Friday, May 27, 2016

In 2008, Los Angeles County voters agreed to a half-cent sales tax hike in exchange for the promise of improved roads and accelerated public transit projects. Over 40 years, Measure R will produce over $35 billion worth of rail lines, busways, and other investments that have been completed, are under construction or in development. That amount was just a down-payment for mobility in L.A. 

Now, L.A. County Metro is considering a new ballot measure to augment and extend the sales tax beyond the current 2039 expiration date, generating up to $120 billion in revenue. 

When the pie is as big as the national budgets of some small countries, everybody wants a piece. When a measure requires two-thirds to pass, compromises are necessary to allocate funds among the county's jurisdictions while getting the most out of Metro's investment. Cities around the county are demanding what they consider to be their fair share, and activists for every mode, from tractor-trailers to the humble foot, are weighing in. Please join WUF to help decide whether Metro’s measure is a crucial investment in the region's future or a Christmas tree that serves too many specific interests at the expense of a comprehensive strategy.

Panelists 

Eric Bruins, Principal, Bruins Policy Solutions
Steve Lantz, Transportation Director, South Bay Cities Council of Governments
Mary Leslie, President, Los Angeles Business Council
Pauletta Tonilas, Chief Communications Officer, Metro
Denny Zane, Executive Director, Move LA 

Moderator
Bill Parent, Lecturer, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs