District General Manager John A. Dyer addressed RTD staff on mandatedredistribution of Prop A funds, the 1986 federal budget, the state funding sit-uation, and the financial outlook for the RTD in the new fiscal year.

4,RTD

March 1985

0

_FL

MI••••• 4n1 n

Volume 13

Number 3

Assemblyman Richard Alatorre (left) and County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn(right) propose alternatives to RTD Board of Directors to subsidize bus faresand offset the District's expected budget deficit. Alatorre pledged to spon-sor a unified resolution opposing any reduction in federal operating/capitalsubsidies to the District.

Dyer Delivers State of the RTD AddressIn three shifts of afternoon meet-ings held in the RTD Board RoomFebruary 4, General ManagerJohn A. Dyer addressed all Non-Contract employees on the 1986Federal $973.7 billion budget, thestate and local funding situation,and their implications for the RTD.

Dyer began with an overview ofthe Proposition A subsidy, ensur-ing 50-cent fares, which terminatesJuly 1 as a result of mandatedredistribution of the funds. "Cur-rently we receive $141 million insubsidies, this summer we willreceive only $98 million. This dif-ference will leave us with a shortfallof $43 million. This shortfall mayforce fare increases and serviceadjustments." (See related storyon fare increase, page 1.)

"Most of the transit systems inthe country went through this in1982 following major federal cuts.Prop. A helped us avoid fareincreases. While we are consider-ing increasing the fares, it must benoted that Los Angeles fares are onthe low side of average fares. Forinstance, Washington D.C. faresrange from 70 cents to 90 cents,and New York and Chicago charge90 cents."Federal BudgetTurning to the 1986 nationalbudget, Dyer commented thatwhile the federal funding processis a much more complicated and

less predictable one, it is clear thatmass transit is targeted for mas-sive cuts. Dyer referred to the 1986UMTA/DOT Budget Passback doc-ument (an item review by OMBDirector David Stockman sentback to Secretary of TransportationElizabeth Dole) and detailed cur-tailments affecting two of the majorfunding sources for the RTD. Thetwo funding sources which contrib-

ute revenue comprising over 10%of the RTD's operating budget arethe Section 9 Formula Grant Pro-gram (capital purchase grants) andthe Section 3 Discretionary GrantProgram (spillover operational andnew-start program funding). "Sec-tion 9 funds avails us of $45 milliona year to buy buses and neededequipment. Another $48 millionallows us to operate buses through

the Section 9 Operating Assist-ance Program. What the Presi-dent's budget recommends is toeliminate every bit of it. The impli-cation for us is that we stand to loseall of the $48 million and at leasthalf of the $45 million. This meansno money for Metro Rail."

According to the UMTA/DOTPassback document, it is clear thatStockman's objective is to get outof the new-start business (of whichMetro Rail is one) by the end of1985 and "not to leave any holesin the ground in the process ofwithdrawing." (Emphasis addedby Stockman.) Stockman's cutsalso include the programmaticreduction of staff in all UMTAregional offices. An imposed staff-ing ceiling will be sought over thenext two years as well as a five per-cent pay reduction imposed on theremaining staff.

"This is a serious proposal. Thisis the first time in the last twentyyears that a president, through theOffice of Management andBudget, has recommended theelimination of mass transit."

The administration's budget wasofficially presented to CongressFebruary 4. Congress will take finalaction on the 1986 budget onlyafter months of debate. A finalappropriation bill must be passedto put a budget in operation on its

Continued on page 3

00,

Inside This Issue

• Div. 18 Open House• IRAs• Maintenance

Manager's Athletes• 401 K Plan• To Your Health

Prop. A Subsidy To End

District Forced to Raise Bus Fare to 85 6Come July 1, when the PropositionA subsidy will end, and along with it50 cent bus fares, the District basicbus fare will be raised to 85 cents.This decision followed the Febru-ary 2 public hearing where over

400 people crowded into the Dis-trict Administration Building to givetestimony.

