Supes put sales tax on regular ballot but ...

Just minutes ago, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 3 to 2 to put a sales tax hike initiative to raise money for mass transit and road projects on the Nov. 4 regular ballot. However, the board also voted 3 to 2 to officially oppose the sales tax increase.

Confused? Hey, it's local politics.

First, the ballot issue: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board last month voted to put a half-cent sales tax increase on the November ballot. But the county supervisors -- three of whom say the sales tax wouldn't spread money evenly in the county -- refused last week to put the initiative on the regular ballot. Instead, the sales tax would go on a supplemental ballot.

After learning that a supplemental ballot would cost the county an additional $10 million, Supervisor Don Knabe said he would change his vote, even though he continued to oppose the sales tax hike. Today, Knabe followed through with that promise and was joined by Supervisors Yvonne Brathwaite Burke and Zev Yaroslavsky to put the sales tax on the regular ballot.

Knabe was one of a trio of supervisors -- including Mike Antonovich and Gloria Molina -- who voted to take an official position against the sales tax hike. It's a symbolic move, but one that could resonate during a fall campaign. It means that three of the most powerful politicians in the county will probably be campaigning against the sales tax.

Here's the key excerpt from the motion calling for opposition:

"Unfortunately, this ordinance was not crafted with countywide consensus nor does it provide an acceptable standard of long-term equity for all regions of Los Angeles County which will be paying this new sales tax."

Of course, all this could be for naught.

The state Legislature still must approve a companion bill that would allow the sales tax to go to the voters. The bill is stuck in the Senate's Appropriations Committee, which is now scheduled to vote on it on Thursday. If the committee kills the bill, there will be no sales tax measure on the ballot come November.

-- Garrett Therolf and Steve Hymon

Comments

[Jeremy R]

What does equity even mean?

By definition, transit is not equitable.

You cannot have the same level of service in Malibu as you do in downtown. Fundamentally it makes no sense.

In dense, job rich areas, you need very frequent, very fast, very high capacity service that offers good coverage. That will be very expensive. in the exurbs, you have very few lines, very few stops, and you have more open space to explore cheaper construction options.

Why would rail/bus service in Valencia be the same as century city?

It never will be. Equitability, is thus never truly possible depending on one's definition.

How do we even define equitable?!?!

number of lines, number of stops, miles of track, dollars spent, dollars spent/mile, dollars spent/rider, etc etc. etc?

The gold line was 1/6 the cost of the red line, but also carries 1/6 the passengers. On a $/person metric, they are equal. On a pure $ amount, they are not.

Which one makes the most sense?

what happens if more people from pasadena take the red line to the westside than people who live on the westside?

Don't think its possible?

ask yourself this question.
SF has the most stops of any city in the BART network. Who do you think those stops serve the most? Residents of SF, or people from Concord, Berkeley, Oakland, Fremont who are commuting into the city for work?

[Morgan Wick]

"I don't mind building railroads, but I don't want my tax money going to a railroad project for a few decades--a project that will have little effect on traffic in the San Gabriel Valley. I don't trust the MTA nor the Los Angeles City Hall to reallocate the money after a few years. If this measure passes, I predict that once the Westside line is complete, Westsiders won't release the funds until the 405, 105, and 10 are all upgraded. In the meantime, the SGV will suffer massive congestion and traffic problems."

Kristin, where in the SGV do you live, assuming you live there? If you live in places like Alhambra or Monterey Park or West Covina that's near the 10, not the 210, I doubt the Foothill Extention will help you either. It may even make your problems worse. Would you oppose that "project that will have little effect on traffic in the San Gabriel Valley"?

[Mark]

It would be a lot easier to turn the freeways into toll roads.

[Just a Taxpayer]

The sales tax has already reached the no buy saturation point at 8.25%. I find myself doing everything possible to avoid purchasing in California and paying the tax. Increasing the sales tax by any amount will make Californians only try harder to buy elsewhere and avoid it. That means fewer trips to restaurants, less frequent automotive purchases, and ordering online instead of visiting the nearest big box store. Not the state's current budget crisis or transportation gridlock justifies any increase in the sales tax.

[tommy d]

Politicians can not be trusted. Just look at the mess in Sacramento. They have 40% more revenues than they had 5 years ago and it's still not enough. It's never enough. TAX. TAX. TAX. That's all they know. They're a bunch of incompetant nincompoops and shouldn't given a penny more in tax revenuesuntil they cut out the rampant waste and corruption in our state and local governments. NO MORE TAXES!

[Stephen]

Reply to Ethan Q: The problem is the west siders don't want the east siders going to the beach. This is why millions were spent extending the Red Line only ONE MILE west - and then calling it the Purple Line. What a joke.

Your comment would have made sense in any other city. To supplement your comments, we're also the only major city not to have rail service to LAX, most likely because the parking lot owners at LAX must be contributing lots of cash to the mayor and city counsel. I see our mayor is already making derogatory remarks about such a common sense project.

[kristin]

I don't mind building railroads, but I don't want my tax money going to a railroad project for a few decades--a project that will have little effect on traffic in the San Gabriel Valley. I don't trust the MTA nor the Los Angeles City Hall to reallocate the money after a few years. If this measure passes, I predict that once the Westside line is complete, Westsiders won't release the funds until the 405, 105, and 10 are all upgraded. In the meantime, the SGV will suffer massive congestion and traffic problems.

[BeyondTheMargin.net]

While I generally support improving mass transit, adding ANOTHER permanent increase to sales taxes to fund it will just increase the burden on the citizens of LA. If the Governor passes a 1% "temporary" sales tax increase to shore up the budget, LA residents would pay almost 10% sales tax on top of almost 10% income taxes. Maybe the MTA should just raise fares rather than increasing taxes...

http://www.beyondthemargin.net/2008/08/declining-tax-revenues-threaten-us.html

[Ethan Q]

I never heard such a sham as the notion of "county equity." If that's the case, lets stop taxing the Westside for improvements on the Eastside. How did the MTA get the money to build all the subway lines on the Eastside, the Tooth Fairy?

A subway to the sea is the only way LA can have a transit system similar to almost every other great city in the world. It would be a pleasure to take a train to work instead of having to drive. Besides, maybe people on the Eastside would like to have an easy way to go to the beach?

[Kent]

Any attempt to build rail should be supported, whether it's equitable or not. A rail line is always going be benefitting one place more than another. It's not like they can build a rail line through the entire city in one big project. People in East side and South side have rail lines already. Why do they feel impelled to deny the Westside a rail line to the sea? People from East and South LA will be able to use it to get to the beach! Rail for all.

[Jerome H. Weymouth]

Lets get together, lets get together, and get the sale tax passed, it will be for the good of everybody around and remembe rit could be refashioned after it passes....How you ask? Well leave it to the politians, they'll figure it out.