Letters to the editor

Reading the article on TriMet in Saturday's paper reminded me again of one reason things never change ("Shake-up pushed for embattled TriMet," March 23).
The excuse of giving managers more money not because they have done anything special but because they might leave is used over and over by taxpayer-funded agencies as a justification for raises. But when these entities fail to implement effective policies or can't provide adequate services within their budget limitations, why do we want to make sure that their decision-makers are kept?
I bet there are lots of qualified people ready to fill the shoes of the rare manager who would actually give up his or her job without a salary increase in tough times. If this happened, it might even open up the door to fresh thinking.
JOAN STEARNS
Southwest Portland 

State Rep. Chris Gorsek's House Bill 3316 to allow the region's local governments to appoint members to TriMet's board of directors does not go far enough.
The directors should be elected by the citizens of TriMet's service area. Political appointments would just lead to another insulated group influenced by favoritism and cronyism.
This is, after all, a travesty perpetrated by TriMet officials on a tri-county area, and it should be solved by the people who have suffered at their hands.
ED ZUMWALT
Milwaukie 

The board of directors for a public transit agency should be elected by the voters in the transit service area.
School board members are elected by their district's voters. Why not give the same power to the voters for transit agency boards?
PAULETTE ROSSI
Northeast Portland