Times Covers Coming Metro Cuts, Avoids Mentioning Pols By Name

1_25_10_advertisement.jpgPhoto:Biofriendly/Flickr

Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Times took a look at the coming budget crisis at Metro.  The article just scratches the surface of the issue, correctly noting that there are a lot of reasons for the quarter of a billion dollar operating deficit including the state’s budget grabs, lower than projected sales tax revenue and an 8% decline in ridership from Metro’s record setting year in 2008.

However, while the article is very clear that over $150 million of the $250 million deficit comes from the state’s grab of a fund dedicated to transit operations, it doesn’t name names for who it to blame for that raid.  The word "Schwarzenegger" doesn’t appear.  And, to be fair, while Los Angeles County is home to the last two Assembly Speakers, the current Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, and Chair of a Transportation sub-committee that deals with funding issues; none of these leaders are mentioned or quoted.  Assembly Members Fabian Nunez, Karen Bass, Mike Eng, and Michale Feuer, take a bow.

As has been noted several times, one of the reasons the debate on the Governor’s current transit raid is receiving such a frosty reception compared to previous years is because the press is covering the impact transit cuts state wide are having on riders, especially those that are transit-dependent.  The next step is for the press to start naming names, so that you don’t have to read transportation blogs to be able to pin the blame on the Donkeys and the Governor.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Asm. Bob Blumenfield: It’s Time to Think Big on Transit

By Streetsblog |
(The following op/ed was written by Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield (D-SFV), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee in support of AB 650.  Blumenfield’s legislation has already passed the Assembly and passed the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday.  It needs to pass the full Senate and go back to the Assembly for a concurrence vote before heading to […]

Times: Metro Should Raise Fares

By Damien Newton |
The Times wants to raise fares on transit riders. Photo: Pgsvenk/Flickr In today’s Los Angeles Times, the local paper of record follows up on this weekend’s look at Metro’s operational funding crisis with an editorial urging the Metro Board to increase fares to help close the agency’s roughly quarter of a billion annual deficit for […]

Thanks Gov., Even with Prop A City Facing Long-Term Transit Cuts

By Damien Newton |
Photo: Divwerf/Flickr It may be 16 months away, but thanks in large part to the Governor’s and legislature’s complete victory over transit riders when they re-worked the budget and completely eliminated the transit operating deficit back in February; either fare hikes or service cuts or both are coming to the City of Los Angeles’ transit […]