Back and forth on transit

Re “Transit held hostage,” Opinion, Aug. 13

If it is true, as Tim Rutten claims, that 70% of L.A. County voters would support the November transportation tax measure, it would seem that representative government has taken another step toward paternalism.

Though they might think the allocation mix is “unfair” according to some made-up calculus, supervisors Don Knabe, Gloria Molina and Mike Antonovich should step aside and let their constituents decide whether traffic in L.A. County has finally become bad enough to warrant a real solution.

Last time I checked, that’s what voting was for.

Josh Stephens

Los Angeles

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Rutten’s column targets the squabbles that are preventing Los Angeles from moving forward on effective mass transit. But he fails to point out that even if all of the supervisors were in goose-step with the November initiative, L.A. would still have a limited, “all roads lead to Rome” system.

The MTA has failed to look at the entire multicounty system as one entity and bring all players to the table to create an effective public system to get riders out of their cars.

It’s easy to talk “going green” and saving the environment, but where leadership is needed, our elected officials seem to be stuck in a parking lot of self-interest. Until officials design a real “network” system (similar to London’s), Los Angeles will continue to be a transportation backwater.

Martin Weber

Pomona