Former Caltrain manager charged after allegedly building secret apartments inside train stations
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- Опубліковано 28 бер 2024
- A former Caltrain manager and a contractor are accused of using $50,000 in taxpayer money to build their own personal apartments inside two stations. Emma Goss reports.
#Caltrain #bayarea
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They’ll go after a couple of guys for misappropriation of fifty grand in tax money, but ignore the millions in tax money waste by most politicians.
Hey its just like the mob, they didn't pay off the politicians or the fbi.
The higher you go the further you get away from transparency and accountable checks and balances. The more local, the more People-power prevails - the less corruption can flourish unnoticed. We need MORE oversight boards, not less. But this is seen as "an economic burden" on big business, who have powerful sway at the higher levels of government due to their gargantuan campaign donations (i.e. bribes). We need to get money out of politics. And to start we need to legislate the repeal of the Citizens United ruling that gave big corporate interests and the super-wealthy essentially unlimited bribery rights.
Wrong - Billions by the truck load
Because politicians are lobbied by heads of industry (big capital) in America. So as long as big capital gets what it wants, politicians have job security.
@@nevermind342 Did you know that decades ago that Corporations were deemed a a person by the Supreme Court? Insanity
2 apartments for $50k 🤔we need them in office 😂😂
That's modification costs to an existing structure.
Anything goes under Biden. That message has been clear. The same at San Jose Historical museum and Caltrain downtown San Jose. No accountability in the party
@@jasont5994 Even modifying an existing structure for $25K each is quite an accomplishment. If you put them in office, you'll know they're crooked but competent.
They just added showers and some electricity.
Probably ordered TV's and computers too
He made a secret love retreat to meet his mistress 😂
Caltrain might as well turn the two apartments into an Airbnb for the train enthusiasts.
And now the apartments will ad onto the stations history as well.
😂😹
😂
and pay the dividends to tax payers?
1000%!
$42k to build a livable apartment? Then why aren't we building more of those???? We needs housing!
42k in renovations
Blame MAGA real estate goons.
We need people with brains. 🧠
@@tomjonathon6889 Why take accountability when you can blame trump for everything?
True
50K to turn unused buildings into 2 condos, meanwhile a "Non-Profit" in San Rafael spent 33M to turn an office building into 41 condos for the previously unhoused. 33 MILLION for 41 apartments.
Let me repeat that 33 MILLION for 41 apartments for the previously unhoused.
They spent 30 million on administrative cost and meetings
did you mean homeless?
Wow. Sound like several people's pockets were being lined. And they get away with it too!
office buildings are wayyy more expensive to change then a station.
They’re just mad because they got outsmarted. $50,000 for two apartments they made them look like idiots.
Station Manager: Can I work from home?
Policymaker: No. We need you to be here every day.
Station Manager: ...
Best comment 😂
So they took 50k and invested back into the train station. So now train station has an asset that could make 2-3k a month. They should be promoted.
Are you an attorney by chance? 😂😉
Is it just me who kind of admires these fellows' creative use of vacant space?
No. I love this. They should promote both of these guys. If they can do all that for that little then they can be in charge of all the construction projects. Maybe a public bathroom won't cost millions per crapper.
I love this too. Practical approach to solve housing issues for the working class. Not saying they should have used tax dollars. But think about how cost effectively they got it done vs politicians that wasted $$$$$ with failed promises, all legally
… and their ability to abuse their power without any control.
We built an unused clock tower in a tony city overlooking the harbour. you have no idea how many times I thought of setting it up at the build and (quietly) moving in.
Cool they should do that at all their train stations and then offer those apartments to their workers especially single moms and dads Network for Caltrain how cool is that you wake up and you're at work already..
Sounds pretty economical. Perhaps they could be put in charge of building housing for the homeless. I think SF pays $750k/unit built.
But then how would they launder money?
For their own they cut or evade expense by externalize the burden amid malfeasance, else for public housing it's extreme cost imposed with lowest quality
Blame maga real estate goons.
@@tomjonathon6889 blame democrat people who actually did this...solid blue california/Bay Area
But thats also because shitfrancisco needs to use people who support gay and trans rights at a much higher cost than those who dont
Why are they refusing to show pictures of the apartments?
probably cuz they're nicer than 'non-profits' provide the homeless for 10x the price.
Because it looked great!
to not give people ideas, probably looked better and roomier than the average Bay Area apartment
Because they looked nicer than what most Bay Area residents live in and at far lower cost.
I’m guessing they didn’t look that great, so if they showed them it would deflate the story.
HUD needs to hire this dude. He may be the answer for the US affordable housing problem.
HUD doesn't build housing, and those are expensive "modifications".
Or we could just deport all illegals and have some breathing room. I remember when my city was small and fun. Now it's a nightmare cluster of 8 million beings and growing. It's horrible!
