Trimet (and Portland) is run by what author Thomas Frank calls a "professional class" of neoliberal technocrats who represent the interests of an "intellectual elite" who have no concern for the fact that their policies are worsening economic conditions for those on the bottom of the economic ladder. Light rail is one of the more obvious examples of neoliberal Trimet. Not only does light rail make millions for construction moguls and professional 'planners', the developer class makes more millions as they install various "sustainable developments" around the light rail. Furthermore light rail attracts the so called "choice riders" who certainly are the people that need government help the least. Transit agencies around the USA have changed their missions from providing transit to people that actually need it to fostering property development. Trimet is the world leader in this movement and technocrats (agents of the elite) come to Portland from all over the world to learn about their methods.
Trimet officials, knowing that OPAL would be pushing for a discounted fare for poor people hired its very own consultant to prepare their own report. (nobody at Trimet actually does any work which is why everything seems to be contracted out). Trimet officials are stonewalling on a discounted fare the same way they stonewalled the extended transfer time.
The public has little understanding that their transit agency is controlled by business/government interests. The Trimet board of directors is all comprised from the technocratic class, political cronies, and special interest business "leaders". Its no mistake that there are no transit dependent riders on the Trimet board and its certainly no mistake that there is not even a "rider advisory committee" at Trimet.
Trimet funnels millions upon millions of cold hard cash through its bureaucracy and the "little people" are not invited into that process.
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