If approved by the Senate, the issue will likely be placed in the hands of voters, who must approve the measure in November by a two-thirds majority in order for the tax to pass — a hurdle that Antonovich is optimistic will be too high to clear.
“If you want to tax people a half-cent, then ask the community before you spend the money,” he said to the Glendale-Burbank Republican Assembly. “Go to the cities and see what’s needed, and go to the community and see what they want.
“They want to use your money to build a subway to the sea. Not complete the Gold Line.”
The progress of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension has slowed as Metropolitan Transit Authority officials pursue the half-cent sales tax proposal, transportation officials said.
Also during the meeting, Antonovich reflected a positive outlook for Sen. John McCain — poised to accept the Republican nomination by his party during next week’s convention in Minnesota — and his chances of defeating rival Sen. Barack Obama in California on Nov. 4.
A recent poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California shows Obama owns a 48% to 39% lead over McCain in the heavily Democratic state, though McCain’s support appears to be slipping.
Last month, the Democrat held a 50% to 35% lead among likely voters, the poll showed. “It looks very encouraging for California,” Antonovich said.
Nationally, many polls give Obama a narrow lead, and some show a statistical dead-heat between the two.
Portantino economic bill sails through the Senate
