VTA prepares abandoned fleet for auction to recover taxpayer dollars
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.พ. 2024
- The VTA is starting to take first steps to properly retire 95 paratransit cars and vans after a recent report by NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit. Candice Nguyen reports.
#VTA #SanJose #BayArea #InvestigativeUnit
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I'd bet $100 there's a financial or family connection between the dealer who sold them these cars and someone who approved the purchase.
Who owns the land they're being stored on? Another connection?
@@IDYLBERRY Exactly. Someone had to know about this.
add a politician and a shady NGO for the parlay
And the high bidder at auction too
It’s like a spider Webb
Cindy Chavez is the longterm chairman of the board at VTA. This happened under her watch. SHE is the one who needs to acknowledge accountability.
She NEEDS to get FIRED !!!!!!!!!! The buck stops with HER .... Let's NOT be BS'ed about FAULT here , by a fast talking public figure !!!!
The chairman was _unaware_ for 4 years??
_Mistakes were made_
she sounds like a typical gaslighting californian. bunch of word salad to make excuses and of course blame the coof.
I’m Sorry for you to have to go through this . 🙏
🙏
How do you not know you have 100 cars?
By being incompetent.
Makes me wonder what else they are “not aware of”
Too busy buying stuff (on the internet) with a $300k annual paycheck
Union worker saying " Not MY job"
They're all in for themselves..they don't give a crap about the public.
For years, no one asked, "hey, what are all these boxes full of car keys?"
Not my job, man.
These are eight year degree people they don't think like that
"Speaking with staff about new processes to ensure agency staff is reminded about retired vehicles." I guess no one noticed that parking lot full of cars in four years.
This "process" crap is just accountability dodging, as I'm sure that even after they pay big bucks to have some connected outfit devise such a such a process, there will be some other excuse and of course no one will be responsible as to why that process wasn't somehow initiated.
What is amazing is that there are still cars in San Fransisco that need catalytic converters. I would have thought those hippie communists would only allow those butterfly powered battery guzzlers in the city by now.
We used public money to buy them and now we need public money to sell them. And I’m sitting looking for a job while these fools don’t do theirs. Stunning.
Meanwhile, they raise gas taxes and vehicle registration fees! 😠
And, the TAXPAYERS KEEP bending over and taking MORE of this "Criminal misuse of Taxpayer MONEY" .......... WHY ???????
What kills me is that so many people needed and STILL NEED TRANSPORT that are simply being ignored, denied. And the taxpayers are paying for this service.
We should fire everyone and close all these departments and simply pay for people's Ubers when they need a ride.
These are retired vehicles, though. They were no longer being used and were supposed to have been auctioned off years ago.
Why don't those people buy a car then?
Would not be surprised at 5 cents on the dollar - if that. They look good, but there is that old saying about lipstick on pigs.
@@mikeprice4103 are you stupid?
Could you imagine having the audacity to be interviewed and thanking a news station for letting you know you're completely incompetent at your job. Anyone with some moral character would resigned immediately.
Moral character is not a requisite for that job
They are shameless liars.
So something goes wrong or a mistake is made and you want the boss to immediately run away and not try to fix the problem? No wonder things are so messed up in the US these days, nobody wants to fix problems. If your roof needs repairs you don't sell your house and run away, you fix it.
For sure….it wasn’t like 4 or 5 cars.
Or a half a grain of sense! VOTE THEM OUT
So the chief is not aware of the issue? Millions of dollars misspent and not aware of it?
😂🤣😅
Have you ever been a chief? If so did you know every single thing that went on, at every location, at every level in the organization?
Yeah didn't think so.
This is a big screw up, but it's the fault of some mid-level manager, not the person at the top. The top dog has the responsibility to fix this however, and firing people would be a good start. And the dollars weren't "misspent" - the cars did their jobs until they were worn out. The issue was not disposing of them in a timely manner.
A full parking lot must have paid someone.
