Supervisors Seek Deukmejian Veto of Bill to Reserve Valley Rail Funds

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to strongly encourage Gov. George Deukmejian to veto a bill that would annually reserve 15% of rail-construction money in the county for the San Fernando Valley.

The board joined an already large group of opponents lobbying against the bill authored by state Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys). Detractors warn that the legislation could pit the Valley against the rest of the county for scarce transit dollars. But Robbins and other Valley politicians say it will ensure that their constituents will not be ignored.

In an attempt to strengthen the board’s leverage, Supervisor Pete Schabarum, the chairman of the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, threatened to thwart plans for a Valley light-rail system if Robbins’ bill is signed. He issued the warning in a recent letter to the governor.

In the letter, Schabarum noted that the county Transportation Commission should decide later this month whether to authorize an environmental impact report for three proposed light-rail lines in the Valley.

“If this bill is enacted, it is likely that the San Fernando Valley will receive nothing more than its trust fund--no environmental impact study and certainly no rail line,” Schabarum wrote.

The board voted 3 to 2 to approve Schabarum’s motion to send a strong message to the governor. Supervisors Mike Antonovich and Ed Edelman, who both represent the Valley, opposed the motion. Antonovich argued unsuccessfully that the Valley’s congestion problems, especially those on the Ventura Freeway, warranted Robbins’ approach.

Set Aside 15% of Budget

In an interview, Robbins blasted Schabarum’s position and contended that he was merely trying to protect the Valley’s interests. His bill would require the county Transportation Commission to set aside 15% of its light-rail budget each year for a Valley rail project--either a light-rail line or a cross-Valley extension of Metro Rail. He estimates that the fund would contain $200 million within the next decade.

“All we’re suggesting is that our share of the money, just our 15%, be put in a trust fund so that the people of the San Fernando Valley will get something someday for the money they are paying,” Robbins said.

The senator predicted that the legislation would escape a veto with lobbying from three GOP politicians from the Valley: Antonovich, Assemblywoman Marian W. La Follette of Northridge and state Sen. Ed Davis of Valencia.

“I think we’ll do just as well with the governor as Pete will,” Robbins said. “Mike Antonovich is as close a friend or closer friend to the governor as Pete Schabarum. Mike Antonovich personally intends to lobby the governor, hopefully with a more tactful and more logical approach than the Pete Schabarum threats that he included in his letter.”

The bill’s opponents warn that the legislation would set a dangerous precedent by allowing the state to interfere in local mass-transit projects. They predict other communities in the county will try to copy the approach.

Other agencies opposing Robbins’ bill include the county Transportation Commission, the California League of Cities and the Greater Los Angeles Transportation Coalition.