Digging Up The Past

Before I begin verbally thrashing The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, It’s important for me to acknowledge the talent and creativity numerous MTA employees have and are willing to share. Many of these people have gone above and beyond the call of duty to better serve the Public Trust. Another important note is, many of these dedicated people are not always rewarded, nor recognized for their talent and skill which works in the best interest of Mass Public Transportation.

In this strike situation, MTA Board members are suggesting MTA Bus Drivers are being offered a raise. The question is what good is a twenty-five cent raise when you deny our children and family members medical benefits, when you expect us to work twelve to fourteen hour days as a normal work shift? MTA had one year before the deadline to resolve any potential strike and they failed to do that.

In digging up the past on both RTD and MTA, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Public Trust has been lied to, cheated and entranced with more lies. RTD, as the administration was changing towards what is currently known as MTA, was beginning to not only waste your tax dollars, they were stealing it and suggesting through the media that some Phantom Warehouse existed. The Phantom Warehouse was out right stealing of bus parts and other materials and you’ll read about it on MTA REFORM.com

When part of the RTD story is told, things won’t get any better with the MTA. As MTA is suggesting how responsible they are trying to become, by saving cost on the backs of its employees, it’s really too little, too late. Over a Billion dollars have been wasted by this agency and during this Strike situation, they want you to believe MTA employees will add to the cause of the current financial situation. I can assure you they weren’t thinking of that when the MTA Board of Directors vacationed in Brazil, supposedly to look at Transit systems on our Tax dollars. Not likely they considered our financial situation while approving the hundreds of millions of dollars in change orders for various transit-related projects, including self cleaning public toilets, or the cost of outside Legal fees and consulting cost, which continue to exist.

What we really need is legitimate TRANSIT REFORM and it will be up to you to see that it happens. Otherwise, your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be left holding the bag of debt created by this agency. Taxpayers within the State of California gave offerings to the poor, senior citizens and distressed areas of Los Angeles by accepting a State sales Tax to help improve Transit. Instead, those Tax dollars went towards Tourism. There was no Public Transit improvements within the distressed areas, with the exception of the Long Beach Blue Line.

Reform is the only option, unless of course, you don’t mind your Local, State and Federal Tax Dollars being wasted and unaccounted for. Hopefully you will decide on behalf of the future of Mass Public Transportation, by writing your Local, State and Federal officials, asking them to put and end to the waste of your Transit Dollars. The choice is yours, even if you don’t ride a Bus or Rail System, you’re paying for it.

We welcome your constructive criticism on our MTA-Gossip page at: MTA-GOSSIP

John Bums BACK

Retired-RTD/MTA employee from 1976-1999

Five Time Graduate of Los Angeles Trade Technical College, 1976-1986

A. A. General Education

A. S. Heavy Equipment Truck & Diesel Repair Technology

A. S. Welding, Gas, Electric & Inert Gas Technology

A. S. Machine Shop, Tool & Die Making Technology

A. S. Electronic Radio Communications Technology

9/17/00