3010 Wilshire Blvd. #362, Los Angeles, CA 90010
213.388.2364
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Southern California Transit Advocates is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, development and improvement of public transportation in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
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SO.CA.TA urges no raid on State Transportation funds
Letter sent to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, Senate Minority Leader Dave Cogdill, Senate Republican Caucus Chair George Runner, and Assembly Minority Floor Leader Mike Villenes in support of Democratic Caucus budget proposal. Southern California Transit Advocates would like to express our strong support for the state budget proposal made by the Democratic Caucus, which avoid the diversion of Public Transportation Account (PTA) monies to the General Fund. Use of public transportation has risen statewide as gasoline prices have reached all-time highs, placing a higher demand on transit agencies’ resources than has been experienced in the past. The PTA contains the only state tax revenues that can legally be spent on operation of transit services; diverting those funds at a time when agencies are already struggling with this increased demand would be a disservice to the many Californians who now depend daily on public transportation. Further, it would take many years for agencies to recover from the impact of operating even one year’s service without PTA funding. The executive board and membership of Southern California Transit Advocates has consistently voted to support the preservation and growth of funds in the PTA. For the sake of California’s present and future, we therefore wholeheartedly support the Democratic Caucus’ proposal. |