The hearing convened at 10a.m. with RTD Board PresidentNick Patsaouras clarifying the sali-

ent points of Proposition A. "July 1,1985, signals the end of the Propo-sition A Reduced Fare Program,which kept fares at 50 cents foralmost 3 years. In that time, rider-ship increased from 1.1 million onweekdays to 1.7 million," said Pat-saouras. He also noted that thissubstantial increase in ridershiploudly proclaims the need for masstransit in Los Angeles.

General Manager John A. Dyerinformed the audience in the BoardRoom and the overflow crowdhoused in two other conferencerooms and the cafeteria, whoobserved the hearings on closed-circuit television, that the RTD hada legal responsibility to maintain abalanced budget each year. "Thereduction in Prop A subsidies thissummer will produce a shortfall ofup to $43 million. The fareincreases and service cuts willsave the District millions in reve-nues and will hold the proposedfare structure stable until June 30,1987," said Dyer. He further dis-closed that if the Reagan adminis-tration's budget, which recom-mends that all transit operatingbudgets be significantly cut, isapproved by Congress, even more

funding will be lost to the District bynext year.

Board President Patsaourasurged those in attendance to writeto their Congressional representa-tives and senators, requesting thatthey reject Reagan's proposal tocut mass transit. "Or you may findtransit fares will increase as muchas $1.25 by next year," he said,amid gasps from the audience.Local Officials and Public TalkState Senator Richard Alatorre toldthe Board that his constituentswere transit-dependent and that hedid not want to see their welfarejeopardized by a fare increase.

Los Angeles County SupervisorKenneth Hahn, asserted in hisremarks to the Board that a bussystem which moved millions ofpeople each day filled him with asense of pride, especially as he isthe author of Proposition A. "I justcaution you not to forsake the busriders," Hahn said. "I don't thinkanyone here today is from BeverlyHills, nor are they bankers, butthey need the bus and they needthe fare at 50 cents."

Hahn then outlined a proposalhe claimed could avert the need for

Continued on page 3

NameAnderson, Glenn M.Badham, RobertBeilenson, Anthony C.Berman, HowardBrown, George E. Jr.

Dannemeyer, WilliamDixon, JulianDornan, RobertDreier, DavidDymally, MervynFiedler, BobbiHawkins, AugustusLagomarsino, RobertLevine, MelLewis, Jerry

Lungren, DanMartinez, Matthew G.McCandless, AlMoorhead, Carlos J.Packard, RonRoybal, Edward R.Torres, Esteban E.Waxman, Henry A.

District Counties32 Los Angeles40 Orange23 Los Angeles26 Los Angeles36 San Bernardino,

Riverside39 Orange28 Los Angeles38 Orange, Los Angeles33 Los Angeles31 Los Angeles21 Los Angeles, Ventura29 Los Angeles19 Santa Barbara, Ventura27 Los Angeles35 Los Angeles,

San Bernardino42 Los Angeles, Orange30 Los Angeles37 Riverside22 Los Angeles43 Orange, San Diego25 Los Angeles34 Los Angeles24 Los Angeles

Name

Ayala, Ruben S .

Bergeson, Marian

Beverly, Robert G.

District

34

37

29

16921 S. Western Ave., Gardena 90247

(213) 324-49698514 S. Broadway, Los Angeles 90003-3387 (213) 620-56001216 State St., #507, Santa Barbara 93101 (805) 966-1766

11001 Valley Mall, #204, El Monte 917313600 Lime St., Riverside 92501211 S. Glendora Blvd., Glendora 91740

(818) 575-6956(714) 781-4111(818) 914-5855

6320 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys 91401

(818) 988-58946671 Sunset Blvd., #1508, Hollywood 90028 (213) 464-117811340 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles 90064 (213) 479-5588161 N. Raymond Ave., #211 Anaheim 92801 (714) 871-0270401 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale 91203