@@Hybridog The "chief" is responsible for ensuring that systems are in place and that people are held accountable. Obviously, she is just parking herself here until the time is right for another run at a higher political office.
I bet she knows exactly the day that fat pension kicks in.
A few years ago I suddenly remembered that I had 100 cars parked down the road and boy oh boy did I feel silly.
Seriously though ... 100K miles, abandoned and out on the weather for 4+ years, parts potentially stolen (cats, etc), flat batteries in unknown condition, non-running and no way to test drive prior to sale ... these cars are going to sell cheap - a very small fraction of what they are hoping for. I recommend anyone who buys 1 to buy 3, so you have spare parts and a chance to scavenge together 1 "good" vehicle.
I'll give them 100 bucks; for the whole lot...
bro you would be surprised the idoits bidding sight un seens
hear is a good idea have all the cars inspected, make sure there conditions are good for a year, this auction thing will turn out to be another nightmare regardless who took over . forget the auction cars that have way to much city mileage you want to recover the money forget it fix the cars and give the cars away to the people who do not have a car raffle the vehicles off because it will cost you more tax payers dollars to cover your screw up tv event went out the window the people are not buying it
I actually might be interested in the auction. Toyotas last a long time (Honda too), so having 100,000 miles on them is only half of their total lifetime. Getting parts won't be an issue since Toyota still makes them. The big issue for me is them sitting idle for 4 years, especially that battery.
@@alansnyder8448 A car that sat for 4 years is a no-go for me. It would be better to buy one from a private party who has driven it recently.
Good job Cindy Chavez!! Once again you failed to do your job properly! Nothing really changes with you and your cronies!
FIRE her , NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Time to vote her out !!!
If you're not a mechanic you need deep pockets to deal with the problems of purchasing a vehicle that's been sitting for 4yrs. My bet would be the majority of the those batteries will need replacing.
Affirmative action!!! Hire a woman, what could go wrong!!!!?
Nobody will be held accountable.
It's TIME to CHANGE that !!!! FIRE those in charge.... starting with the Woman interviewed !!!!!!!
MAKE these fools "ACCOUNTABLE" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You get it. Nobody will be held accountable.
Nope. If anything, she's going to get a cush gig somewhere else after the dust settles.
VTA's board clearly aren't doing their jobs if they had no idea they had 100+ abandoned vehicles.
A board member not knowing what's going on, surprise surprise.
It’s nice to see investigative journalism.
Nearly 4 years sitting idle? Those batteries are toast, and the cars are worth less than the cost of a new battery.
"Speaking with VTA staff" isn't good enough. Somebody needs to get fired. 😠
Jailed and forbidden to ever draw a publicly funded payday ever again!
A strongly worded Reprimand is in order!
They probably were fired or retired so just kept quite
Thats the American way!! Punish everyone and everything but yourself!
Jail time.
we need accountability
No one cares the bay area is one of the most corrupt places on planet earth
BINGO .... And that "Supervisor" FIRED !!!!!!!!!!!! at the very least ......
What's "accountability?" 😁
The politicians and bureaucrats do not care about “ accountability” since they know that San Franciscans will vote for them anyway regardless of what they do.
She knew those cars were there the whole time. She just got called out by the news report! You can see that in her demeanor!
She didn't know about them? That might be worse than them actually sitting there.
She is "Clueless" .... Just "listen" to her "Line of BS" ........ It tells anyone with a brain that she is trying to just "cover it up", .... Make it go away !!!!!!!!!!!! Make HER "Go Away" ..... FIRE her !!!
How many more vehicles like these that belongs to the city government and abandoned? Such a waste of taxpayers’ money
No..they DO NOT belong to thr government....they belong to the tax payers.
She needs to step down
No .... FIRE her butt !!!!!!!!!!!!
Incompetence personified
Not incompetence, it's corruption.
Thank you NBC bay area investigates’ team!
They're only there acting as advertising😢🤮🙄
This is why journalism is important.
