LAist: Wilshire Subway Watch: Congressman Henry Waxman, Subway Enemy No. 1

guest

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:20:36 -0800

True that Waxman did push a law through the U.S. House lifting the subway ban. But the equivalent bill in the Senate has not yet passed. It's been sitting there for over six months. Both Boxer and Feinstein do support it, but it just hasn't gone through yet due to typical bureaucratic delays involving almost any issue. It should pass the Senate at some point. But, technically, the ban is still in place.

guest

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:04:52 -0800

The wilshire subway is one I might actually use... the possibilities are awesome.

guest

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 14:29:38 -0800

Here is the link to the contact page for the MTA. http://www.mta.net/riding_metro/riders_guide/contact_us.htm#TopOfPage That is a good start. Writing to your district congressman, and state leaders is also very helpful. Here's how you find them: http://www.house.gov/writerep/ http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html GET CRACKIN!!!

Zach Behrens

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:51:52 -0800

Thanks Guest #1 for the insight! Ben Bang, I concur. Guest 3, to start off with, speak up. Write some letters, e-mails, go to a city council meeting and speak during public comment. Write letters to Waxman, our senators, our state senators, our state assembly reps. Be positive and say you are ready with the rest of Los Angeles! It's more powerful than you think! I'm not even kidding. It won't make the subway construction start tomorrow, but it has a good effect, it really does.

guest

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:50:09 -0800

So, what do we have to do as common citzens to get this thing going? I'm willing to do about ANYTHING to see this thing materialize!

ben bang

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:19:10 -0800

Well, Waxman claims that he halted the Subway funding due to safety concerns, evidenced by the methane gas explosion in the Fairfax district. But I suppose many think his reasons were far more nefarious and had something to do with keeping working class people outta nicer neighborhoods. I don't doubt it.

guest

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:30:16 -0800

20 years? Try 45 years. The Wilshire subway's birth cerficate reads 1962. It was planned by the first MTA as a subway, with the support of Beverly Hills, and known then as the "Backbone Route". While it took until 1986 to finally break ground (there were two now long-forgotten groundbreaking ceremonies that took place in 1962, one Downtown and one in Beverly Hills), it was an ugly cabal of libertarian republicans and marxists in the 1990's that conspired to break the momentum that the project once had (well, that and notable construction issues they were able to feed from). Waxman is practically moderate when looking at the entire history of Wilshire subway planning.