(818)247-7021

1360 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim 92805

(714) 999-09631311 California Ave., #A, Bakersfield 93304 (805) 395-2797

Page ? Headway

Your Reps—How To Find Them Main St.To Get Facelift

Telephone(213) 548-2551(714) 644-4040(213) 209-7801(818) 891-0543(714) 825-2472

(714) 992-0141(213) 678-5424(714) 971-9292(818) 339-9078(213) 536-6930(818) 341-2121(213) 750-0260(805) 642-2200(213) 215-2035(714) 792-5901

(213) 436-9133(213) 722-7731(714) 682-7127(818) 247-8445(619) 438-0443(213) 688-4870(213) 929-2711(213) 651-1040

Do you want to write your senator, representative, or assembly member, but don't know how to get in touchwith them? Below you will find a listing of Southern California's representatives and where you may write them.

Alan Cranston

CALIFORNIA'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION

Pete Wilson

SenatorsCalifornia Off ices • Telephone

5757 W. Century Blvd., #515, Los Angeles 90045 (213) 215-218645 Polk St., San Francisco 94102 (415) 556-8440880 Front St., 6-S-9, San Diego 92188 (619) 293-525711000 Wilshire Blvd. #11221, Los Angeles 90024 (213) 209-7543450 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco 94102 (415) 556-43071130 "0" St. #4015, Fresno 93721 (209)487-5727

RepresentativesMain District Office**

300 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach 90801180 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach 9266011000 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 14223, Los Angeles 9002414600 Roscoe Blvd., Panorama City 91402657 N. La Cadena Dr., Colton 92324

1235 N. Harbor Blvd. #100, Fullerton 92632111 N. La Brea, Suite 301, Inglewood 9030112387 Lewis St., 2nd Floor112 N. 2nd Ave., Covina 91723322 W. Compton Blvd., Compton 9022021053 Devonshire Blvd., Chatsworth 913114509 S. Broadway, Los Angeles 900375740 Ralston St., Ventura 930035250 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles 90045101 S. 6th, Redlands, 92373

555 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach 908021712 W. Beverly Blvd., Montebello 906406529 Riverside Ave., Riverside 92506420 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale 912032121 Palomar Airport Rd., #105, Carlsbad 92008300 N. Los Angeles St., Los Angeles 9001212440 E. Firestone #117, Norwalk 906508425 West 3rd St., Los Angeles 90048

* Mail for senators may be addressed to U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510, (202) 224-3121.* Mail for members of the House may be addressed to House Office Building, Washington D.C. 20515, (202) 224-3121.

CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE

Campbell, WilliamCarpenter, Paul B.Davis, Ed

Dills, Ralph C.Green, BillHart, Gary

Torres, ArtWatson, Diane E.

31 Los Angeles, Orange33 Orange, Los Angeles19 Los Angeles, Ventura,

San Fernando,Santa Barbara

30 Los Angeles27 Los Angeles18 Los Angeles, Santa

Barbara, Ventura26 Los Angeles36 Riverside25 lnyo, Los Angeles,

San Bernardino20 Los Angeles23 Los Angeles22 Los Angeles32 Orange21 Los Angeles35 Orange16 Kern, Kings,

Los AngelesSan Bernardino

24 Los Angeles28 Los Angeles

Los Angeles,San Bernardino

Orange

Los Angeles

Counties

515 N. Arrowhead Ave.,San Bernardino 92401140 Newport Center Dr. #120Newport Beach 92660

1611 S. Pacific Coast Highway,Redondo Beach 90277

1661 Hanover Road, City of Industry 917485400 Orange Ave., Cypress 9063011145 Tampa Ave. #21 B Northridge 91326

Main District Office` Telephone(District)(714) 884-3165

(714) 640-1137

(213) 540-1611

(818)964-1443(714) 952-3201(818)368-1171

(Capitol)445-6868

445-4961

445-6447

445-2848445-5581445-8873

445-5953445-2104445-5405

445-3386445-9781445-3688

445-3121445-8390445-7928445-5831445-5976454-4264445-6637

445-3456445-5215

* During session, mail for senators may be addressed to the State Capitol, Sacramento 95814.

CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY

Alatorre, RichardAllen, DorisBader, Charles W.

Calderon, CharlesClute, SteveDavis, Gray

Bane, Tom

Bradley, Bill

Brown, Dennis

Eaves, Gerald FLElder, DaveFelando, Gerald

55 Los Angeles71 Orange65 Los Angeles,

San Bernardino40 Los Angeles

596843

66 San Bernardino57 Los Angeles51 Los Angeles

Los AngelesRiversideLos Angeles

5430 Van Nuys Blvd., #206,Van Nuys 91401

125 W. Mission Ave. #1201,Escondido 92025

1945 Palo Verde Ave. #203Long Beach 90815

1712 W. Beverly Blvd., Montebello 906403600 Lime St. #716, Riverside 9250118321 Ventura Blvd. #655,Tarzana 91356

241 E. Baseline #D Rialto 92376245 Broadway, Long Beach 908021514 Cabrillo Ave., Torrance 90501

Main District Office • Telephone(District) (Capitol)

(213)255-7111 445-7587(714) 821-1500 445-6233(714)983-6011 445-8490

(818) 986-8090 445-3134

(619) 489-8924 445-8211

(213) 493-5514 445-8492

(213) 721-2904 445-0854

(714) 781-3222 445-5416

(818) 783-9420 445-4956

(714) 820-1902 445-4843

(213) 590-5009 445-7454

(213) 320-6262 445-7906

C90,990.01

RTD Headquarters staff soonwill see a lot of metamorphosis ofMain St. The Community Redevel-opment Agency has begun a studyon how to proceed with a massiveredevelopment of Main St., which,when finished, will effect a com-plete revamping of Main from 4thSt. to the Civic Center, and the con-struction of several new and reha-bilitated office buildings along thesouthern portions of Main as fardown as 8th St. According to DonSpivack, CRA Project Manager forthe Central Business District, rede-velopment of Main St. will includeconstruction of a new office build-ing at 6th and Main, rehabilitationof the County Engineer's Buildingat 2nd, and construction of aMcDonald's office building at 1stand Main.

Reserve FleetBids FarewellTwo-and-a-half years ago, theReserve Fleet was formed to serveas a coach supplier for the Dis-trict's growing needs. Located inthe evacuated site of what wasonce Division 3315 in Sun Valley,its crew was composed of onlyeleven mechanics and one serviceattendent, who soon becameknown as "The Dirty Dozen."

Ed Flynn, Equipment Mainte-nance Supervisor I of Division3311, said, "Before the Olympics,we were able to produce 280 earlymodel coaches, 100 6100 and6200's, plus 220 GrummanFlxible's on the engine retrofit pro-gram." During this effort, anotherfour mechanics and ten serviceattendants were added to the workforce, but then dispersed shortlyafter the Games. Flynn feels veryproud of the fact that during thistime the rebuilding of 600 or morecoaches (which included a largeamount of engine overhauls, elec-trical and body work, transmis-sions, etc.) took place in such ashort period of time and with such asmall crew.

The District has made everyeffort to maintain the Reserve Fleetwhich has been instrumental in itson-going efforts for efficient publicservice. However, as Flynn alsoexplains, "the District is given onlya certain percentage of funds bythe government in order to keepspare coaches. Therefore, it mustsell off the equipment that is nolonger cost-effective, and with thecutbacks in federal funds this hasbecome inevitable. Nevertheless,the District will be able to deal withemergencies with the supply ofcoaches that will be left after theReserve Fleet is sold."

The dispersement of personneland equipment of Division 3311Reserve Fleet will become effec-tive June 1.

The District is making everyeffort to place the seventeen crewmembers of the Reserve Fleet inother divisions.