HUD are the ones running the scams
Blame the landlords for charging rent that is too damn high!!!!!
These two people are in jail because they made two affordable apartments out of $50,000😂🎉😅
Am I the only one who thinks this is genius, and that even the fact that they created an apartment for $50,000 qualifies them for a position on the housing committee? Here's my cheer!
"Elect Warden! Elect Navarro! Cheap Housing for a better tomorrow!"
Navarro for prison!
Having someone live in the stations would prevent vandalism, squatting and other damage to the properties. How much would 24x7 security cost vs having someone live there? This sounds like a good idea to me.
If they didn’t pilfer public funds they could have claimed squatters rights 😂.
LOL...
Fricken Genius right there…😂
There ya go! 🤷
If politicians dont like it, it must be great for people
Ephesians 6 :12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
I like how everyone is on the builders side! Lolol 😂
Right! 😂
They kept the squatters out. Caltrain should thanks them instead.
by squatting themselves...
@@Coookydoe No - they 'built' the apartments...not destroyed like squatters do.
@@loriw5457 strawman argument...different pt. Point being: not theirs to build, not their money
Blame maga real estate goons.
The squatters didn't know this existed.
Why aren’t these guys in office? They are like those cool supervisors that built that rec room under Grand Central Station!😂😂😂😂😂✅
They took work from home to another level. 😂😂. Seriously, they should be hiring these guys to build affordable housing.
Considering the shortage of apartments, maybe all government officials should be tasked with looking over their entire areas and seeing if they can find places that one orr two apartments could be created. Converting unused space seems a lot cheaper than building subsidized housing from scratch.
While this isn't truly a victimless crime, it's not flagrant enough to warrant 5 years in jail.
Simple answer….a DA in a very high income, low crime area is picking up on this to help himself get reelected.
This is San Mateo county. They actually uphold the law there.
When tens of thousands of dollars in the people’s tax money gets stolen and used for private advantage, you’re damned right it’s not a “victimless crime.”
Stealing our tax money 💵 💵 is a crime.
What's something acceptable for rich people to do, but illegal if you're poor? 😅 This.
What baffles me is that it was only $50,000.
That's how much replacing a roof costs nowadays.
It's just kitchens and a bath, a little plumbing and some electrical
You do know roofing charges by area? $50,000 for what size? Additionally, it's renovating on top of existing system and structure. They didn't built a 5,000 sqft home. 🤣
You clearly don't understand that these were modifications, way overpriced.
Shows you how much stuff is really marked up
Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Hypocritces. They issue felony charges on squatters on government property and evict them right away, but they practically legalize squatting when committed against anyone else.
Hey you're not supposed to point such things out
Sounds like the charges are for stealing public funds --not squatting.
You can't get a pair of portapottys for that price in the bay area.
These guys are nothing short of geniuses. Would love to see their handiwork. This is a builder's remedy because cities refuse to build affordable housing
Blame real estate people like maga.
my guess is they even "recycled" old lighting and crap that transit would have just thrown out: doors, keyless entry kits, hinges, windows....pure genius.
@@tomjonathon6889making America great again is not building slum huts that overcrowd neighborhoods it’s about building homes big enough for people to raise families and not stacked in a single building.
Same sentiment..
No they aren't, they're facing prison and they've lost their jobs.
What makes me FURIOUS is that this is considered illegal! Should have set up tents outside of the building running a fentanyl operation simultaneously to see which one would last longer.
Blame maga pill mills and real estate goons.
got that, kids? up to five years for this, weekend stay for suspected murder.
Politicians are angry because the bill was too low to get the desired kickbacks
TLC should hire them to do a show, Undercover Renovations under 50K.
😂🎉
So you're saying these dudes solved the housing crisis? $50k for TWO FURNISHED APARTMENTS???
Exactly
50k for 2 mico living spaces doesn't sound good.
They should be on advisory boards for converting downtown vacant office space to residential housing.
Oh please.....$50k is nothing today for government agency spending - these guys showed initiative & efficiency. With no commute - they're just doing their part for the 'zero carbon emissions' the State is pushing & their presence at these abandoned Caltrans stations probably saved more than $50k of damage being done in vandalism. Good for them.
It's a rounding error. These agencies will spend three times that, today, buying one vehicle. Somewhere today, an agency has literally bought a car, that won't make any difference at all in anything, but which cost more than this. Fire these guys, sure. But five years in jail? Come on. The trial will cost more than they misused.
thats right , ukrain 250 billion so far and are border so called immigrants 5,000per month . more like night watchmen /builder
Oh please... stealing 50k from tax payers and fudging building plans and living free off the State is no biggy to you? You ever get ripped off in your life Lori? Good for these two crooks?????? All I can say is you have no right to complain about your taxes sweetheart with an attitude like yours.
