NO 710 Presentation Revised and available in Power Point Format
The presentation is by the San Rafael Neighborhoods Association.
Purpose
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Measure J: Transit Tax Extension Holds Narrow Margin in Internal Poll, But Needs More Campaign Cash to Win
http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012/Update below: Beverly Hills Unified votes to oppose Measure J, board members join No on J effort.
A county sales tax measure to accelerate transportation projects has slightly more than the two-thirds level of support required for passage, according to internal polling from the Yes campaign.
Measure J is leading 68-22, according the poll. However, the pollster warns that after voters hear positive and negative messages about the half-cent sales tax extension, the margin narrows to 67-27 -- putting it on the cusp of defeat.
Measure J is an extension of Measure R, the half-cent sales tax measure voters narrowly approved in 2008. Measure R is set to expire in 2039. Measure J would extend the tax for an extra 30 years. That would allow the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to borrow more money now to accelerate projects already funded under Measure R.
Supporters contend that the measure will accelerate the creation of 400,000 jobs, based on this report from the L.A. Economic Development Corporation. It also will speed up the completion of seven transit projects (shown below), as well as funding highway projects and bus operations. If Measure J is approved, the Westside subway, now set for completion in 2036, would be done in 2022. The Sepulveda Pass project, now scheduled for 2039, would be completed by 2025.
A county sales tax measure to accelerate transportation projects has slightly more than the two-thirds level of support required for passage, according to internal polling from the Yes campaign.
Measure J is leading 68-22, according the poll. However, the pollster warns that after voters hear positive and negative messages about the half-cent sales tax extension, the margin narrows to 67-27 -- putting it on the cusp of defeat.
Measure J is an extension of Measure R, the half-cent sales tax measure voters narrowly approved in 2008. Measure R is set to expire in 2039. Measure J would extend the tax for an extra 30 years. That would allow the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to borrow more money now to accelerate projects already funded under Measure R.
Supporters contend that the measure will accelerate the creation of 400,000 jobs, based on this report from the L.A. Economic Development Corporation. It also will speed up the completion of seven transit projects (shown below), as well as funding highway projects and bus operations. If Measure J is approved, the Westside subway, now set for completion in 2036, would be done in 2022. The Sepulveda Pass project, now scheduled for 2039, would be completed by 2025.
Opponents, including Supervisors Don Knabe and Michael Antonovich, argue
that the jobs figure is exaggerated. They point out that Measure J
won't create any jobs that would not already be created under Measure R.
A ballot argument against the measure, signed by the two supervisors,
calls it "a blank check that our kids and grandkids will pay for the
next 60 years."
The polling memo, by Fairbank, Maslin, Maulin, Metz & Associates, argues that "job creation is Measure J's most effective selling point" and that the prospects for passage "look promising."
However, the memo also warns, "The close margin in favor of the two-thirds vote required for Measure J passage argues that a well-funded advertising campaign is essential to assure victory."
That is far from a sure thing. According to a fundraising report filed this week, the Yes campaign has raised just $171,000. That puts it ahead of the $108,000 the Measure R campaign had raised at this point in 2008 -- but it's still not much considering the need to reach a countywide electorate.
Matt Szabo, the executive director of the Yes campaign, said the campaign has raised substantial contributions since the Sept. 30 deadline, and that the campaign will have enough money to run TV spots.
"We're ahead of where we were four years ago," Szabo said.
So far, Westfield Corp. is the largest contributor to the campaign, putting in $100,000. Westfield owns the Century City Mall, which will be close to a stop on the Westside subway extension. Other major contributors include the L.A./O.C. Building and Construction Trades Council ($25,000), the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 12 ($25,000) and contractor CH2M Hill ($20,000).
Update: The Beverly Hills Unified School District board voted 5-0 on Tuesday night to oppose Measure J. The district has been fighting MTA for years over the routing of the Westside subway under Beverly Hills High School, and recently filed an environmental lawsuit to try to block tunneling under the school.
In the past, the school board has stressed that it supports the subway but opposes the current route. But by taking a position against Measure J, the board is broadening its opposition in an effort to send a message that "MTA is run amok," said Brian Goldberg, the president of the Beverly Hills Unified board.
