From the Daily Breeze: South Bay should press for sales tax transit funds

Link: South Bay should press for sales tax transit funds - The Daily Breeze

South Bay should press for sales tax transit funds
Posted: 06/30/2009 05:14:45 PM PDT

It's an odd juxtaposition. As the governor rejects any tax increase to solve the state budget crisis, here in Los Angeles County consumers today will start paying a higher sales tax.

The half-cent increase is the result of county voters approving Measure R, which is supposed to generate $40 billion in local transportation projects over the next 30 years, including a Westside subway line.

The tax, which is estimated to cost about $25 per person per year, certainly brings mixed emotions. We believe the projects to be funded by the tax, such as extending the Green Line north to Los Angeles International Airport and also south to the South Bay Galleria, will benefit this region and provide commuters more options.

County residents are obviously disgusted with the status quo. Lost time stuck in freeway traffic is lost money. The added pollution drives up medical costs and mortality. The continuing dependence on foreign sources of energy saps our economy and leaves us less secure.

So the projects funded throughout the county should improve mobility and lessen dependence on single-occupancy cars.

Meanwhile, with gas prices on the rise and the unemployment rate hovering in double digits, the measure's infrastructure spending and the creation of 212,000 jobs are welcome indeed.

Still, although we supported Measure R when it came before voters in November, we're disappointed that county planners don't seem to be in any
to extend light rail into the heart of the South Bay. The completion of the southern extension of the Green Line is not scheduled to occur until 2033. That provides little comfort to today's commuters.

Of course, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority could alter its priorities if South Bay elected officials continue to press the agency. The Harbor Subdivision, an old freight rail right-of-way, could eventually provide a way to link the Green Line even further south, if funding is found.

Our hope is that South Bay residents who pay the new sales tax rate of 9.75 percent will see a return on their investment in their lifetime.

Lawmakers and taxpayers alike need to make sure that the trustees of our largesse - the MTA's governing board, which oversees our transit needs - spend these extra billions of our hard-earned money wisely.