Joint Raid by Gov. Arnold and Democrats on Transit Funds Ruled Illegal - Not That Anything Will Change, Mind you...
Muni, BART, and transit agencies around the state got some "good news/bad news" the other day - it seems that a lawsuit challenging the illegal looting of transit funds has succeeded, now that the final appeal to the California Supreme Court by the administration has failed.
That's great in the sense that in the future, the Legislature will no longer be able to play accounting games to make their budgets look good - they're going to have to you know, do their jobs once in a while. Unfortunately the looted money (which mostly went to pay for what? bond debt? better services elsewhere? anything?) isn't likely to return anytime soon.
Chalk this one up to a situation where even when you're right and have the law on your side, if you don't have ethical people in charge, they can pretty much screw you up as much as they want. Remember this when the Muni cuts start this month.
Comments
Oh, it's not expected to return? I thought the transit agencies were now pursuing means to cover the money. Obvs it's not going to happen right away, but eventually, right? Like in a year or so?
Posted by: mattymatt | October 2, 2009 12:13 PM
Well of course they'll and get it "back" but the fact is the money's been spent. Unless the state can cough up a few billion dollars, this is likely to be one of those things, like the fact that SF has been paying into BART with the promise of a line down Geary Blvd, where it may be true and it may be right, the actual physics of moving the cash back will be difficult.
Besides, Arnie's gone in a year, and I seriously doubt any of the current Governor's race hopefuls would give a damn. I mean, a Gov. Newsom could give a rat's posterior about transit.
Posted by: Greg Dewar
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October 2, 2009 12:23 PM