"The only way to put some boundaries around MTA's tactics is to starve the beast," Goldberg said. "This is one way to send the message that MTA has to clean up and change the way it does business and stop creating sweetheart deals for developers at the expense of the residents of L.A. County."
Some Beverly Hills Unified board members are joining with the Bus Riders Union, the No on 710 Committee and the Crenshaw Subway Coalition to form a "No on J" committee. Goldberg said the group would seek to raise money from Beverly Hills parents.
Another concerning sign for the "Yes on J" committee is that the MTA is not spending as much money as it did in 2008 to inform voters about the ballot measure. In 2008, the MTA spent $1 million to send color brochures about Measure R to every registered voter. But at the direction of the board, the MTA is not doing that again for Measure J, said Marc Littman, an MTA spokesman.
"We're doing an extremely limited public education effort," Littman said. The MTA has a Measure J website and some brochures, and has sprung for some print advertisements.
Asked if that meant that the Yes campaign would have to raise money to make up the difference, Szabo said the MTA educational effort "wasn't part of Measure R's budget four years ago and it isn't part of Measure J's budget now."
The polling memo, by Fairbank, Maslin, Maulin, Metz & Associates, argues that "job creation is Measure J's most effective selling point" and that the prospects for passage "look promising."
However, the memo also warns, "The close margin in favor of the two-thirds vote required for Measure J passage argues that a well-funded advertising campaign is essential to assure victory."
That is far from a sure thing. According to a fundraising report filed this week, the Yes campaign has raised just $171,000. That puts it ahead of the $108,000 the Measure R campaign had raised at this point in 2008 -- but it's still not much considering the need to reach a countywide electorate.
Matt Szabo, the executive director of the Yes campaign, said the campaign has raised substantial contributions since the Sept. 30 deadline, and that the campaign will have enough money to run TV spots.
"We're ahead of where we were four years ago," Szabo said.
So far, Westfield Corp. is the largest contributor to the campaign, putting in $100,000. Westfield owns the Century City Mall, which will be close to a stop on the Westside subway extension. Other major contributors include the L.A./O.C. Building and Construction Trades Council ($25,000), the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 12 ($25,000) and contractor CH2M Hill ($20,000).
Update: The Beverly Hills Unified School District board voted 5-0 on Tuesday night to oppose Measure J. The district has been fighting MTA for years over the routing of the Westside subway under Beverly Hills High School, and recently filed an environmental lawsuit to try to block tunneling under the school.
In the past, the school board has stressed that it supports the subway but opposes the current route. But by taking a position against Measure J, the board is broadening its opposition in an effort to send a message that "MTA is run amok," said Brian Goldberg, the president of the Beverly Hills Unified board.
"The only way to put some boundaries around MTA's tactics is to starve the beast," Goldberg said. "This is one way to send the message that MTA has to clean up and change the way it does business and stop creating sweetheart deals for developers at the expense of the residents of L.A. County."
Some Beverly Hills Unified board members are joining with the Bus Riders Union, the No on 710 Committee and the Crenshaw Subway Coalition to form a "No on J" committee. Goldberg said the group would seek to raise money from Beverly Hills parents.
Another concerning sign for the "Yes on J" committee is that the MTA is not spending as much money as it did in 2008 to inform voters about the ballot measure. In 2008, the MTA spent $1 million to send color brochures about Measure R to every registered voter. But at the direction of the board, the MTA is not doing that again for Measure J, said Marc Littman, an MTA spokesman.
"We're doing an extremely limited public education effort," Littman said. The MTA has a Measure J website and some brochures, and has sprung for some print advertisements.
Asked if that meant that the Yes campaign would have to raise money to make up the difference, Szabo said the MTA educational effort "wasn't part of Measure R's budget four years ago and it isn't part of Measure J's budget now."
CBI calls for privatisation of UK’s major roads
http://www.worldhighways.com/sections/general/news/cbi-calls-for-privatisation-of-uks-major-roads/
Posted by Ellen Biasin on the No on Measure J Facebook page
A leading industry body is calling for the UK’s motorway and main road links to be privatised and tolled. According to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), introducing a plan for tolled roads and privatised motorways will be the only way to ensure these major links can be adequately funded in the future. By privatising some 1,600km of motorways, the CBI believes that there should be sufficient revenue for necessary repair and maintenance works. At present the UK’s Highways Agency faces a funding shortfall of €12.4 billion.
