Political Asymmetry

On Wednesday the Antiplanner expressed disappointment that St. Louis voters agreed to triple the sales tax so the region’s transit agency can go on another rail construction spree. In response, faithful opponent Dan commented that, “the voting-age population again has…um…different…priorities than the collection of white conservative males who consistently oppose these ballot questions.”

The Antiplanner respectfully disagrees. Instead, what I see is a powerful asymmetry in rail transit elections. On one hand, it is easy for a transit agency to put a measure to build rail transit on the ballot. Usually, the agency has to do nothing more than have its board of directors pass a resolution. On the other hand, it is very difficult for the public to put a measure on the ballot to stop rail transit. At best, they can do so by collecting tens of thousands of signatures. Many states don’t even provide that option.

Many transit agencies also have discretion to choose when to hold the election, and in the St. Louis case it clearly decided to have the election in an off-month of an off-year when turnout would be low. Barely 150,000 people voted in this year’s election vs. more than 500,000 in the November, 2008, election in which voters rejected Metro’s tax increase.

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