ALEXANDRIA, Va. The United Motorcoach Association is asking its members - and other coach operators - to write to a U.S. senator whose actions have undercut the less-than-two-year-old federal charter service rule.

Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state, inserted a provision in the U.S. Department of Transportation appropriations bill that exempts King County Metro Transit of Seattle from the charter rule that the transit agency agreed to abide by when it accepted federal funds. (See January issue of Bus & Motorcoach News.)

Under the charter rule, which was negotiated jointly over several months by representatives of public transit systems and private bus companies, transit agencies supported by federal tax dollars are not allowed to operate shuttles if a private carrier is available and capable of performing the work.

The charter-rule exemption Murray afforded King County Metro - the only transit authority in the nation exempted - means taxpayer dollars will be used to provide parking lot shuttle services for Seattle Mariners baseball games, Seattle Seahawks football games, and other Seattle-area sporting and public events.

"In effect, taxpayer dollars are being used to underwrite pro sports," said Ken Presley, vice president of industry relations for UMA.

"Not only are taxpayer dollars being abused, but the loss of work for Washington state private bus companies will impact the $140 million in total annual revenues they generate and the $14 million in business and occupation taxes they contribute annually," Presley added.

"For the most part, private bus companies do not receive public assistance and cannot compete with public transits that do. It is just that simple," continued Presley.

"While the exemption may mean subsidized shuttle rides for sports fans, what it really represents is a devastating loss of jobs, lost capital investment potential, lost tax revenue for the Seattle community, and the abuse of taxpayers dollars. All in a days work for Senator Murray.

"It is difficult to believe Senator Murray has any credibility with the unemployment problem when she has single-handedly demonstrated disregard for the (private bus) drivers," Presley noted.

"The city of Seattle and Washington state voters deserve better and should tell Senator Murray to reverse this harmful amendment; let team owners pay their own way and put these bus drivers back to work."

UMA hopes its members will contact Murrays office, and their urge friends in Washington state to do likewise, asking the senator to reverse the amendment.

One operator who quickly put fingers to keyboard was Smedley W. Lynn, president of Atlantic Coach Trailways in Hagerstown, Md.

In a sharply worded letter to Murray, Lynn said he found Murrays work "offensive," and her action in attaching a "personal agenda item to a national bill" to be "unforgivable."

Lynn said her action justified his new voting resolve: "If you are in office, I will vote you out."

Presley wrote a letter to the editor of the Seattle Times, saying voters in Seattle and Washington state deserve better and should tell Sen. Murray "to reverse this harmful amendment."

Seattle residents have a history of rejecting taxpayer support for professional sports. Voters rejected proposals to use taxpayer money to help pay for a new arena for the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team.

The team moved out of Seattle two years ago, finding a new home in Oklahoma City.

Go to www.senate.gov to find information for contacting Murrays office.

That website, plus www.house.gov, has contact information for all U.S. senators and representatives. UMA thinks it would be a good idea for members to contact their own representatives about the issue.