Cindy got caught so now she's aware lol.
Typical Cindy….. 😂😂😂
That lady ISN'T aware of ANYTHING .... Just how to Mislead the TAXPAYERS of how SHE DIDN'T DO her JOB !!!!!!!!!
Typical incompetent “other than”
But she did talk to staff so it's resolved :)
In the private sectors unused cars sitting on lots is a huge liability. Storage, insurance, inventory tax, security, depreciation, etc. They would have been sold years ago.
"Lot rot" is a thing.
I bought a delivery truck from a very large company, i paid for it and a year later i got the title ,
Where is the county auditor?
Asleep in the back, just finishing the last 5 hours of overtime.
Sleeping with her.....
I’m a disabled army vet in a electric wheelchair and the correct vehicles are impossible to find and really expensive,this is crazy.
One of those caravans would be what you’re looking for. The 3.6 Chrysler engine is a good motor. An oil and trans flush and a shakedown and one of those vans ought to be ok. The big thing is no rock salt exposure in Cali. It’s one of the biggest reasons we try to find our used and collector cars from there. A muscle car that lived its life in Cali will always be in better condition
I am shocked utterly shocked to find abandoned vehicles at VTA.
😂
😂😂😂 you obviously don’t have a clue how useless VTA board are and how useless Cindy is as a county supervisor.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
They really are incompetent - imagine what could have been done using custom ride share software. These types of vehicles can't sit indefinitely. Moving vehicles via forklift makes it so much more likely they'll be damaged.
Wastefulness 😢
She is the boss and didn't know about it
Kind of tells you how competent she is at her job...or she didn't care for your money
Question...should someone like that be still in charge ??????
Imagine if you had a small job like this and you did such misdeed...would your employer still keep you?????
Big LOL. This was shot at the Zanker road VTA facility. I previously worked for the agency that serviced these cars. During my time, the FBI raided the VTA yards due to criminal activity from employees - that paints the picture right there.
Government mismanagement, employee mistreatment, and abuse of power are just some of the reasons I left the government work.
I believe that the Valley Transit Authority is a county boondoggle which needs to be defunded.
The entire government is a "boondoggle"!
There is a good chance that the capital expense for such a large fleet is still being realized on the annual budget. And based on them not being driven on the flatbed, they must be in poor condition.
Because the flatbeds are not auto haulers. They are simply flatbeds with no ramps. Just a thought.
@@robertkartechner5850 Good point. Makes more sense to use 2¼ flatbeds and trucks + a forklift at each end, then it would one car hauler to haul 12 at a time. Very cost effective
Kickbacks@@GetsumJ
Dead 12V batteries sitting for four years. The high voltage battery might be okay to recharge and last awhile longer.
They had no clue how much of taxpayer resources they were wasting. I believe it.
Calculate the total average cost of all the rides they’ve ever provided and you’ll be shocked.
The "storage" on that LOT wasn't FREE either ..... for HOW MANY YEARS ????? Huge screwing to the TAXPAYERS ..... $$$$$$$$
Government employees live with heads up butts.
When the battery drains too low these early Prius needs a high voltage service charger to charge the traction battery. It’s a rare device, $3000 new. Midtronics makes it.
I would think those batteries are bricks anyway
@@g8ymwThey are probably fine - those old Priuses used NIMH batteries and you can store them at 0V for long periods without damage. The problem is that if the BMS detects the cell voltages are too low it won't turn on the HV contactors - which although it prevents the batteries from being reverse polarized (which will damage them) it prevents them from being charged too. Just out of idle curiosity, is your username a callsign, or does it just look like one :)
@@TrimeshSZ there are services that recon old Prius battery packs
Because they don't care about the taxpayers, both the cars and the vta sat idle until the vta's lack of concern was called out.
So the board chairperson had "no idea" that these things were rotting away on some lot for YEARS? How is she not FIRED already, along with the rest of the board??
