Ironically despite Schwarzenegger touting himself during the recall campaign as being tough enough to tackle California's woes, it is Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez who has introduced a package of proposals to partially deal with the current transportation funding crisis. Not that I think much of Nunez's gas-price anxiety pandering and (again?) proposing bonds as the solution.

I was quoted in the article "MTA Benefits From Surging Gas Prices" in the April 12 San Gabriel Valley Tribune that gas prices will have to skyrocket before some people change their commuting patterns. Those changes come when gas costs $5 to $6 a gallon. I concluded "It's not until they get socked in the pockets that they might change". I was also quoted in the May 5 Tribune article "Foothill Transit OKs increase in bus fares" that Foothill faced two choices: cut back service or raise bus fares. I then noted "Every agency all over the country is struggling. The cost of doing business is up. The only other alternative is cut back on service and nobody wants to wait an extra 30 minutes for the bus.'

Much to my surprise a "Conference" sponsored by Labor Community Strategy Center on the Future of Transportation was held at USC in February [http//www.thestrategycenter.org/projects-centertranspstrat-conference.html]. This event didn't even appear in Change Links, the local leftist calendar of events. Which makes me suspect attendance was by invitation only. The list of attendees posted on the LCSC website includes several funding foundations along with a collection of groups (local and a few from out of the area) from the far-left end of the political spectrum. Evidently the event was the launching pad for a new LCSC project, the Center for Transportation Strategies, which is bidding to be national in scope. I always suspected Eric Mann hoped to eventually expand his bus campaign to the big leagues. He has the funding and infrastructure to be credible. But I wonder if his narrow politics and ham-fisted centralized "command and control" style of governance can fly when interfacing with groups outside L.A. Even lefties resent outsiders running the show, however in sync the message being delivered is with their philosophy. Should be interesting...

Talk about too little, too late! Former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan is quoted in the April 25 Daily News article "Consent decree drives different reactions in L.A." by Lisa Mascaro as now admitting "Entering into the consent decree was a mistake I will take part of the blame on. I certainly thought I was going to get something very different than I did. The board of the MTA has the duty to give the best, most flexible transit ... In my opinion, the consent decree makes this extremely hard to do, or impossible"

I glanced at the Special Master's latest ruling (posted on The Transit Coalition website: http://thetransitcoalition.us/) and noted his _expression of concern that the agreement is coming to a close with the New Service provisions still unimplemented. Could this be a hint he'll agree to the extension the BRU wants?

fact of the month: Metrolink CEO base pay has been increased to $199,000 retroactive to June 30, 2004 (per Attachment 1, agenda item #20 Metrolink Board April 22, 2005 meeting).

I attended the Foothill Transit Governing Board annual meeting May 4 and found it a much less exuberant event than prior ones I went to. My impression is now the expansion period is at a close that overseeing a stable system isn't nearly as appealing to the politicos of the San Gabriel Valley. The goody bag handed out at the end was symbolic of downsized expectations as it contained merely a mug and plastic model bus. Past bags have overflowed with largess, but I guess that too is over. Board member John Fasana even noted that Foothill is now a mature system. And speaking of Mr. Fasana he was unable to muster the votes from his cluster to be re-elected to the Board. No explanation was offered as to why this was so, merely that another attempt to have the cluster make a selection would be held on the 27th just before the Foothill Board meets that morning. Maybe Mr. Fasana is getting grief again from his parochial/myopic colleagues (a la the brouhaha over composition of the San Gabriel Valley Metro Sector Council)?

Two additional nuggets I gleaned a the meeting: MTA is talking to Foothill Transit and Norwalk Transit about transferring Line 270 to one or both of them. And the plans to construct Foothill's new administrative building in Glendora are on hold as they consider instead moving into what was cryptically described as "an existing structure".

In contrast the meeting of the Los Angeles County City Selection Committee the following night in Culver City had a buzz running thru it. This is the entity (whose membership includes every Mayor in Los Angeles County) that appoints the four elected officials that represent the smaller cities on the MTA Board. After years of getting their agendas I jumped at a chance to finally attend one of their gatherings (normally held at a locale in Montebello decidedly not transit friendly). Of course the main meeting just rubber stamped the decisions of the quadrants--appointing Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts and Long Beach Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal to 4 year terms on the MTA Board that expire Jan. 1, 2009. But what impressed me was the cozy, chummy atmosphere -- almost like members of a secret club gathered in ritual and pomp confirming their entry to high precincts of local politics. In my public comments I noted several examples of local councilpersons who recently graduated to the state legislature, which is the trend thanks to term limits. I shouldn't doubt in a few years some of the folks arrayed before me will have their names on doors in the state Capitol. These are the creme de la creme of our local politicos, and it was clear from their back-slapping relaxed attitude they know it and exalt in it. I feel like I peeked at a hidden world that is generally out of sight of the general public. Amazing!

The next three items concern what seems to be a recent epidemic of dysfunctional behavior at local transit agency board meetings. Alan Cantrell, Executive Director of Access Services, Inc., read a statement at the March 8 meeting of ASI's Community Advisory Committee meeting, that includes an admonition "Disrespectful comments, inappropriate remarks or demeaning language are not acceptable" and "the [ASI] employee facilitating the meeting has the responsibility to determine whether or not a particular meeting has gotten out of control, and is authorized to instruct all ASI staff to leave the meeting".

Meanwhile Mary Griffith, a regular at ASI meeting, is now also bestowing her rambling style of public comment at Foothill Transit Board meetings. She is quoted in the minutes of the March 26 Foothill Board meeting as stating "... she would prefer that staff not speak in a condescending manner to her". After hearing her myself I am not surprised at the response she takes umbrage at.

Lastly Mr. Drew Angel recently started showing up regularly at the Antelope Valley Transit Authority meetings and offering his none-to-well-informed comments/criticisms. At the Feb. 28 meeting the minutes note when Angel spoke out of order to air a complaint AVTA Chairman Henry Hearns eventually advised Angel, "... he had not been recognized by the Chair and that in the future he would be required to conform to meeting protocol".

In the continuing trend toward making internal information less available to the public MTA Management Audit Services is now preparing monthly reports on outstanding audit issues as part of the board box. This mean they are no longer listed on publicly available agendas and therefore virtually inaccessible. Although these reports surely fall under the public records act, how will anyone know what to ask for if they are kept shrouded in shadows (per p.8 of the fiscal year 2006 Annual Audit Report, attachment A of agenda item 18, MTA Executive Man agement and Audit Committee April 21 meeting)?

Along with many transportation stakeholders we submitted letters to chairs of the key state legislature budget committees urging their support of full funding of Proposition 42. I figured it couldn't hurt.

I'll conclude with a farewell to Derek Chernow, who left as head of Odyssey on March 31. We wish him the best whatever his future endeavors are. n