Monday, April 23, 2007

Antonio Villaraigosa's Position on the MTA's Proposed Fare Hike?



The Los Angeles MTA has proposed drastic fare hikes that will punish poor people and fuck over everybody in the society regardless of economic class by working against the stated goals of our society of reducing petroleum dependence, decreasing traffic congestion, improving air quality, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. So naturally, I'm very interested in what Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's position on this matter is. I need to know. So far he has remained silent, but this will certainly become more astonishing.

On a recent trip to Washington in which Los Angeles City Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa sought additional resources for our region, Mr. Villaraigosa referred to California as the 7th largest economy in the world. The MTA's budget refers to Los Angeles County as the 17th largest economy of the world. When Mr. Villaraigosa was elected in 2005, it made international news.

According to this La Opinion article, California is the 12th largest emiter of greenhouse gases in the world, with 41% of these coming from transportation. The battle over the MTA's proposed fare increases and service cuts is more than a local issue. It is a state, national, and even international issue. It is more than a battle of poor people attempting to maintain an affordable transportation option, it is also a battle over how to reduce petroleum dependence in the world's largest consumer of gasoline besides the U.S., how to fight global warming, and how to improve the quality of life of the region.



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