Name District Counties

5200 York Blvd., Los Angeles 900425911 Cerritos Ave., Cypress 90630203 W. G St., Ontario 91762

Montoya, JosephPresley, Robert B.Richardson, H.L.

Robbins, AlanRoberti, DavidRosenthal, HerschelRoyce, Edward R.Russell, Newton R.Seymour, JohnStiern, Walter W.

548 S. Spring St. #500, Los Angeles 90013 (213) 627-53334401 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles 90043 (213) 295-6655

76 San Diego, Riverside

58 Los Angeles, Orange

Need Help With Your Taxes?Call for free tax assistance

and consultationafter office hours at 213/463-5209

City Councilman John Ferraro voices his protest to RTD Board of Directors.Ferraro opposes the reallocation of Prop A funds to Metro Rail and feels themoney should be used to support bus operations.

Headway Page 3

State of RTDContinued from page 1

start date of October 1, 1985. "Inthe meantime," Dyer continued,Senate Majority Leader Dole ofKansas and the Senate BudgetChairman Domenici of New Mex-ico will develop a second budgetwhich may not propose to elimi-nate mass transit funding." A thirdbudget will be drawn up by Rep.Bill Gray from Philadelphia. "So,by the end of February, we'll havethree budgets floating around thefederal establishment."

Should the federal budget pre-vail, Dyer said it would put the Dis-trict and its patrons in a badposition locally and hurt mostAmericans nationally. "I think a lotof people are going to be making alot of noise about this budget.Maybe some of you will make somenoise to your elected representa-tives."

Dyer predicted that, shouldStockman's proposals beapproved by the Congress, it couldmean fare increases of up to $1.25to compensate for the loss of oper-ating funds. "I don't think thesecuts are realistic for a city the sizeof Los Angeles. Downtown LosAngeles is the largest growth cen-ter in North America with the CalPlaza and Citicorp Plaza construc-tion planned, we'll have buildingsthat will dwarf the Sears Tower inChicago."

At this time, the District is thethird largest transit system in thenation, transporting 1.7 million

people a day and deploying 670buses an hour at peak hours. "Wecarry more people in a month witha fleet of 2,400 buses than Chicagodoes with its fleet of 3,000. We'vegot a demand now that will onlyincrease in the future and we maynot be able to meet it. That's whywe need Metro Rail. Metro Rail isas important to this city in the eight-ies as the water system was to it inthe twenties."

Still, Dyer is confident that theDistrict will not lose funding forMetro Rail. "We should have acommitment from the federal gov-ernment by July. Metro Rail is soclose to being underway that if wegot a go-ahead from the Feds, in 60days we could have a lot of con-struction underway. That's how faralong the project is. It's beyondbelief that we are in the disputewe're having with the Feds now."

State Funding

Dyer switched to an examination ofstate-level funding, which nowappears as unstable as federalfunding. Current forecasts indicatea rapid decline in the next fewyears. The reason for this declineis tied to the formula by whichthese revenues are computed.This formula measures the rate ofchange in the price of gasoline rel-ative to the price of all other taxablegoods. Because the price of gaso-line has dropped in the last fewyears and consumption hasdeclined, the result has been a dra-matic fall-off in revenue to fund theTransportation Planning andDevelopment Account (TP&D).TP&D is a spillover account col-

lected from the national gas taxthat funds state transportationproperties.

It has been estimated that thetransit operating subsidies that arefunded by the TP&D Account willdecline from $86.5 million in fiscalyear 1985 to $25.3 million in fiscalyear 1989.

"Senator John Foran of SouthSan Francisco has introduced a billin Sacramento that hopes toaddress the state funding short-falls," said Dyer. The measure wasintroduced on January 30 as Sen-ate Bill 290. "Foran's bill proposesa tax on gasoline," he said. "Threecents will go for local streets androads and two cents will go towardfunding state highways." This taxwould increase the total tax on gas-oline to 23 cents per gallon (9 centsfederal, 9 cents state, plus the five-cent increase), plus the 6 1 / per-cent sales tax. This tax has thepotential to generate $590 millionannually. "If this five-cent taxdoesn't pass," said Dyer, "We willhave an equally hard time at thestate level as we may at the federallevel. It will result in our inability tomatch state dollars with federaldollars and to match funds forMetro Rail construction."