For everyone who wants to transition from traffic, congestion, pollution: reclaiming city streets
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/pubs/pdf/streets_people.pdf
Sierra Madre Council Votes to Oppose 710 Tunnel Project
http://sierramadre.patch.com/articles/council-votes-to-oppose-710-tunnel-project
http://sierramadre.patch.com/articles/council-votes-to-oppose-710-tunnel-project
At Tuesday's meeting, the council agreed to take an official position on
extending the 710 Freeway to the 210 using a tunnel option.
The Sierra Madre City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to join
other local cities in opposition to a proposed tunnel extension of the
710 Freeway.
In the discussion regarding closing the 710 gap between Pasadena and the Long Beach Freeway in El Sereno, Mayor Josh Moran expressed concern that while Sierra Madre is in a study area as being affected by the extension, councilmembers had not been invited to meetings held by Metro to get the input of stakeholders.
“I wasn’t invited,” he said. “I just showed up. But that’s not what irked me the most.” Several of the other identified stakeholders, such as Duarte, were also not invited, he said. “Some of these plans would impact our community.”
South Pasadena Mayor Michael Cacciotti spoke about the position that city had taken on connecting the two spurs of the 710, and invited the Sierra Madre City Council to join in opposing the Caltrans plan. He urged the council to support a multi-modal plan that encompasses several transportation alternatives, including funding the Alameda Corridor East, electrified transportation rail to move goods from the ports, and full funding of the Gold Line east to the Ontario Airport and west to Universal City, and the Gold Line through East L.A. to San Bernardino.
Cacciotti noted that north-south corridor is not well-served by public transportation, but said that the tunnel would not solve that problem, because it would by-pass many of the busiest locations. He suggested a bus line that would serve the many schools and business centers along that corridor, including Art Center, Caltech, Pasadena City College, Cal State Los Angeles, and East Los Angeles College, and light rail from below the 60 Freeway to the Fillmore Gold Line station in Pasadena.
Councilmember John Capoccia asked if the bus line would be similar to the Orange Line, with dedicated bus lanes. Cacciotti did not have specifics because the plan would go through several cities. Capoccia said, “A train is one thing. People find the train to be somewhat convenient. The bus is not convenient.”
He also pointed out that both San Marino and Alhambra support the tunnel, because those cities are impacted by surface street traffic going to and from the Long Beach Freeway.
Several speakers and councilmembers brought up the impact on air quality they believe the tunnel would have, and the expected increase in traffic on the 210 Freeway that providing access via the tunnel would cause. Some of the concern was related to studies showing an increase in emissions at the mouths of tunnels, but the issue of truck traffic came up.
According to Cacciotti, Metro keeps changing its mind regarding whether or not the tunnel will be open to truck traffic. Cacciotti insisted that regular vehicles would not be taking the tunnel to get downtown, but trucks would use it to get to the distribution center in the high desert.
Harry Baldwin, executive director of the 710 Coalition, a group that supports closing the gap, said that the coalition represents Alhambra, Monterey Park, San Marino, and other cities and labor groups. “This is a transportation program that has been in effect for 50 years,” he said. He said the tunnel option alleviates the objection to losing homes and property to a surface route.
The tunnel, as a public/private partnership, would be built by a firm in Spain, he said, and to recoup their costs and make a profit, they have to charge tolls. Councilmember Chris Koerber said that when tolls are too high, people will not pay them and traffic is dumped onto the street, but trucking companies will pay.
Baldwin does not think that trucks will use the route, because it will add six miles to their trip and there are two steep grades on the route. He asked the city council to wait until Metro’s environmental impact report is completed before making a decision.
When Mayor Moran called for a vote, it was decided to oppose the tunnel but to not yet endorse another plan. “I think we have the opportunity to make the resolution go further, but I don’t feel comfortable at this juncture,” he said, citing the length of the document provided by South Pasadena and the need to look at other information as well.