Wait, we have these two dudes who built apartments for 50k?
...
How do we vote them into office?
Politicians do the same damn things with taxpayer dollars for even larger amounts, over longer periods of time.
Yet if someone squats in your house the government won’t do anything about it. Funny how that works…
When a one bedroom apartment in these areas can easily go for almost $3k a month for rent, this is what happens.
2/1 condo sells for about $600k.
It’s ridiculous in the bay.
you vote DEM. Thats why
@@geraldbennett7035 I actually don’t.
I was living in Santa Cruz
In a small studio. I retired at 56 and a few weeks later my landlord said she was gonna double my rent. So I went online and bought a small home in
Coleman Tx. For $23k cash. So blessed
Cool,when you move to Texas be sure to have a Rattlesnake wrangler on speed dial to remove the pesky creatures from your porch occasionally
@@francescoavila6960 I love snakes. I use to catch rattlesnakes as a kid in California.
That was when I was 14. Now I leave them alone. LoL
They stole money but I think those apartments could be put to good use
That’s another thing people need to understand; yes they stole the money but turn it into something good but going to jail for it. How is it any different from politicians when they don’t go to jail for stealing for themselves ? 🤷🏻
This is going viral nationally & the NATION is actually impressed that housing can be so affordable. We ALL know you aren’t showing the apartments because it would confirm that the housing market along with yourself is just pure greed!
💯 🎉
LOL!!! They should be commended for wanting to work 24/7 for the city!
Why are they called apartments and not a breakroom? Kitchenette, shower, what if the bed was a pull out couch? These men could have thought a little bit more ahead. No I don't agree with tax payers money used but come-on.
I thought that too. Maybe they worked from those quarters remotely.
There are bigger problems, like 50k is just a microscopic drop. Wish they cared about things that actually matter
Is the “Crime” in the room with us? 🥴 5 years in prison for building a mini apartment?!? I rather not waste tax dollars on dragging this out in court. The law is only upset bc they didn’t see profit FIRST.
Probably the best CalTrain services at those two stations because they didn’t have far to get to work!
shows up on time and secured at night .
Let's be honest, if these two hadn't been using public funds, this would have been a genius idea. 50k for two apartments?! That is amazing.
These two people should advise on how to build affordable housing. $50K for each apartment is a #GreatDeal
You need to understand the difference between build and a small modification. $50k is way too high for a modification.
these arent felons they’re innovatives
So the take away is that private citizens made public spaces a lot nicer than the government can.
San Mateo might want to consider taking up their idea and turn those unused stations into additional temporary housing units on the cheap.
When the public sector is involved, it always just goes way over the budget and way less efficiency. That’s why people are applauding rather than condemning the workers in the news
Home Address?
"Burlingame station.....I mean, you can have it sent there!"
I wonder if they were ever late to work?
The federal government does this all the time😂
Blame maga real estate people.
What's the big deal? The government is always talking about the "housing crisis". These guys built a house for $42,000. That's cheap!! Your government builds apts for the "homeless" that cost like $800,000 EACH!!. These guys are doing us a favor. I hope they get acquitted.
Ditto. This is not much more than an accounting error (example: Anti Deficiency Act). If they get acquitted, then this might lead to changes in the way the gov does business. I would like to see all the facts though.
Caltrain is going to kick them out, fire them and rent the apartments out for $2600 a month.
Get this guy in office now !
Guess the guy did not want to commute.
This takes work at home to the next level. If you want me to work come into the office I will show you.
Well, at least Caltrain gets to keep the station improvements.
"there's no other explanation for what they did"
Yes there is, living quarters are unaffordable it doesn't surprise me
Why were the spaces not being used in the first place?
Rent is expensive
Blame maga slumlords.
Another example of the DA and Local Govt not liking efficiencies in building and spending money. Local govt would have spent at least 10x what these individuals did in building one unit in hiring consultants, conducting studies, permits and contractors.
What would maga real estate slumlords NATIONWIDE do? Build a golf course?
Idk how they actually slept there with the constant diesel idling and train horns every hour! Maybe it was only 'temporary' accommodations 😂
Eh, nothing earplugs wouldn’t fix
I don’t understand how the former employees thought they could get away with it. Aren’t there always inspections of train stations? It’s just an eventuality that someone should question why the buildings weren’t open.
Yeah. It was just a matter of time. And if I was living there exclusively, I don't think I would be able to go a day without worry that I would be found out. I don't think I'd ever be able to sleep soundly or have a day off, watching TV or relaxing, without constantly keeping an eye or ear on my front door, waiting for a Caltrains worker to walk in.
Apparently nobody checked. Not in all of six years. They got snitched out.
Real good inspectors they got there
@@randomloafer Exactly. I've worked in restaurants a few times. In every single one, they knew the inspector was going to be there before they showed up. No such thing as a "surprise" inspection.
