Now, Maybe, the Party’s Over

Money is too tight to mention, except at the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, where it has been flowing as freely as house wine at happy hour.

It had been a bit of party, all right, for the LACTC staff. During a recent 18-month period, the agency’s nearly 500 staffers spent at least $2.9 million on travel, meals, entertainment and automobile expenses, according to records obtained by The Times. The examples cited by staff writer Jane Fritsch are as numerous as they are ridiculous--take, for instance, the 6,000 taxpayer dollars spent on doughnuts, almost $17 per working day. Let’s just hope the taxpayers don’t get the bill if LACTC staff members next decide to troop off to Jenny Craig.

After The Times requested explanations of his purchases, LACTC Executive Director Neil Peterson reimbursed the agency $1,267 for personal charges he had made on a commission credit card. One bill was from a school in Arizona--a golfing school.

An ex-official, Thomas Tanke, bought $1,588 in bicycles with an agency credit card, which he repaid after auditors traced the transaction. We know bicycles are a fine form of transportation, but we were under the impression that the LACTC’s charge is to develop mass transit. For the public.

A few other hair-raising statistics: $194,000 for catered lunches, $1,000 in late fees for delinquent credit card accounts, more than $4,000 for a 1990 Christmas party and $800,000 for the opening ceremonies for the Long Beach-to-Los Angeles Blue Line.

Peterson is appropriately chagrined; he and his staff, he says, “have realized that the economic times have changed.” New policies on meals, entertainment, travel and auto expenses have been instituted and financial controls have been put in place.

That’s fine, as far as it goes. But a nagging question remains about the commission’s judgment. The LACTC is one of the only government agencies left with specifically guaranteed funding (a part of the county sales tax) and a clear mandate (providing mass transit); it’s distressing that spending habits indicate staffers were oblivious to issues of political propriety.

An independent review is in order. Just as important, a political pulse-taking is in order. The commission has 11 board members, either elected or appointed by elected officials. They too have some explaining to do.