Councilmember Koerber agreed. “I think keep it simple,” he said. “Then we can revisit it.”
The council voted to oppose the 710 tunnel, and to have staff write up the resolution.
In the discussion regarding closing the 710 gap between Pasadena and the Long Beach Freeway in El Sereno, Mayor Josh Moran expressed concern that while Sierra Madre is in a study area as being affected by the extension, councilmembers had not been invited to meetings held by Metro to get the input of stakeholders.
“I wasn’t invited,” he said. “I just showed up. But that’s not what irked me the most.” Several of the other identified stakeholders, such as Duarte, were also not invited, he said. “Some of these plans would impact our community.”
South Pasadena Mayor Michael Cacciotti spoke about the position that city had taken on connecting the two spurs of the 710, and invited the Sierra Madre City Council to join in opposing the Caltrans plan. He urged the council to support a multi-modal plan that encompasses several transportation alternatives, including funding the Alameda Corridor East, electrified transportation rail to move goods from the ports, and full funding of the Gold Line east to the Ontario Airport and west to Universal City, and the Gold Line through East L.A. to San Bernardino.
Cacciotti noted that north-south corridor is not well-served by public transportation, but said that the tunnel would not solve that problem, because it would by-pass many of the busiest locations. He suggested a bus line that would serve the many schools and business centers along that corridor, including Art Center, Caltech, Pasadena City College, Cal State Los Angeles, and East Los Angeles College, and light rail from below the 60 Freeway to the Fillmore Gold Line station in Pasadena.
Councilmember John Capoccia asked if the bus line would be similar to the Orange Line, with dedicated bus lanes. Cacciotti did not have specifics because the plan would go through several cities. Capoccia said, “A train is one thing. People find the train to be somewhat convenient. The bus is not convenient.”
He also pointed out that both San Marino and Alhambra support the tunnel, because those cities are impacted by surface street traffic going to and from the Long Beach Freeway.
Several speakers and councilmembers brought up the impact on air quality they believe the tunnel would have, and the expected increase in traffic on the 210 Freeway that providing access via the tunnel would cause. Some of the concern was related to studies showing an increase in emissions at the mouths of tunnels, but the issue of truck traffic came up.
According to Cacciotti, Metro keeps changing its mind regarding whether or not the tunnel will be open to truck traffic. Cacciotti insisted that regular vehicles would not be taking the tunnel to get downtown, but trucks would use it to get to the distribution center in the high desert.
Harry Baldwin, executive director of the 710 Coalition, a group that supports closing the gap, said that the coalition represents Alhambra, Monterey Park, San Marino, and other cities and labor groups. “This is a transportation program that has been in effect for 50 years,” he said. He said the tunnel option alleviates the objection to losing homes and property to a surface route.
The tunnel, as a public/private partnership, would be built by a firm in Spain, he said, and to recoup their costs and make a profit, they have to charge tolls. Councilmember Chris Koerber said that when tolls are too high, people will not pay them and traffic is dumped onto the street, but trucking companies will pay.
Baldwin does not think that trucks will use the route, because it will add six miles to their trip and there are two steep grades on the route. He asked the city council to wait until Metro’s environmental impact report is completed before making a decision.
When Mayor Moran called for a vote, it was decided to oppose the tunnel but to not yet endorse another plan. “I think we have the opportunity to make the resolution go further, but I don’t feel comfortable at this juncture,” he said, citing the length of the document provided by South Pasadena and the need to look at other information as well.
Councilmember Koerber agreed. “I think keep it simple,” he said. “Then we can revisit it.”
The council voted to oppose the 710 tunnel, and to have staff write up the resolution.
Time and Again - Los Angeles Business Journal Opposing the Extension of Measure R
Posted by John Mirisch on the No on Measure J Facebook page: "The article opposing an extension of Measure R was published in the LA Business Journal in May, before Measure J had a ballot designation. The arguments are largely the same..."
You need to read the article using the link as I cannot copy the article:
http://issuu.com/jmirisch/docs/time_and_again_-_editorial_on_an_extension_of_meas/1
Posted by John Mirisch on the No on Measure J Facebook page: "The article opposing an extension of Measure R was published in the LA Business Journal in May, before Measure J had a ballot designation. The arguments are largely the same..."
