BAD NEWS & GOOD FROM WASHINGTON DC

Metro Would Lose Over $265 Million In Federal Funding Over the Next Two Years If Georgia Congressman’s Effort to Cut Federal Highway and Transit Funding Succeeds
Next week, Congressman Paul Broun (R-GA) plans to offer a motion to instruct House conferees on the surface transportation bill (H.R. 4348). His motion to instruct conferees, as currently drafted, seeks to cut federal highway and transit funding by nearly 50% for the balance of federal Fiscal Year 2012 and by nearly 25% in federal Fiscal Year 2013. Adoption of the Broun motion to instruct conferees into law would result in a cut of over $265 million for our agency over a two year period. Specifically, our estimate is that the Broun motion to instruct conferees would cut $77.4 million in federal funding for our agency for the balance of federal Fiscal Year 2012 and $190.1 million for federal Fiscal Year 2013. As drafted this week, the Broun motion to instruct would limit total "funding out of the Highway Trust Fund" in Fiscal Years 2012 and 2013 to the amounts that the Congressional Budget Office currently projects will be deposited in the Trust Fund under current law tax rates (plus interest on balances). Our Government Relations staff and Federal advocates will be informing members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation of the severe negative impact the Broun motion to instruct conferees, as currently drafted, would have on our agency. We will keep all Board members apprised of this matter as the Broun motion to instruct transportation conferees is considered by the House of Representatives next week.

U.S. House Transportation Spending Bill Slated for Consideration Next Week
The U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Appropriations, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, led by Chairman Tom Latham (R-IA) will mark-up legislation next week that would make Fiscal Year 2013 appropriations for programs under its jurisdiction. The mark-up will be held on Thursday, June 7, 2012. Our Government Relations staff and Federal advocates have met with Chairman Latham and his staff and will be closely monitoring the mark-up on issues related to our Board-approved 2012 Legislative Program. 


Support for America Fast Forward Continues to Grow Among Chambers of Commerce Nationwide
The private sector’s support for the America Fast Forward initiative continues to grow nationwide. Most recently, Chambers of Commerce from the States of Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas and North Carolina joined our initiative to have Congress adopt America Fast Forward as part of our nation’s next surface transportation bill. The America Fast Forward initiative, championed by our Board Chairman, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and our entire Board of Directors, now enjoys the support of over 50 Chambers of Commerce from around the nation and also has the strong support of over 125 mayors from small, medium-size and large cities across the nation. Specifically, the following Chambers of Commerce recently joined the national America Fast Forward coalition - Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce (Rogers, Arkansas), Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce (Topeka, Kansas), Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce (Asheville, North Carolina) and the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce (Boise, Idaho).

BOYARSKY ON LONDON & LA AS SISTER CITIES

Columnist Bill Boyarsky writes on LA Observed that "London sprawls like Los Angeles, but it has a huge rail underground rail  network that's packed during rush hours and in the evening . . . The fact that the London underground has existed and grown since the 19th century in such a sprawling city is a great argument against the complaints of the diminishing band of LA transit skeptics who maintain our city is too spread out to support a train system. . . " Read it here:

WHEN THE 1% SAY NO: Cities need transit & affordable housing but outdated laws make it easy for the 1% to say no

William Doig posted this on Salon.com today:

Continuing the grand tradition of privileged communities opposing transit projects, the good people of 90210 are fighting a plan to run a subway below Beverly Hills High School. For years, Beverly Hills has been trying to derail the planned alignment of the West Side Subway Extension, saying it would be safer to run it beneath Santa Monica Boulevard (though their own study indicates otherwise). The threat of lawsuits and endless public hearings have delayed the project but not killed it; now opponents have released a video claiming that the subway could ignite pockets of methane gas and blow the school to bits. “Methane gas, toxic chemicals and teenagers don’t mix,” intones the grim voiceover . . .

Link to the story here:

VIDEO OF BOXER'S UPDATE ON THE TRANSPORTATION BILL

SEN. BOXER: GREAT PROGRESS; DEAL POSSIBLE BY END OF JUNE

Just in from The Hill, a congressional newspaper:

The chairwoman of the committee of lawmakers that is conferencing on a new federal surface transportation bill said Wednesday that a substantial portion of the issues that could prevent a deal between the House and Senate have already been cleared.