Move them to where ? Pass them thru another set of hands that takes a cut ? They need to sell as is, where is - because any 3rd party is just going to liquidate them.
Looks like everybody is going to get a cut of the action.
The main reason these were never sold off I guarantee was they wanted 40k for a vehicle with 150k miles on it 😂
Doubt it. Those Priuses weren't worth $40k when new. I'm guessing they're now worth less than 10% of that.
They go to auction, they weren't sitting for sale
@@ozzierabbit587the batteries cost about 5 grand or so how do you know these are shot from lack of use😢
Sounds like Craigslist if you know you know
@@williamcawley1113 Yeah I am trying to figure it out, you go the website but they are useless, no contact information, no info, just a shame of a front.
Zero l accountability- typical of bad leadership, how are you Not Aware? There needs to be an audit
This would never happen with a private firm.
Haven't u watched how companies are figuring out they have too many employees; instead of vehicles? Exception are car dealerships and manufacturers which have too many of both?
Hybridog in the comment above yours said it does happen in big corporations all the time. Maybe they kept the cars to keep people on the payroll. In any event life goes on.
@@fredzag2452It doesn't.
@@McsMark1 Ok, but I think when they commit all transactions of trade by this system the hackers will pounce.
I need a link to that auction!
It makes me feel so warm and snuggly to hear that the public servants have such a good excuse for their incompetency.
When you stopped hiring your friends and relatives, maybe you wouldn’t have a staffing issues.
Everyone knew and saw the problem. The lot the cars were visibly parked is at the corner of Zanker and 237, a very busy intersection. Right next to Cisco buildings. How many other assets does the VTA have that are wasting away?
As as Australian that watches American news, I can't comprehend a car sitting for longer than a week without being stolen or broken into. Place obviously had security.
Naw, it's a Prius. Nobody wants one, not even the criminals
Yeah, nobody wants to drive a juice box.
Ever see one in an accident? You literally are juiced!
@@GfysimpletonsI do I’ll take the 75mpg 😅😅😅
@@Plutogalaxy right-o mate tell that to all your bail jumpers and repeat offenders. Your outlook on normality is warped.
@@ELITE_INCA_KENNELS good, I love aftermath videos.
Keep hogging down vodka, I may get my wish.
Poor management is to blame. It is someone's job to overlook the day to day operations and they failed miserably. Why isn't someone being fired? Oh that's right taxpayer money is free money for the government.
I own a similar vintage Prius - after only months sitting the hybrid battery goes dead and the “triangle of death” code flashes on the dash. New hybrid batteries are likely needed anyway given the reported 100k miles on them. About $2500 per car for new batts otherwise they are DOA and can’t drive.
hoising with a forklift like that? better check the underside for damage... and 4 years? New batteries all round. Good luck selling them for a fraction of what they are worth.
These are Toyotas sitting idle does very little to degrade them. The biggest concern will be the health of the hybrid battery, which can be either be refreshed or the vehicles can be sold at a discount for the aftermarket to replace those batteries. The minivans will be the great concern, but again, this isn't DETROIT the environmental conditions are not a harsh market. The 4 year delay however does lead to questions.
A fleet just went missing hmmmmm lol
On top of all that by lifting (battery EV)cars by the method shown (lift truck).Undercar mounted batteries (even slightly) damaged could cause a future thermal runaway fire.
Forklift damage, bent exhausts you can bet
These quotes are just oozing fairy dust and unicorn jam.
Those cars need thousands of dollars of work.
Sure. NOW.
The hybrid batteries are destroyed.
@@albeit1 Not to mention that the cars' mechanical parts could have seized from oxidation. All of the motor oil, gear oil, transmission fluid, radiator fluid, etc has degraded and is most likely contaminated.
@@chinatownboy7482 correct. No car can survive that long with no issues. Especially hybrids.
how about a demolition derby?
Cheaper to scrap the cars
A 100k mile Prius that is probably bricked because the battery is too dead? Those cars are probably worth like 40 dollars each.
