Letters to the editor

The ATU wants “transparency” by having open public meetings for all who are interested in seeing and hearing how the public money is really being spent.

The ATU wants to include “all journalists”, not those who are handpicked by Tri-Met management, (like the Oregonian and Lars Larson who are biased), to be able to attend and report on the negotiation meetings honestly and ethically.


Tri-Met does not want to negotiate the contract in good faith as they claim, by trying to thwart the ATU’S legal rights to record all meetings and by hiring a known attorney whose sole reputation is built on braking up unions.

Tri-Met has created an unsafe and hostile working environment with their lies about the employees blaming them for Tri-Mets financial woes. The employees are the escape goats for Neil McFarland bad administration skills and he, the board and the governor should be the ones to blame.

Tri-Met was once an impressive transit district, admired by many, that served the public effectively and safely but, Neil McFarland and Fred Hanson together have ran the agency into the ground because of cronyisms and their rail agenda.

Tri-Met doesn’t really care about the safety of the public who ride the buses or they would create schedules that really reflect today’s traffic, customer diversity and the ADA.

Tri-Met has enabled a whole community who think they can get on the bus or train and ride for free, do and say as they please but have alienated the paying customer from taking public transit.

Tri-Met has dodged their responsibility in educating the public on how to ride and be in and around the bus safely and bends over backwards to the lawless bicycle riders.

Tri-Mets new 3000 series busses that resemble light rail trains are a huge safety concern to all drivers. They include many blind spots and poor operating design. Yes they look pretty but they are an accident ready to happen and it will be the driver who will get all the blame and Tri-Met will take none of the responsibility.

Tri-Met has financially neglected the buses, mechanics are now having to cannibalize other busses to get parts and created another health hazard by cutting back on keeping them clean inside.

Tri-Mets new motto should be “Its’ if we ever get you there”!