Not a good day for taxes

lt was never going to be an easy campaign to win two-thirds voter support for the MTA's half-cent sales tax on the November ballot.
It just got more difficult.
With the Board of Supervisors vote earlier today against easing it on the ballot, it exposed flaws in the overall plans on how to use the money for transit projects across the region.
The MTA is now left with going to court to force the matter as well as pay upwards of $10 million for the election and justify that to wary voters.
What the board action does _ particularly with statements by Supervisor Gloria Molina, complaining it was a "concocted scheme."
``Let's not talk about fairness in light of how this came about," said Molina, who abstained from placing the measure on the ballot. "I think it's hypocritical to talk about fairness when it was brought about so unfairly to the MTA board ."
There was never much public discussion of the measure on what it would fund and no real effort to have outreach to various community groups to build support.
Even among officials, the measure has not been popular. A number of state legislators representing the San Gabriel Valley have been gearing up their own efforts to oppose the measure.