I’m driving one with 180k miles, but working a working yet dying battery. It’s worth more than $40 that you claim. I’d gladly buy a Prius for 2-3k given the other parts are still functional, and just replace the battery myself.
The Electronics, including the traction motor are worth more than $40. (I agree that the battery, if it WAS good before, is now wasted. You don't leave batteries discharged)
Batteries can sit at 0V no problem. Will need a DC power supply to recharge them though....
People screaming about mothballed cars, what about the light rail? Every time one passes me by I see 3 cars and but 3 people on board and one of them is the the person driving. What a waste of time, money and electricity. There probably is just as many buses and train cars sitting mothballed as well .
Somebody bought that as a deal then pocket the rest of the money
Of course the money is already spent by the crooks.
One hundred cars sat there unnoticed for FOUR YEARS???
Don’t buy the car it’s your taxpayer money. Don’t forget that it’s yours and they’re just gonna sell it back to you when they’re still gonna make taxes off of you.
These cars should have gone to TAXPAYERS that needed them, don't want hear about anyone's privileged, taxpayers that have been effected by natural disaster should have had access to those cars.
Bid ONE DOLLAR😅
100,000 miles is near the end of a hybrid's life. By that time the battery has degraded and replacing the battery is not economically feasible (about $2000-$3000), which is why EV and hybrids have such horrible resale value. Add to that they have sat for 4 years and are likely invested with rodents and the electrical connections are likely corroded; another issue with Prius is the coolant runs through exhaust manifold/catalytic converter (a single unit), which are notorious for leaking over time requiring replacement (another $2000-$3000) Considering a Prius will not run without its EV battery, these cars are literally worthless.
lol Toyota's warranty on the traction battery is 150k they'd be out of business if they only lasted 100k.
A prius is a very reliable car. They will go 200,000 miles very easy if properly cared for.
The Prius holds it's resale value better than most cars too.
Single cells of the hybrid battery can be replaced vs the entire battery
Gimme 3 of these for $500😂
@@jimfarmer7811how many vehicles that have sat for how many years are how reliable🙄
@@curiousgeorge5992 I have a 1992 chevy van that I still use for hauling. I would take a chance and pay $2,000 for one of these cars but I bet they will sell for more.
Unbelievable! How could anyone loose track of 95 cars? OMG.
If they haven't been started...belts, tires, etc need to be changed.
They're only the cheap bits.
Look at the labour charges, unsiezing brakes, getting the engine started (No, it's not just putting a 12v battery on and cranking it up)
Then you come to the electric traction side
Any fuel left in them would have gone bad. Fuids and oils that leaked out or degraded over time, oxidation and corrosion of nechanical parts. It would take thousands of dollars or more to get any of them in working condition again.
@@Eidolon1andOnly Yeah, I was thinking that but too lazy to write it all out!
Anyone who buys one of these cars without a prepurchase inspection by a qualified mechanic and a checklist of potential problems, would be stupid.
Who ever got the kickback from buying these in the first place must feel real nice right now. Corruption is a fascinating thing.
Did you miss that they were really used, with 100K miles. The waste is at least 2 fold. Letting the remaining life age out and all that parking occupied that might have other uses. Who else KNEW, and why did it take so long, for it to come to action?
@@steveurbach3093 They won’t investigate it. The only thing that it’ll show is their absolute incompetence. How do you not have a single person in that department asking about what to do with a literal lot of vehicles. But it’s San Francisco and it’s the government so I’m not surprised.
We'd all think differently if we owned that parking lot. KER-CHING!
What they mean't to say was "People are working from home, collecting tax payer funded paychecks to do nothing and never came into an office and saw them"
VTA needs a new chief!
