SFMTA board slammed for resistance in renaming Chinatown station, fare hikes, and lack of Asian representation
San Francisco’s local transportation policy-making board has some independent power in transit-related decisions, but the elected Board of Supervisors still found a way to punish this mayor’s appointed government body, based on the two boards’ unpleasant disagreements on policy issues.
Cristina Rubke, a disability rights advocate and attorney serving on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency(SFMTA) board, was denied the four-year term renewal by the supervisors. She was nominated in 2012 by late Mayor Ed Lee and was nominated this year by the Mayor London Breed.
Six supervisors, just enough for a majority out of 11 board members, cast the “no” votes in Rubke’s nomination, not specifically because of Rubke’s qualification, but to send a political message.
Two outspoken supervisors slammed their transportation counterparts for being unwilling to listen and follow, while another supervisor criticized the lack of Asian members on the board.
“We passed two nearly-unanimous resolutions”, Supervisor Hillary Ronen said during a meeting, “and both of those resolutions are basically ignored by this MTA board”.
One of the resolutions was urging the MTA board to rename the Chinatown subway station to “Chinatown-Rose Pak” Station in 2019, and the other one was asking the MTA board not to raise the public transit fares this year during the pandemic.
With resistance among the members, the MTA board still passed the controversial renaming of the Chinatown subway station. Rubke was one of the three votes against the renaming.
But this year, the supervisors’ resolution failed to stop the public transit fare hikes, which is controlled by the MTA board.
“It just doesn’t sit well with me”, Ronen said with strong concern, “that opinion when is so overwhelming at this Board of Supervisors, it’s just ignored by the MTA board”.
Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who has been considering taking back the MTA independent legislative authority by launching a city charter amendment ballot measure, followed Ronen’s outrage. “The only ‘check and balance’ that we have, really comes through the nomination and confirmation process”, Peskin referred to the limited power that the supervisors can directly influence the MTA board.
“I think the best way to send and enforce that message, and really fulfill our obligation”, said Peskin, is “voting ‘no’ on this nomination”.
The third supervisor turned the spearhead on diversity. “There’s a lack, in fact, there is zero Asian representation on the MTA board”, said Supervisor Sandra Fewer, who is an Asian American and advocate for Asian representations on the city’s commission seats.
Fewer thanked Rubke’s services and work, but still couldn't support her appointment.
Mayor’s office expressed disappointment on the supervisors' voting, citing Rubke’s well-respected work record and her qualification.
The last Asian member on the MTA board was Lee Hsu, a Taiwanese immigrant and community activist. He left the board in 2019.
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The Chinese language version of the story appeared on the World Journal on May 14, 2020.