You need to read the article using the link as I cannot copy the article:
http://issuu.com/jmirisch/docs/time_and_again_-_editorial_on_an_extension_of_meas/1
Report: Sierra Madre City
Council Meeting
Report from Sylvia Plummer
Report from Sylvia Plummer
I am happy to report that Sierra Madre will be drafting
a resolution in opposition
of the 710 tunnel.
It was an interesting evening. South Pasadena Mayor
Michael Cacciotti gave a ten
minute presentation, and then answered questions
from the Council Members for
25 minutes. Then, Mr. Baldwin, a hired
representative, who is Nat Reads replacement
from the "710 Freeway Coalition" spoke
for a while. The Council Members asked him
a few questions. I loved when they
asked him if he got paid to be there. Then four
people spoke against the 710 tunnel. Today I
learned that the tunnels will have 16'
clearance, exactly what is needed for trucks to go
through.
There had been a lot of information sent to the City
Council over the weekend.
And they had done their homework. They were not
happy that Metro left them out
of the process. They also stated that the tunnel
was not good for the community and
a total waste of money.
Sierra Madre's next meeting is in two weeks.
No on Measure J
Posted by Sunyoung Yang on No on Measure J Facebook page
We're uniting efforts with Crenshaw Community Subway Coalition, Inglewood, Beverly Hills Unified School District Board, East LA and of course No on 710 to defeat measure J and show MTA they cannot trample the communities and ignore our demands. No blank check for MTA for more corporate handouts while we get the pollution, displacement, service cuts, health and safety threatened.
(There is a photo of Sunyong Yang in the article in the last post which I was unable to copy: http://bhcourier.com/beverly-hills-los-angeles-community-leaders-form-alliance-oppose-measure-j-metros-blank-check/2012/10/09 )
Posted by Sunyoung Yang on No on Measure J Facebook page
We're uniting efforts with Crenshaw Community Subway Coalition, Inglewood, Beverly Hills Unified School District Board, East LA and of course No on 710 to defeat measure J and show MTA they cannot trample the communities and ignore our demands. No blank check for MTA for more corporate handouts while we get the pollution, displacement, service cuts, health and safety threatened.
(There is a photo of Sunyong Yang in the article in the last post which I was unable to copy: http://bhcourier.com/beverly-hills-los-angeles-community-leaders-form-alliance-oppose-measure-j-metros-blank-check/2012/10/09 )
No on Measure J Coalition Is Formed
Posted in the Beverly Hills Courier
http://bhcourier.com/beverly-hills-los-angeles-community-leaders-form-alliance-oppose-measure-j-metros-blank-check/2012/10/09
In a rebuke to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Third District Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, community leaders from all over Los Angeles County met today at the Beverly Hills Unified School District office to form the No On Measure J Coalition, an alliance to oppose Measure J.
“[The Bus Riders Union has] dealt with [Metro] for the last 15 years and we know how they work,” Sunyoung Yang, Bus Riders Union spokesperson, said. “We find it very critical that many different community groups, who have been having a lot of concerns and issues around what MTA is proposing and [working] on, should get together and try to leverage more pressure on the MTA to do what the community is asking for, not what they want.”
Alliance members include board members of the Beverly Hills Board of Education, LA BASTA, Crenshaw Subway Coalition, Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood, the Bus Riders Union, the No On 710 Action Committee and other Beverly Hills organizations, who agreed to work together to fight what is essentially a 30 year extension of the Measure R half cent sales tax, which is currently set to expire in 2038.
“Measure J, if approved, would be a blank check for the MTA to use,” Yang said. “There is no accountability whatsoever in Metro. The passage of Measure J would give MTA unlimited amounts of leeway to first ignore the community concerns and continue with [the] destructive projects that both Measure R and Measure J are pushing for.”
The purpose of the initial meeting was to begin discussing a plan for public opposition to Measure J including phone banks, literature, lawn signs and car magnets.
