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July 29, 2008
Boards should be representin’
Tags: rt, sacramento, transit, transportationRT Rider has a terrific post up about how the Regional Transit Board of Directors doesn’t use transit. Specifically, RT Rider asked the members of the Board whether they used transit and received responses from five of the eleven members, mostly listing excuses for not using transit that, while valid, miss the point.
Why do they miss the point? Because Boards of Directors are supposed to support the organizations they direct. In the non-profit world, the Board of Directors is supposed to be a cheerleader for the organization, with members speaking on behalf of the organization, advocating for it, and raising money. As I see it, this also means the Board must have an intimate understanding of the organization it directs and, in the case of Regional Transit, this means riding the bus. Not just light rail either. Ride the bus. And it means standing up for transit in their respective chambers or, as RT rider put it, “take transit back to their ‘day’ jobs.”
But unlike a non-profit Board, RT’s Board is made up of elected officials, no doubt because RT’s charter insists that they be there. That means that, for each city council or county board of supervisors involved, somebody has to draw the short straw and serve.
If RT’s Boardmembers aren’t willing to experience the services RT provides, then perhaps they should step aside for others who do care.
Or maybe RT should consider a change to its charter. It might be time to include non-elected officials on the Board. It might be time to include a few RT consumers on the Board or even *gasp* create an elected Board of Directors.
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At the time I wrote the email to the Regional Transit board, I suggested to The Sacramento Bee editorial board that it should join the effort to convince RT’s board of its responsibility to promote transit. I included the then-new editor, Melanie Sill. This is the response I received:
I’ve been waiting since I was laid off by The Bee for the opportunity to resurrect this topic. The meeting Monday provided it. It is still a topic worthy of The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board and everyone else interested in transit.
July 30, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
Very interesting topic you’ve raised about the board not fully supporting RT. It’s unfortunate the apparent lack of support offered in Sill’s response. It’s at least something they should feel the need to investigate….
July 31, 2008 @ 7:17 pm