Congestion pricing's cost

Federal Bribe? How about calling it what it really is, "Federal Blackmail".

No mention of how this will affect motorcycles. What's the plan for them? We (motorcyclists/bikers) were "Green" long before it became fashionable and the first hybrid cars were available.

Did we in the San Gabriel Valley get an opportunity to vote on whether we wanted to get taxed on our commutes? No!

That's taxation without representation.

This was snuck in under the radar. Thanks to our good for nothing papers like the Pasadena Star News and San Gabriel Valley Tribune for not reporting anything or giving a heads up. It makes sense since they are headquartered in Los Angeles and don’t represent our interests.

The money LA County collects from us in the San Gabriel Valley will once again be used to fund transportation projects on the West Side and in the San Fernando Valley as these places vote in LA politicians that control the money flow. The San Gabriel Valley has no say in Los Angeles elections aside from a couple of representatives.

If that doesn't make your blood boil and get you to contact your local city and county representatives to find out how to rally against this carpool tax nothing will.

Can you imagine getting taxed to commute to work so we can get taxed again on our paychecks to subsidize the Halliburton wars?

One thing to remember, Orange County can afford toll lanes because their freeways are much wider thus it doesn't impact traffic as much. Everyone will be affected on the clogged 10 and 210 freewats.

We should organize and tell everyone to disregard the toll since this is unfair taxation. Let them try and catch all of us.

The San Gabriel Valley needs to form its own county now and break away from Los Angeles's ongoing financial mismanagement. It will only get worse as their problems are just begining. Call your local city councils now to start the process.

http://www.metro.net/about_us/board/board_mem...

They will eventually tax all freeways and move from the carpool lanes to all lanes. They are just trying to get their foot in the door first.

Like a lot of other people, my family moved to the San Gabriel Valley because it was the only place we could afford a decent-size house in a decent neighborhood. In other words, most of us aren't rich. We don't commute 30 miles each way to work because we like it!!

I live in Glendora, drop my kids off at school in Pasadena, drop my wife off at work in Glendale, and continue to my job in Downtown L.A. For us all to split up and take public transportation would cost a lot more than driving, would take twice as long, and would require my kids to ride the bus unsupervised. We simply have to drive, we have no other choice.

I agree with the person who said they are trying to get their foot in the door to tax any roadway they want, whenever they happen to need more money. We've got to nip it in the bud before it's too late.

I also agree with the person who said we need to vote everyone who approved this out of office!

Mark Johnson wrote:

Like a lot of other people, my family moved to the San Gabriel Valley because it was the only place we could afford a decent-size house in a decent neighborhood. In other words, most of us aren't rich. We don't commute 30 miles each way to work because we like it!!
I live in Glendora, drop my kids off at school in Pasadena, drop my wife off at work in Glendale, and continue to my job in Downtown L.A. For us all to split up and take public transportation would cost a lot more than driving, would take twice as long, and would require my kids to ride the bus unsupervised. We simply have to drive, we have no other choice.
I agree with the person who said they are trying to get their foot in the door to tax any roadway they want, whenever they happen to need more money. We've got to nip it in the bud before it's too late.
I also agree with the person who said we need to vote everyone who approved this out of office!

That sounds like it could get expensive. Please spread the word. I find it ironic the MTA says they want to cut traffic, but they won't provide the Gold Line funding they initially promised.

This is a tax grab directed at San Gabriel Valley and San Bernardino County pure and simple. They think we are sitting on the stupid bench.

Don't pay those tolls if this gets implemented. What LA County and the MTA did by passing this toll tax without a citizen vote was illegal. They should get sued by every city in the San Gabriel Valley and San Bernardino County if they try to proceed with this.

Call your representatives.

They want to make us pay to drive on the freeways while they use gas tax money to balance the budget and pay for school buses. You have got to be kidding.

LSSJR wrote:

They want to make us pay to drive on the freeways while they use gas tax money to balance the budget and pay for school buses. You have got to be kidding.

You are right, I wish it was joke. I can't believe we would be apathetic enough to let this happen without a fight.

It's not a done deal yet because the California legislatures still have to vote it in. We need to focus on them. This will spread to other areas.

This is part of MTA's "Imagine" campaign: Imagine idiots who would charge people who are reducing congestion, saving millions of gallons of gasoline, reducing hundreds of tons of air pollution and greenhouse gases to use the carpool lanes. Imagine that this "Federal money" represents over half of the cost to complete the Gold Line to Azusa, offering real traffic congestion relief. Imagine that all of the two plus carpools are forced to use the other already overcrowded freeway lanes on the 210, reducing already slow speeds to a complete stop. Imagine charging people $10 dollars to use the road they already paid for, with no real increase in capacity being offered. Imagine politicians in a democracy imposing some lunatic fringe proposal opposed by over 90% of the public. Imagine the stupidity?

Yes, call your representatives like John Fasana in Duarte, who favors this crazy idea, and Antonio Villaraigosa another one who favors this crazy idea, he can be reached at the City Hall number (which this site won't allow to be posted). Let them know what your think of charging for the carpool lanes in a time of nearly $5.00 gasoline?

So instead of rewarding those who take cars off the road (thorugh car sharing), this would just make everyone pay and suffer.

Tom, in far off Birmingham, this is just like the phoney London scheme were 80% of the money generated goes to the company that collects the toll. You suffer from incompetent Labor and dysfunctial Tories, and we suffer from incompetent delusional national Republicans and delusional incompetent local Democrats. This is a foot in the door for the same insanity that your government just dropped from implementing in the UK due to massive public opposition. We need real alternative transport options, not "schemes" to reward corporate insiders, using government powers.

No Gold Line; then no sales tax and No Toll lanes! Refuse taxation without representation. Don't buy big ticket items in LA County, use the internet. And just revolt and disregard the toll lanes. If you get a ticket don't pay. It will only work if everyone joins in.

We need a succession movement from Los Angeles now. Those criminals will keep riding us for taxes until we're dead.

Who ever puts together a succession movement from Los Angeles will get honored with a statue at both ends of the SGV. The SGV has enough money to become the next Orange County and can be great if we use our money on ourselves. We should annex the unincorporated areas of LA that are a blight in our communities, fix them up and have nothing to do with Los Angeles County except maybe contract with them for emergency services when needed. We pay an arm and a leg for those services anyway.

It is as clear as day now. The SGV makes the money. We pay taxes. LA country takes money. They are tax takers. We give; they take and give it to anyone in LA County but us. That is the only relationship we have with LA County. Most recently they have been bullied by the San Fernando Valley mafia after this area ran a successful succession movement. Good for them, bad for us.

These bastards in LA City Hall and at the MTA think we are too complacent and stupid to put together a succession movement. LA County and those city hall bribe taking crooks think we are nothing more than a bunch of do nothing aging W.A.S.P’s coupled with gullible money making immigrants. Let’s pack our shit and leave and see how well they do when the gravy train stops.