"I wanted to tell you were making very good progress -- I would say great progress -- on working through the various issues," Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said during a press conference at the Capitol.

"Approximately 80 percent of the (Environment and Public Works) title ... is non-controversial," she continued. "The EPW title makes up about 80 percent of the entire bill, so this is a very substantial report I'm giving you."

 

Boxer is leading a 47-member committee of lawmakers that is trying to meld a two-year, $109-billion transportation bill that was passed by the Senate with a pair of temporary extensions of current funding that were approved by the House.

The lower chamber had sought to pass a five-year, $260-billion measure that was funded in part by increasing domestic oil drilling, and their short-term measures mandate approve of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline that has been rejected by President Obama.

But Boxer said Tuesday that leaders in the Republican-led House have been willing to negotiate the differences in the chambers' respective approaches to transportation funding in good faith.

"I am particularly pleased … by the willingness of Speaker Boehner to work with us to accomplish our mutual goal," Boxer said Tuesday. "I had a very good conversation with him yesterday, and he told me that he met with the leaders on his side and he told them to get the conference report done. He is working to make sure we get this done, and that is the best news that I had heard in a long time." 

Boxer vowed the lawmakers on the conference committee would complete their negotiations before the current funding for road and transit projects runs out.

"The conferees are fully engaged, we will have our conference report ready to circulate among the various colleagues by early June and we intend to have this bill on the desk of the president before June 30," she said.

ACTION ALERT: METRO BOARD

This is another critical stretch on the path to building out a robust and well-connected transit system in LA County: On Thursday, May 24, LA Metro's Board of Directors takes up the issue of whether to support AB 1446 – Assemblyman Michael Feuer’s bill to remove the sunset date in Measure R and authorize an extension of the sales tax on the November ballot. We hope that you can attend the board meeting and provide public comment – you are allowed one minute and we suggest that you speak on one of the "Top 10 Reasons to Extend Measure R Now!" -- which are included below! The meeting starts at 9 a.m. at Metro Headquarters. TOP 10 REASONS TO EXTEND MEASURE R NOW: • It will create 400,000 jobs over 10 years at a time when jobs are needed badly; • The entire system can be built more cheaply now than if construction occurs over a longer time frame because of inflation; • LA will benefit from immediate congestion reduction benefits; • Reduced congestion = improved economic competitiveness; • LA will benefit from improved air quality; • GHG emission reductions will be accelerated; • Voters will get 20 more years of service out of the system; • The increased connectivity of the system will greatly enhance ridership on all line; • This ensures there will continue to be adequate funding for operations (20% of Measure R is dedicated to operations); But why extend Measure R now? Because we can win now! • Polling on the extension is excellent – voters are ready! • The coalition is in place now! • The increased turnout for a presidential election will help! • We’ve got the momentum – LA has new mojo!

TOP 10 REASONS TO EXTEND MEASURE R

LA Metro's Board of Directors takes up the issue of whether to support AB 1446 on Thursday. AB 1446 is Assemblyman Michael Feurer's bill to remove the sunset date in Measure R and authorize an extension of the sales tax to be placed on the ballot. Move LA convened its business-labor-environmental coalition Monday to discuss Metro's rationale for extending Measure R. From our perspective, here are the Top 10 Reasons: • It will allow Metro to bond against a longer revenue stream and raise the money upfront to build all 12 new rail and bus rapid transit lines in the next 10 years • It will create 400,000 jobs over 10 years at a time when jobs are needed badly; • The entire system can be built more cheaply now than if construction occurs over a longer time frame because of inflation; • LA will benefit from immediate congestion reduction benefits; • Reduced congestion = improved economic competitiveness; • LA will benefit from improved air quality; • GHG emission reductions will be accelerated; • Voters will get 20 more years of service out of the system; • The increased connectivity of the system will greatly enhance ridership on all line; • This ensures there will continue to be adequate funding for operations (20% of Measure R is dedicated to operations); But why extend Measure R now? Because we can win now! • Polling on the extension is excellent – voters are ready! • The coalition is in place now! • The increased turnout for a presidential election will help! • We’ve got the momentum – LA has new mojo!