Local 265 Letter
To the Voters of CA-16:
I am writing about an insensitive mailer sent to you by Sam Liccardo’s billionaire friend, former
Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is trying to buy Sam a seat in Congress.
Bloomberg’s political action committee, Neighbors for Results, produced a mailer to the voters
of this congressional district, painting a revisionist picture of Sam’s record on bringing the
community together in the wake of a tragic event.
Here’s the truth:
In the wake of the May 2021 shooting at the VTA bus yard, when rail service was suspended so
workers could process what had happened to their colleagues, Sam used this tragic moment to
suggest to my predecessor John Courtney, the president of ATU Local 265 that “it would be a
great time to pivot from rail to bus as a cost-saving measure.”
When tragedy strikes, real leaders demonstrate their best attributes. When that moment came
for Sam, he showed that he lacked basic empathy and understanding of the hurt in his
community. He tried to leverage this moment for politics. He was nowhere to be found to be part
of a productive solution.
It is a pattern of behavior from Sam when it comes to transit workers. In his six years on the VTA
board, Sam did not do a single thing to protect frontline workers, expand service, and set
policies for stronger internal checks and balances.
I want to make a finer point: No one consulted those affected by this tragic shooting before
using it in a political mailer. They were forced to relive one of the darkest days of their lives
because Sam’s allies were trying to take advantage of their pain to score political points. It is
insensitive and wrong. I hope Sam and his allies issue a public apology.
As we enter the final days of this contentious race, I want to highlight Sam’s lack of leadership
here at home– despite what ads and mailers might claim.
Judge Sam by his results and record, not on all of the rhetoric Michael Bloomberg is trying to
sell you on.
Sincerely,
Raj Singh
ATU Local 265
ATU LOCAL 265
1590 La Pradera Ave Campbell, CA 95008
