HOW TRIMET CONS THE PUBLIC

We can see in this streetcar budget proposal the type of misinformation and intentional misleading of public opinion:

Contribution to the Streetcar is $9.3M, prior contribution was $6M. Initial planned contribution was $9.6M, the $300k difference has been portrayed by TriMet as a cut. OPAL seems to regard the Streetcar (and TriMet's contribution thereto) as a luxury item and a waste of money, and appears to skeptical of TriMet getting too much involved in getting into the land-use business, and appears to be opposed to some (if not all) of this subsidy. The increase is due to the upcoming opening of the Eastside Streetcar. TriMet's position is that its funding of the Streetcar is essentially the same amount of money that it would take to provide equivalent bus service on the route.