“This really is a David versus Goliath, where the MTA has unlimited resources and unlimited funds for the Yes on J campaign,” Brian David Goldberg, Beverly Hills Board of Education president, said. “So any way that we can work together to create those economies of scale and turn the narrative around, that this isn’t just about wealthy people in Beverly Hills who oppose the subway underneath the high school [but] really is a regional issue. If you’re concerned about regional issues that the best thing to do is to vote No on J.”
The No On Measure J Coalition will be working on a voter outreach campaign to educate residents on the impacts of Measure J. Each organization will work to reach their individual communities while as a whole, the coalition will pool knowledge and resources to help each other towards the common goal of defeating Measure J
“It’s showing the unity to communities are getting together and fighting for the same cause under one flag,” LA BASTA Chairperson Art Pulido said. “The flag is to protect our communities from politicians. They come in, destroy our communities and leave. They just had Measure R and no one knows where all that money went. We want accountability to where that other money went before we can even start thinking about Measure J.”
The coalition will be hosting an official press conference next Tuesday at 10 a.m. The location has yet to be determined but will be announced at noonmeasurej.net, which is due to go live by the end of the week.
See the article for a video.
Posted in the Beverly Hills Courier
http://bhcourier.com/beverly-hills-los-angeles-community-leaders-form-alliance-oppose-measure-j-metros-blank-check/2012/10/09
Updated Tuesday, October 09, 2012– 7:40 PM
By Matt Lopez and Marla SchevkerIn a rebuke to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Third District Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, community leaders from all over Los Angeles County met today at the Beverly Hills Unified School District office to form the No On Measure J Coalition, an alliance to oppose Measure J.
“[The Bus Riders Union has] dealt with [Metro] for the last 15 years and we know how they work,” Sunyoung Yang, Bus Riders Union spokesperson, said. “We find it very critical that many different community groups, who have been having a lot of concerns and issues around what MTA is proposing and [working] on, should get together and try to leverage more pressure on the MTA to do what the community is asking for, not what they want.”
Alliance members include board members of the Beverly Hills Board of Education, LA BASTA, Crenshaw Subway Coalition, Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood, the Bus Riders Union, the No On 710 Action Committee and other Beverly Hills organizations, who agreed to work together to fight what is essentially a 30 year extension of the Measure R half cent sales tax, which is currently set to expire in 2038.
“Measure J, if approved, would be a blank check for the MTA to use,” Yang said. “There is no accountability whatsoever in Metro. The passage of Measure J would give MTA unlimited amounts of leeway to first ignore the community concerns and continue with [the] destructive projects that both Measure R and Measure J are pushing for.”
The purpose of the initial meeting was to begin discussing a plan for public opposition to Measure J including phone banks, literature, lawn signs and car magnets.
“This really is a David versus Goliath, where the MTA has unlimited resources and unlimited funds for the Yes on J campaign,” Brian David Goldberg, Beverly Hills Board of Education president, said. “So any way that we can work together to create those economies of scale and turn the narrative around, that this isn’t just about wealthy people in Beverly Hills who oppose the subway underneath the high school [but] really is a regional issue. If you’re concerned about regional issues that the best thing to do is to vote No on J.”
The No On Measure J Coalition will be working on a voter outreach campaign to educate residents on the impacts of Measure J. Each organization will work to reach their individual communities while as a whole, the coalition will pool knowledge and resources to help each other towards the common goal of defeating Measure J
“It’s showing the unity to communities are getting together and fighting for the same cause under one flag,” LA BASTA Chairperson Art Pulido said. “The flag is to protect our communities from politicians. They come in, destroy our communities and leave. They just had Measure R and no one knows where all that money went. We want accountability to where that other money went before we can even start thinking about Measure J.”
The coalition will be hosting an official press conference next Tuesday at 10 a.m. The location has yet to be determined but will be announced at noonmeasurej.net, which is due to go live by the end of the week.
See the article for a video.
No On Measure J Signs
Posted by Marie Salas on No On Measure J Facebook page
Posted by Marie Salas on No On Measure J Facebook page
| Marie Salas | 9:06pm Oct 9 |
I
just got one hundred lawn signs delivered on no measure J to my home
for our El Sereno Tenant Forum, Saturday October 20th. If anyone needs a
lawn sign come to our forum at 3218 Sheffield Avenue, El Sereno from
3-7pm. Marie.
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