It's official: Measure R going to voters in L.A. County

BREAKING NEWS: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed AB 2321, the bill allowing the Measure R election to go forward on Nov. 4. That's the half-cent sales tax increase to pay for more mass transit and road improvements.

Proponents of the measure say the sales tax would raise $30 billion to $40 billion over the 30-year lifespan of the tax. To pass, the measure requires approval of two-thirds of voters. The current sales tax rate in L.A. County is 8.25%, already one of the highest in California.

Los Angeles County voters have approved two prior half-penny increases for mass transit -- one in 1980, the other in 1990. But those hikes came only after voters had rejected other mass transit taxes or bonds in the 1960s and '70s, thereby delaying the construction of more mass transit in Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

Among the big-ticket items that Measure R would fund are a subway extension, the Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica, an extension of the Gold Line deeper into the San Gabriel Valley and a variety of road  improvements. Fifteen percent of the revenues would be returned to cities in the county to spend on their own transit projects.

It remains to be seen how much of a political battle will develop around the sales tax. Three of five members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors -- Mike Antonovich, Don Knabe and Gloria Molina -- have come out against the tax because they believe the money will not be evenly distributed around the county. And some officials in the San Gabriel Valley are upset because they believe money designated for the Gold Line and other projects will not have enough protections and that it will later be diverted to other projects, such as the subway.

The sales tax is being pushed by, among others, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who will be overseeing the campaign and directing the fund-raising. Villaraigosa ran for mayor in 2005 on a platform of completing the subway to the sea. Measure R would set aside $4 billion for the project, enough proponents say to get the subway as far as Westwood.

Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) sponsored the state bill and helped it survive the Legislature, where it almost died on several occasions as politicians fought over what projects would be included in the bill. I just got off the phone with Feuer and he predicted success for the campaign for one simple reason: "There are very few elections," he said, "where voters have such personal daily contact with the issue."

--Steve Hymon

Comments

[Veena Senra]

I would like to begin by thanking you for your concise and informative exposé on Measure R. I believe that while Measure R creates a complicated issue out of who pays for and who benefits from the increased taxes, it has the potential to stimulate growth in this downward spiraling economy. First, you mention that the three Los Angeles County supervisors feel that the "money will not be evenly distributed around the county," but perhaps not every area in the county is as poorly serviced and that each demands different amounts of attention. It makes sense that Metro should invest in the more pressing areas first. That being said, the bill itself still says that cities in the county would receive 15% of the money to spend on their own transportation projects. Therefore, every city would at least see a small amount of money, which seems fair. In addition, you explain that "the current sales tax rate in L.A. is 8.25%, already one of the highest in California," Would this tax would mostly burden the well-off? I know groceries and other essential items are exempt from sales tax, therefore this tax would impact spending on mostly dispensable items. Furthermore, you discuss how the San Gabriel officials worry that "money designated for the Gold Line and other projects will not have enough protections and that it will later be diverted to other projects, such as the subway." This I feel is the most realistic of all concerns. California voters have been burned before. Recall, Prop 1A, increased gas taxes, but due to the California state budget deficit, none of the money made it to the public transit agencies to which it was promised. What is to stop the city, in the midst of a budget crunch, from following the precedent of the state? Voters will be hesitant to designate money for Metro, when similar, recent past initiatives have increased their cost of living without making returns on quality of life. Yet, despite the obvious obstacles, the brilliance of Measure R is that "the sales tax would raise $30 billion to $40 billion over the 30 year-year lifespan of the tax." As you know, that is a hugely significant sum of money for Los Angeles County. Unless the Federal and State governments can learn to balance their budgets without cutting public transportation funding, a local initiative such as Measure R may be the only way to invest in Los Angeles infrastructure. After all, as the Nasdaq and Dow Jones continue to yo-yo up and down, private companies do not have any money to invest. With the private sector out of the picture, and the country and state in budget crises, must Angelinos bite the bullet and invest or they will find themselves sitting in a pile of rubble when the current transit infrastructure finally finishes crumbling apart?

I am currently writing a blog about transportation policy in Los Angeles. Please do stop by and leave your comments: http://veenasenra.blogspot.com/2008/09/wheres-money-possible-state-and-federal.html

[Dana Gabbard]

Infiormation on Measure R including arguments for and against will be in the official sample ballot booklet that the County Registrar-Recorder will be sending registered voters shortly. It covers local elections and measures.

I spent Friday and Saturday helping to staff the booth for Southern California Transit Advocates at the Alternative Car Expo in Santa Monica. We gave out a lot of material on Measure R and Proposition 1A (the bullet train bonds)--both generally received very favorable comments. We also gave out a ton of Amtrak schedules and the Metro system map was very popular.

Now at last we can focus on the campaign and try our hardest to beat that 2/3 barrier to success.

[Eric]

Steve,
I just received my General Election Official Voter Information Guide with all the propositions.....and there is nothing on the sales tax increase! Any news on how voters are going to learn about this?

[JP]

I look forward to voting YES on this one. A half-penny on the dollar is a small price to pay to ease traffic. I consider it an investment -- the cost of inaction would greatly exceed the tax increase.

[Paul]

Too bad it wasn't passed in time to make it into the voter's guides that were mailed this week.

[Ken Alpern]

This is great news! Now we have the potential to control our own future with respect to transportation!

[JJ]

This couldn't come at a better time. We need the traffic relief. We need an alternative to ridiculous gas prices. We need more rail. And our local economy needs this shot in the arm. Get the word out!!! Vote YES on Measure R!!!

[Dan W.]

This is wonderful!!!

Woo hoo!

[lsm]

After surviving a daunting gauntlet of local, state and Federal politicos flailing away out of selfish, parochial interest, Measure R will finally go to us voters! We can finally try to build a much better future by investing in vitally needed transit infrastructure.

Garnering a two-thirds vote to pass this necessary measure will not be easy. Please do what you can--donate time or money to the newly formed Yes on R committee, talk to neighbors and remember to vote yes--to pass this necessary investment in our futures.

[Stephen]

Thank God, especially since our "green" governor just cut nearly $1 billion in transit funding this year (of course while roads and highways stay intact).

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/20/MN3Q131AJJ.DTL&hw=transit+funding&sn=002&sc=178