RTD Operational Budget

This year's RTD budget of $459million then took center stage asDyer admonished employees tostay within it. "If our expenditureswere to go up $10 million, I'm notsure where we could get themoney. Next year there may be nosource." Dyer told employees that

the District's three largest costitems included public liability insur-ance, Workers' Compensation andsick leave. "While we are veryproud of our safety record, ourinsurance costs amount to about$29 million a year."

Dyer stressed the critical needto reduce costs and avoid waste,urging employees to reduce acci-dents, lower workers' compensa-tion claims, and bring sick leavedown. He advised employees toconsider next year's budget veryseriously. "We're going to gothrough a rigorous budget exercisethis year. We'll have to justify every-thing we do."

In conclusion, Dyer suggestedthat employees contact their fed-eral and state representatives. "Ifyou know your Congressional rep-resentative, let him or her knowwhat you think. Tell your assembly-person how important Foran's billis. The more they hear how impor-tant this is, the more likely they areto do something about it."

Dyer cited a need for all employ-ees to stay well informed on theissues affecting transportation, ingeneral, and the RTD, specifically."You will begin to see more discus-sion and debate in the pressregarding the District than you'veseen in the last five years. Pleaserelate to the facts and relay only thefacts"

Dyer pledged to meet withemployees in meetings in threemonths' time. "At that time, I hopeto come back and tell you that thepicture is not as bad as I originallythought it was."

Bus fare increasesContinued from page 1

a fare increase. "Mr. Dyer says themoney is needed to make up theloss of subsidies. Well, the countyand its 84 cities which receive aportion of Prop A money have notbeen spending most of an esti-mated $69.3 million available fortransit." Further, Hahn said thatmoney could be used to keep thefare at 50 cents if the cities and thecounty were willing to commit themoney to bus subsidies. "It's notdifficult," said Hahn. "We just needMayor Bradley to vote out themoney. Go to the controllingauthority, RTD, and get the fundsto keep the fare down."

City Councilman John Ferraroagreed that the county controlledenough transit tax revenue to makeup the shortfall the District expectsnext year. Ferraro also urged theboard to either borrow the moneyor use funds set aside for the MetroRail project, which he opposes.

Councilwoman Peggy Steven-son admonished the Board to mon-itor its administrative costs first,and then look to the new state lot-tery for additional funding. BoardMember Marvin Nolen counteredStevenson with the suggestion thatperhaps she could introduce anordinance in the City Council to rollback the cost of bus fares.

Los Angeles City Council Presi-dent Pat Russell recommendedthat the board consider alternativeapproaches: 1) a limited passen-ger coupon system, 2) a user sub-sidy approach, and 3) fare zones.She told reporters that Hahn's pro-posal was "short-sighted and

unwise." She said that "to simplymaintain current subsidies wouldremove the incentive for the RTD toeliminate inefficiencies or unpro-ductive policies and services."

Following the elected officials,scores of college students, subur-ban commuters, senior citizens,handicapped and low-incomeriders took turns speaking in oppo-sition to the fare increases. Eachelaborated on the specific impactfare increases and service adjust-ments would have on their lives.

New Fare Structure

"What we have heard at the hear-ing (in response to the staff pro-posal) was that senior citizens andthe handicapped as well as fami-lies with schoolchildren would beaffected most," said Board DirectorJan Hall.

The RTD Board of Directorsrejected the original staff proposalsof raising the basic fare to 75 centsand imposing 5.5% service adjust-ments.

Since the hearing, the LosAngeles City Council has agreed toMayor Tom Bradley's request for a$3 million subsidy from city fundsto maintain present discounts forthe elderly and handicappedcity residents. No funds wererequested for student discounts.

