Local officials are reacting to the Metrolink disaster in many ways. Moorpark City Council Member rode the train with Mayor Villaraigosa the other day and spoke about the crash. To read his press statements click on continue reading. Council Member Millhouse is vice chairman of the Southern California Regional Rail Authority and has been involved in regional transportation issues for years.
State Senate candidate Hannah-Beth Jackson sent out an email to her supporters with ways to help.
Ventura City Council Member Bill Fulton has written his thoughts on his blog.
If you see other local officials commenting on the tragedy or asking people to help support local charity groups in relation to the tragedy please leave a comment with a link to the story.
( The official Metrolink logo from their website.)
My name is Keith Millhouse. I am the Vice-chair of Metrolink and a Moorpark City Council Member, a town just two stops down the line from right here. Though, I am here today to make an official statement, it's simply not possible for me to separate that obligation from my personal feelings as a grieving resident of our tight-knit community.I have ridden that same Metrolink train on that same route many times as a commuter. Neighbors of mine and residents of my town were killed and seriously injured. A good friend, with whom I have often commuted on by train, was seriously injured. I spoke with him yesterday. For me this tragedy hits awfully close to home.
I am honored to say that our passengers, the first responders, and many heroic volunteers made exceptional contributions that saved lives at a moment when something went terribly, terribly wrong. Although there has been rampant, sometimes irresponsible, speculation, the NTSB will conduct a thorough public investigation to determine the cause or causes of this tragedy.
Lives were lost and damaged. We will do everything possible to find out why and fix it - so that this accident is never repeated on our lines, ever.
For more than 15 years, Metrolink has provided excellent, efficient and safe public transit. As a Board Member, I am committed to earning back the public's trust and loyalty through open and honest, thorough and transparent self-examination of our entire system - human and technological - leading us to implement any and all improvements and upgrades throughout our entire organization, no matter the cost.
I stand here today with Mayor Villaraigosa to help start the process of rebuilding our passenger's trust in a strong system that I believe in and have ridden hundreds of times before - and will continue to ride.
The board members, management and employees of METROLINK are mindful that lives were lost on our watch; we know that the absolute safety of our passengers on every single train every single day was then and always will be our first priority.
I offer our hope for the full recovery of every injured passenger and our sincere condolences to the friends and families of anyone who died in this accident.
For those words to have full meaning, all of us at Metrolink must act to solve any human or systemic problems with integrity, professionalism and personal commitment from this moment forward.
To my friends, neighbors and all Metrolink passengers, I pledge that I will do everything in my power to honor that commitment.
Hannah-Beth Jackson emailed out the following message to her supporters:
Dear Friend,
This morning we learned that the death toll from last Friday's terrible train crash has now reached 25, with 135 injured. That Metrolink train was on its way to Simi Valley and Moorpark, and we're all hearing the heartbreaking stories of our friends and family members affected by this terrible tragedy.
In times like these, it's difficult to know how you can help.
The American Red Cross said that healthy donors of all blood types are needed to donate blood to help the injured. Survivors of the train crash were rushed to several Ventura County and Los Angeles hospitals, including Simi Valley Hospital, Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, UCLA Medical Center, Northridge Hospital Medical Center, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center and Mission Hills Hospital. Many of the injured are in critical condition.
If you would like to donate, the American Red Cross recommends that blood donors schedule appointments by calling 1-800-GIVE LIFE or by visiting www.GiveLife.org.
Thank you, and please keep your thoughts and prayers with the victims and families affected by this terrible tragedy.
Bill Fulton, city council member from Ventura has blogged about the disaster on his blog. Click here to see it.
I am concerned Metro link didn't do a thorough and ongoing background check and psychological assessment on the engineer involved in this incident.
Mr. Millhouse,
What can be done to insure the public that the engineers operating these trains are competent?
Councilman Millhouse,
Earn back the trust? Where were you and Mayor Villaraigosa prior to this accident? The truth is that Metrolink has the highest rate of death and injuries in the nation! Why? This system shares the tracks with freight trains. The committment to implement human and technological changes should have been there from day 1. I am sure that IF I know these facts surely someone on the Metrolink Board knows this as well. You will only get the trust back when and if EVERYTHING leading to this tradgedy is examined and avilable for all to see and all means of making this system safe are implemented, as you say regardless of cost.
I am thankful Moorpark has Keith Millhouse to address the issues facing Metrolink. Moorpark did a smart thing when they elected someone with investigative skills. This was a incident that only middle upper management at Metrolink or a federal agency could have prevented.
The latimes said metrolink mgmt refused to install a failsafe train collision avoidance system. If there was no extraordinarily compelling reason for that refusal, then I am very angry at them.
I am not surprised, as they demonstrated their stunning lack of judgement already by crafting the metrolink logo as a graphic depicting two speeding forces in a head-on collision. I'd like to hear an insider tell the logo selection story.
Gary
West LA
Interesting, Keith Millhouse is the type of politician that sticks their fnger in the air to see where the wind is blowing. He's all over the rail disaster becuase he's getting 10 seconds of fame. While he professes to be the saviour of metrolink he's working to eliminate the residents of Moorparks right to vote. Lats week he led the charge with two other council members to strip away our rights and install a friend of his to the city council. Talk about getting de-railed. We need to put the brakes on Millhouse.
I understand the grief and frustration that comes with accidents. famlies are involved, sadness ETC. but by punishing the rest of us engineers because of one bad apple does not make sense! that Engineer on that metro link should of had the common sense that god gave to people that he was in charge of peoples lives.and he should of been taking care of buisness at hand .now the rest of us trained and responsble Eng. are going to suffer because of it . nobody that i know has not metioned the fact as to why metrolink amtrackETC. only has one person on the headend of the train . Its one thing to haul freight around with one guy but people?? come on get real! and this camera deal on the head end of train how would MR. millhouse like a camera in his house watching his everymove Idon't care if it's a buisness or what It's invasion of privacy!! and the unions had better nip it in the bud right now!.