Going to auction after being damaged by IDIOTS using a forklift to pick them up. Those cars are now scrap value because of the damage caused to the underside of the vehicle by the two long metal forks. You never pick up a car that way unless you want to damage the floorpan, brake lines, fuel lines, exhaust and possibly crack the pinch welds that hold together the unibody of those types of cars.
they did it this way because they knew they were already scrap
Who is going to by an old car, that has no service records for 4 years, with high mileage, and prior records showing fleet use, if they even have any that are not damaged, etc.
This is part out, and scrap.
LOL -- hate to tell you this, but your new car was loaded onto its transport the same way.
@@redwolfexrNo, they are driven on
The car you drive most likely was handled once or more the same way.
Oh. Tax payer funded. Go ahead and drop them off at our driveways since we own them.
Is there any way to find the auction they are using to sell the 95 Priuses
This is old school journelism! Bravo \0/ and good on the county taking responsiblity publically!
A dollar paid in taxes is a dollar down the drain.
Lady bosses of the Bay Area are very competent!
LOLOL ..... "NOT" !!!!!!!!!
She wasn’t aware of the vehicles, that speaks volumes
1:31 it’s really nice to see her bullshit you when she’s in charge of the operation, she knew the cars were sitting there she knew the money was being wasted, but it was your excellent reporting that called them out and exposed them keep up the good work
Bahaha, keep voting D
Where will the auction be? I desperately need a handicapped accessible van for my child to take him to medical appointments and I can’t afford to buy anything new.
These are midsize sedans, not vans
@@wafflewafflegod they also mentioned vans and showed a lady in a wheelchair getting on one!
@@dezz238yeah might want to look at that “van” little bit more closely. Because it’s actually a small bus in the video not a passenger van.
@@TheDieselmonkey11 yes, I’m aware of that and that is exactly what I need!
@@dezz238Due to sitting unprotected nd exposed to the elements for years, there's likely thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of dollars of repair and maintenance needed just to get the vehicles running. Wil definitely need all new tires, might also need full transmission and engine work too.
she is the supervisor and doesnt know this? 😂😂
Imagine all the waste on things you cant see
they should have gave them to families in need
They probably don't work after sitting for 4 years. The batteries are probably dead and parts are corroded and falling apart due to lack of maintenance.
@@nothingmatters3802 tell me you never worked on cars without telling me you never worked on cars
To them that would mean illegal aliens.
@@nothingmatters3802 you think a person that needs to save money doesnt work on their own car?
I'm just glad nobody will be held accountable for the waste.
Parking costs an arm and a leg in some places. All the tires would have flat spots, and brakes would be rusted shut.
I did not hear an apology.
OH YOU SHUT UP, BRIAN THE TRUMPSTER FREAK AND VTA DOES NOT WANT YOUR APOLOGY!!!!!
They will just rinse them and sell them as is for brand new prices
Can't sell them as new. Only dealers can sell new cars. Also, the odometer mileage would disqualify the car from being sold as new.
Doubt it. Good luck getting them to start unless they put a good deal of money into each one.
Give the cars to people that need cars.
They’ll get right on it. After they clear the homeless, arrest the retail thieves.
4 years? The oil and gas in those vehicle as no good anymore! I’d even be surprised if the battery packs are salvageable!
Taxpayers money pissed away as usual.
How do you not know...
I don't get it. They were all usable vehicles? Why weren't these being used?
Wow!!!!
"I was not aware of the issue" is not an excuse. Imagine going to school and telling that to your teacher. You would get an automatic "F".
This happens when accountability does not happen.
Keep an eye on how much was spent comparative to how much they're gonna get back.
Leaders are in bubbles, and show no concerns for tax dollars.
It's not their money so why would they care?
Sad lot rot. VTA has a lot to solve. Have complained of bus/light rail connection issues and late buses for months on end, with no changes implemented and no responses to online complaints. Lots of drug use on the platforms, rampant smoking even in light rail, and loud boomboxes, no enforcement of any rules or assurance of safety. I ride a few hours a day. VTAlert app is helpful to report serious disturbances that do happen.