Items R Us

The report was prepared by special counsel James Wagstaffe and Jim Hartnett (former CEO of SamTrans and Caltrain), who were hired to analyze the history of SamTrans’ management of the railroad.

The report goes into considerable detail, but, as they say in the polling business, here is the topline:

“For more than three decades, the managing agency model has proved successful for Caltrain. Pre-pandemic, Caltrain was one of the most efficiently run commuter rail services in the entire country, and its post-pandemic ridership growth is an industry leader today,” the report said.

“To abandon the managing agency model today would likely double Caltrain’s current $75 million operating deficit in one-time costs, plus further increase Caltrain’s annual operating costs by over $100 million in just five years.”

This misguided mess has been the pet project of representatives from San Francisco and Santa Clara County, led by San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton. He has yet to offer an explanation why this breakup should go forward. The inescapable conclusion is that he is pushing for it solely out of regional arrogance and ego.

In either case, at the next Caltrain meeting, someone needs to get Walton on record in reaction to this report and to explain why he thinks it is necessary to dismantle a successful regional transit management.

CLEANUP ON AISLE FOUR: My mild dig last week at U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin about boycotting the State of the Union address while urging us “not to look way,” prompted him to note via text: “I wasn’t at home sitting on the couch for SOTU. We can assume (President Trump) will do anything in his power to undermine the 2026 election balloting & certification.”

So, he spent the evening with colleagues at alternative protest/boycott events outside the U.S. Capitol. “The threat to democracy this fall is palpable and I feel the urgency to call it out in any way I can,” Mullin said. Probably just as well. It was clear Trump only wanted to use the Democrats as props in his reality/awards show.

Mullin, by the way, has endorsed Bay Area colleague Rep. Eric Swalwell in the crowded race for governor. … So has San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller. With characteristic, um, even-handedness, Mueller also has endorsed San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who also is running for governor. It is a top-two primary, Muller says, so … a fund-raising event for Swalwell has been scheduled for late April in San Mateo. On the host committee: former San Mateo Councilmember Joe Goethals, former Belmont Councilmember Charles Stone, Burlingame Councilmember Donna Colson and heavy-hitting attorneys Joe Cotchett and Nanci Nishimura.

IN THE RUNNING: Assistant Assessor-Clerk-Recorder and Elections Chief Jim Irizarry is formally in the race for the office’s top job, despite efforts to discourage him by some supporters of Supervisor David Canepa. Irizarry filed the necessary paperwork at the end of February, including the formation of a campaign committee. The rumor is that Irizarry will self-fund his own campaign, which, as more than one political insider has noted, is not a good look.

This is not quite on the money, Irizarry said. “I am going to fundraise for this election,” he said. “I will loan the campaign seed money to start the campaign, and go as far as I can.”

As has been noted, three supervisors — Jackie Speier, Noelia Corzo and Mueller — are lined up behind Irizarry, but among political insiders there is some skepticism they will expend much of their own political capital in this race.

AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR: Speaking of Canepa, he was a no-show at this week’s Board of Supervisors’ retreat at CuriOdyssey at Coyote Point, where his colleagues talked about how they can work together better and set priorities for the rest of this year.

Observers say the meeting was warm and collegial, aided by the absence of Canepa. … Canepa was there in spirit. Mueller proposed a board policy to restrict individual supervisors from issuing “proclamations” that appear with the county’s official seal. There is, of course, only one supervisor who has sent these things out in large numbers to friends and supporters.