. Maybe it has something to do with a promotional video from the San Francisco tourism board or the land of make-believe on "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood." Remember that little trolley that went through his house? Yeah, that meant puppets were coming.
My nostalgic feelings toward streetcars do not mean I want them in Albuquerque, though.
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The City Council recently passed an extension on a tax that will go toward constructing streetcars. The project, with an estimated construction cost of $270 million, would consist of streetcars going from Nob Hill to the Biopark by 2009, and later to the airport. One could argue that this is for the sake of public transport, but more buses already run to these locations than to anywhere else.
With our virtually useless city bus system, these funds should be going to general public transport, not a cute, overpriced whim of Mayor Chávez.
Taxes are meant for vital services. In a city with shameful student dropout rates, low teacher salaries and high crime and poverty rates, why should we waste funds on a public relations project to promote Downtown? Downtown will only gain vitality on its own - publicly funded projects can dress it up, but they can't teach it to dance. Besides, this project seems like it's for the benefit of tourists, not city residents. Old Town and museums are nice, but how does a trolley to these places help me buy groceries when my car is in the shop? I like seeing the roses at the Botanical Gardens as much as the next guy, but how does a streetcar there help me get a job across town, increasing my employment opportunities when I don't have my own transportation? The answer is it doesn't.
With so many people to help in this town, it's a shame to see the city turning its back on us and paying attention to its image instead - after all, the idea of a trolley has more to do with shiny, red paint than with providing a
public service.
Even worse is the way in which this tax has been implemented on Albuquerque residents. Rather than put the tax to a public vote, as about 50 protesters advocated at La Cueva High School on Monday, the city decided to just pass it for us. Why? Because it knows we would vote it down. This idea is being forced onto us in a profoundly undemocratic way, meant to pad rÇsumÇs of politicians while our wallets are callously lightened.
Chávez is also seeking funding from the state, but if he gets it, I'll be profoundly disappointed. What would you rather see - the state giving Albuquerque money for a cute item in a tourist brochure or Zimmerman Library getting extra funds to prevent future fires? Would you rather see more rural roads paved throughout the state or have a choice between a bus and a streetcar when you visit
the zoo?
If somebody handed me $270 million, I could think of a lot of things better to spend it on than a streetcar system - especially if I were an elected official charged with the duty to help the city's most needy.
