Name:

John Hammill

Home address:
4372 Vernon Lp NE
Salem OR 97305

Age (If your age will change before the May 17 election, please add your birthdate):
63

Transit subdistrict:
Subdistrict 4

Phone numbers
Work:
Home: 503-393-1866
Cell: 503-930-8219

PART I: BACKGROUND INFORMATION

How the public can reach your campaign (this is for publication):
Mail address:
John Hammill
4372 Vernon Lp NE
Salem OR 97305

E-mail address:
marask@comcast.net

Web site URL:

Phone:
503-393-1866

Fax:

Current occupation/employer (if any):

Retired

Previous occupations/employers:
Self-employed: Medical Transcription
Oregon Judicial Department: Information Systems
Clackamas County, Oregon: Information Technology
Stayton Canning Company/NorPac: Information Systems
Burroughs Corp (now Unisys): Sales
Colleges attended, degree, graduation date:
Lewis and Clark College, Portland: BA 1969
Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, Philadelphia: MBA Candidate
Chemeketa Community College, Salem: Health Sciences

High schools attended, graduation date:

Madison High School, Portland: 1965

Family:
Oregon pioneer family

How long have you lived within the Salem Area Mass Transit District?
Since it was formed in 1979

Have you ever been convicted of a crime, been disciplined by a professional licensing
board/organization or had an ethics violation filed against you? If so, please give the details.
No

Have you ever filed for bankruptcy, been delinquent on your taxes or other major
accounts, or been sued personally or professionally? If so, please give the details.
No to everything except having been sued personally. I was in an auto accident during an ice
storm in the 1970s and was sued, which was settled out of court.

Transit district committees, activities or organizations you are or have been involved in
(Please include approximate years -- such as, “2008-present” -- for this question and the
following ones):
None.

Other experience in public and/or private transportation (please be specific):

I have been a regular Salem transit user since 1985.

Please list all public offices to which you’ve been elected, and when:
None

Please list any unsuccessful candidacies for public office, and when:
None

Civic, community and cultural organizations you are, or have been, involved in and any
offices held (include service clubs, chamber of commerce, church/religious organizations,
neighborhood associations, non-profits, unions, etc.):
Exchange Club (service club) member since 2005. I have held every club office except
Treasurer. I have been Oregon Division Director for Exchange Club’s Northwest District since
2008.
Salem Macintosh Users’ Group (non-profit) member since 1995. I have been, at various times,
at-large board member, Program Director, President, and am currently Secretary. I present many
of the User Group’s educational programs.

What is the largest budget you have handled?

My family budget, the size of which is not your business (but it isn’t all that large).

Who encouraged you to run for the transit board? Who are your major supporters
(individuals, groups, etc.)?
I was encouraged to run by Jerry Thompson, current transit board president.

How much will your campaign cost?

$150 or less.

If you are elected, how many hours a week do you expect to spend on Salem Area Mass
Transit District business?
It would depend on my assignments. I expect to spend up to 15 hours weekly.

How many transit district board meetings have you attended in the past year?
One

How often do you ride the bus?

It varies a lot. This week, for example, including Cherrylift, I will use transit 8 times. Last
week it was just twice.

What social-media applications do you regularly use?

None.

Please help us understand your connections to the transit district. In responding to the
following questions, if your answer is “yes” please give complete details.
• Have you ever worked for the Salem Area Mass Transit District or any other transit
district/organization? No

• Have you, or any company or organization in which you were involved, been a supplier or
contractor for the transit district? No

• Have any of your family members worked for the transit district? No

PART II: TRANSIT ISSUES. Please limit your response for each question to about 75
words.

1. Why are you running for the Salem Area Mass Transit District Board?
In the transit restructuring in September 2009, service cuts were made that really hurt the transit
district’s users. The changes were not all bad. In fact, some much-desired improvements were
made. But some changes seemed ill-conceived. I pestered current board president Jerry
Thompson enough regarding usage figures and justifications that he urged me to run, and I did.

2. What strengths or assets would you bring to serving on the transit board?
The two things I bring in particular are the transit user’s perspective coupled with a genuine
interest in transit and how it can serve its community.
3. What do you see as the strengths of the current transit board?
They are well-intentioned, well-informed, behave like responsible adults, and demonstrate
sincere and capable interest in their task.

4. What do you see as the weaknesses of the current transit board?

They are somewhat removed from the mundane concerns of the transit systems’ users and
potential users. They show some blind spots in assessing the current system’s strengths and
weaknesses.

5. What do you see as your role on the transit board?

I haven’t yet interacted much with the transit district’s planning staff. I suspect they share much
of the board’s distance from the concerns of current and potential users. My role would be to
provide sharper focus on the problems transit users confront.

6. What changes would you like to make in the Salem Area Mass Transit District?
The current fixed-route system went into effect about 18 months ago. This is a good time to
review its successes and shortcomings. I know of a couple of routes in my subdistrict that could,
with relatively minor changes, provide significantly better outcomes to the neighborhoods they
serve. It would surprise me if that were not true in other subdistricts.

7. How well has the transit district handled the Courthouse Square situation?
Actually, they’ve done well so far. Recognizing that “so far” hasn’t produced a solution yet.
As taxpayers, let’s face facts. There is no good outcome here; we’re going to take a bath in
cold water. The county and transit district are struggling with the uncertainties of the
situation. From the hearings and task force meetings I have attended, it looks like the next
six weeks should provide enough clarification for hard decisions to be made.

8. Would you support a local levy to finance additional transit operations? Why?
Yes. As a transit user, no Saturday service means no transit at all for three days on holiday
weekends. Unexpected things happen; being separated from your main source of
transportation for two and occasionally three days is a big challenge for Salem’s citizens
who are dependent on transit. That’s not quite accurate. It’s a BIG challenge.

9. What are the three most important issues you would address if elected to the transit
board?

A. (75 words): Regardless of whether the transit district’s revenues are increased, it is
timely to review the changes the fixed-route system underwent 18 months ago and make
adaptations to improve service on some routes. Ridership data is now available and transit users
have plenty of anecdotal comment ready for route-by-route review.

B. (75 words): A second revenue-neutral issue is that the transit district needs to be more
proactive in Salem’s development plans. Some of our community’s recent commercial
developments are not very approachable for transit users. There is no reason to let this continue
into the future; it just keeps potential customers away from businesses they might want to
support.
 C. (75 words): Increased transit service (restore Saturday service and late-evening service
on at least some routes). This is clearly linked to increased transit revenue, which is not
something the transit district can obtain without making a persuasive case to the community’s
voters.

10. What publications do you regularly read to keep on the news and on transit issues
(magazines, journals, newspapers, Web sites, etc.)? I read the Statesman-Journal as the best way
to keep abreast of local news and issues. I generally find it easier to read the on-line version. I
also regularly read a variety of technical and science web sites and do research on the web when
topics come up that are outside my usual reading sources. I also read the Oregonian with some
regularity. The best way I know to keep up on transit issues in my sub-district is to ride all the
routes that serve it.