MTA’s Bond Debt

As a long-time observer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, nothing truly surprises me in the tale of woe told in “MTA Borrowing Puts the Agency $7 Billion in Debt” (June 21). But nonetheless it depresses me deeply. For far too long our state legislators have twiddled their thumbs while the agency they created, MTA, has spun downward toward disaster.

I believe what is called for now is radical action: Jettison the present board (a collection of elected officials who know little about transportation and seem uninterested to learn) in favor of a directly elected board. At least they would be accountable! It would be a good start to saving the MTA.

DANA GABBARD, President

Southern California Transit

Advocates, Los Angeles

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Anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of how big government and big business work knew years ago that the frenetic push to get the Los Angeles subway started was not to provide better transportation but to make a small group of already wealthy people even richer.

The tragedy is that nothing will be done about it, since the foxes that have raided the public henhouse answer only to fellow foxes. So the people who depend on public transportation and pay taxes will continue to suffer while a few people reap the rewards of their dishonesty.

DAVID BOWEN

Monrovia

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This week the U.S. Senate is considering its annual transportation appropriations, and the L.A. Metropolitan Transportation Authority is competing with regions throughout the nation for a share of the federal funding. Thus, it was most disheartening that The Times’ June 22 editorial failed to acknowledge that in the last year, under the leadership of Julian Burke, the agency has begun to correct the serious financial problems that the current board inherited.

For many years, the MTA (and its predecessor agencies) pursued an extremely expensive and flawed rail strategy. This is old news. Last summer my administration’s budget team was the first to shine a bright light on the MTA’s financial condition. Today, the MTA is facing its history head-on, endeavoring to keep cost-effective commitments to complete the North Hollywood line and improve bus service, undertaking aggressive cost-cutting measures and implementing management reforms.

Has the MTA been fully reformed in the last year? No way--there is much work ahead. It took years for the agency to reach its nadir; but, in the last year, Burke and the board have made tough reality-based decisions and more must follow. It is our hope that members of Congress will not overlook the important management actions that Burke and the board have taken to meet the transportation needs of Los Angeles County.

RICHARD J. RIORDAN, Mayor

MTA Chair, Los Angeles

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Re the MTA: Throw the bums out of here! And on their way to a bus home, let’s have them empty their pockets in an attempt to recoup some of the $600,000 they personally owe us. A “For Sale” sign on the headquarters building would be very timely too.

ROBERT M. ROSE

Encino