Anti-Rail Gang of Four Mangles Truth Yet Again

Dear Civil Beat:

I've just read the new material posted at Civil Beat this morning that was written by Mr. Cliff Slater and signed off by Messrs. Roth, Heen and Cayetano (that surely is how it came about) and find once again the assertion that "the City admitted in the EIS (in 2010) that 'traffic congestion will be worse in the future with rail than it is today without rail,' but late is better than never." In other words, Mr. Slater is saying the city withheld facts from the public about rail’s effect on traffic congestion until “admitting” it in the Environmental Impact Statement.

The Yes2Rail post I wrote to you about last night contained the transcript of a radio program nearly 3 years ago in which the city's Wayne Yoshioka and Mr. Slater talked openly about what the true level of congestion would be and when. In his Civil Beat post today, Mr. Slater continues his charade about Mr. Yoshioka finally "admitting" something in 2010 that the city has openly discussed in the public media for years.

Mr. Slater even agreed emphatically with Mr. Yoshioka on that radio show that congestion would not be reduced from current levels but that traffic congestion on streets and highways will be less with rail than without it. But he insisted the public believes traffic will be reduced from current levels, and as "proof" of that, he cited the response to the 2008 Advertiser public opinion survey question that was flawed because of its wording, as I'm sure you must agree when you read it. The result: garbage in, garbage out. Mr. Slater continues to rely on garbage information.

Does Civil Beat see what's happening here? Decades ago, propagandists said if a lie is told often enough, it will become "truth." Professor Roth's theatrics on KIPO last week is proof the tactic works. Said Professor Roth: “Shame on the city for not making clear to the public what it has admitted reluctantly to the federal government, which is, quote, traffic congestion will be worse in the future with rail than what it is today without rail.”

Reluctantly admitted? Only to the federal government? That is shibai. Here’s the link to the audio file of the radio program, provided for your convenience, which makes a mockery of that charge.

Mr. Slater has told this particular untruth for so long he apparently has forgotten how long ago the city truthfully used the public media to describe the rail project's goals and the project’s effects on future traffic reduction — less with rail than without it.

Thank you for Civil Beat’s willingness to report the truth.