They didn't grease the right palms.
THAT IS A HILARIOUS LEVEL OF CORRUPTION
The anonymous caller was probably jealous bc they’re paying $2500/month in rent.
bye bye pension
$50,000? That’s an amazing feat for Burlingame. Take a look at real estate and rental prices there and you will want to congratulate the guy. $2 million purchase gets you a tiny little dump for a house as does $4000 a month if you rent. It’s nice for this DA, though, that he can stir up some outrage over this and help himself get reelected…..
Joseph Navarro earned $270,298.21 in 2021
with what he earned he could have easily rented close by slept or lived in a rv. Just pure greed on his part.
progressivism is expensive. He wouldve retired at that full pay!
I see that some in the comments don't know that $50k for a small modification is way too much. A small bathroom, kitchenette and some electrical was done in an existing structure!
See how bad the housing crisis is in California.
Well paid union transportation workers can't even afford a second home.
Hats off to Caltrans and the DA's office, it's only taken them 3 years to charge these guys
This is how bad the housing crisis is. Train station parking lots are prime real estate for redevelopment into the mixed use housing that is in high demand. And don't go for huge skyscrapers, a five-over-one building or a small neighborhood with townhomes and a corner store will do as well.
Exactly.. But YES on skyscrapers. Vancouver shows you exactly what cities of the future should look like, towers included. It might not be your liking but different strokes for different folks...
@@stickynorth You might want to live in a skyscraper, but not many people want to or even can. The small amount of upzoned land puts pressure on developers to build as many units as possible. If instead a bus or tram line was used to catalyze development, then what would result would be a mix of single family homes, townhomes, small apartments, corner stores, etc. Similar to what was built about a century ago.
Maybe maga could build some low income housing. HAHAHAHAHa
I wonder if they would have gotten into the same amount of trouble had they spent their own money on their 'projects'?
They need a bedroom away from their home? Sounds like CSI needs to come in and check for DNA evidence.
Their only mistake was not using their own money. Otherwise, he could’ve been viewed as just another squatter
The bureaucrats are getting so bold.
that's what I was thinking
Someone should look into the former SP Passenger Depot in Berkeley too.
The China Station 😅
"Hey, baby. Why don't you and me go back to my little bungalow (inside the train station)." 😂
There are a whole bunch of properties owned by cal trans and they need to be looked into
God bless these men. Make them dual governors and fire the rest!
Money well spent !! 2 apartments for 50k in SF ! Better than $200k for one small housing hut built by currupted politicans! .. you know who ..
Besides using tax payer money for this, hell yeah!!!!
'We absolutely cannot have places for people to live, are you crazy?'
This is more common than you might think.
What are you even talking about lol
2 apartments for $50k and probably rents each for $3000.
$50,000 for two apartments. Newsom needs to hire these guys to build affordable housing for CA. CA has spent millions and don’t have a bed to show for it.
Lol, you sound like some far-right fascist. Never, ever, ever suggest that our selfless democratic politicians are padding their own pockets, because that's unthinkable, and only what right wing politicians do. Our politicians would literally jump in front of a bullet to save you! So remember that by being blindly loyal. It's the only way
When I was working for a Class I railroad, our union agreement required all of our yard offices to have showers available to us. In decades of working there, I don’t know of a single person that ever actually used the showers. The stalls usually ended up being used as storage closets.
LA officials now spend $850k per apartment and no one blinks an eye, these two do it for $42k and are facing jail time...hmm..🙄
50K wont even cover enough to pay for a study to see how building an apartment will effect the environment and neighboring wildlife.
They need to be hired by HUD and Habitat for Humanity after they serve their time. This type of housing needs to be built all over. It’s affordable and much cheaper than what these cities project on their cost of affordable housing.
Ironically putting a ton of housing at station sites is EXACTLY what they should be doing. Just not like this... NOT LIKE THIS... ;-)
He lived there from 2019 to 2020? That could be two days then.
Stop hyping the story.
plus 2020 was lockdown era. Maybe they worked remotely so -- you know -- they could keep the trains moving for the essential workers.
So these guys are going to prison but violent felons in possession of a gun? Slap on the wrist, nice work California
I love these guys. The judge should give them a DIY channel sentence to help homeless people build tricked out condos in sketchy places.
It never ceases to amaze me that people will plead not to guilty to things they clearly did. I'll never get that.
They will hire the same contractor to renovate their prison cells ? 🤔
😂😂😂
I'm surprised they didn't airbnb the place, under OMG! section of the website, with a Thomas the Train Theme
😂😂😂😂
Da’Marcus The Train Of East Palo Alto 😂
Unused building being used for living? How dare they make something livable and then use it!
I'm impressed it only cost them that much