In an effort to keep fareincreases to a minimum after aday-long debate, the 85-cent basiccash fare was adopted.

Under the new structure, regularmonthly passes which cost $20 willsell for $32. Discounts for studentspaying cash fares, now set at 20cents, will be eliminated. Their $4monthly pass will increase to $12for elementary and secondary

school students and $15 for col-lege students.

The cost of a transfer will remain10 cents, but it can be used onlyonce.

Senior citizens and handi-capped cash fares will increasefrom 20 cents to 40 cents, and theirmonthly pass will increase from $4to $7.

Express stamps used by riderstraveling from one fare zone toanother increased from $7 to $12.Thus, the maximum cost for thelongest distance run (5 zones) onthe freeway, now set at $55, willincrease to $92.

The new fare structure now lim-its the number of service adjust-ments to a low 2.4% as opposed tothe original proposed fare hike to75 cents, which would have

resulted in service adjustments ofover 5%.

General Manager John A. Dyertold Board Members the resultingservice adjustments would be min-imal, basically amounting tochanges in headway.

Perkins NamedOperator of Month

Operator of the Month for Decem-ber was Robert Perkins of Gar-dena, a 10-year employee who wascommended for outstanding serv-ice to the District.

Perkins has a 10-year safe driv-ing award and has accumulated 90commendation merits from hissupervisors.

Pige 4 Headway

Shining up the Building Dedication plaque for Div. 18 are from left; Ed Nash, Director of Transportation, An old cowhand far from the Rio Grande, Commu-Jim Lukens, Assistant Manager of Div. 18; Gordana Swanson, RTD Board Member; John Adams, Div. 18 nity Relations Representative Wilbur Miller servesManager; and Wes McCarns, Transportation Superintendant. his first cotton candy stick to his son.

From a cloud of dust, with a Hi-HoDivision 18—back in the saddleagain and serving the South Bay-Harbor communities—celebratedthe opening of its new facility inCarson on January 26. The Wild,Wild West was the theme of theOpen House.

RTD employees and communityresidents mingled amid the West-ern atmosphere complete with areplica of an Overland Stagecoach, the Silver Nickel Saloon,and Boot Hill. The Country West-erners band provided an authenticurban cowboy touch to the festivi-ties. RTD cowhands from theTransportation Department, Com-munity Relations Department, andEmployee Activities Departmentserved prairie dogs (hot dogs), sar-saparilla (soda), popcorn, and cot-ton candy. Beautiful dance hallgirls lured some adults into the Sil-

ver Nickel Saloon to try their luck atgames of chance while parentsand their children took a hayridetour of the facility. Pony rides wereoffered for the younger and braverbronco-busters.

The facility, which providesmaintenance for 250 buses, wasofficially opened by RTD BoardVice-President Gordana Swanson."We look forward to years of pro-ductivity and service to the SouthBay Community," Swanson toldthe crowd. Also in attendance wereAlbert Perdon, Assistant to theGeneral Manager; Robert Korach,Assistant General Manager forOperations; and Phillip Meyers,Chief Engineer. The Junior ROTCColor Guard and Drill Team fromBanning High School in Wil-mington presented colors and aprecision drill exercise in dedica-

tion of the facility. Inside the Trans-portation Building exhibits andvideofilms were offered by the RTDCommunity Relations, Engineer-ing, and Marketing Departments.

Outside, in the rear of the Trans-portation Building, in addition tothe Wild, Wild West, were equip-ment displays of a Doubledeckerbus, a Mini-bus, an Articulatedbus, a Neoplan bus and a TransitPolice car. This display encour-aged hands-on experience, well, atleast the chance to sit in the busoperator's seat, honk the horn anddepress the air brakes. The TransitPolice allowed visitors to use thesiren and startle their parents byusing the PA system.

The facility consists of a 46,300square-foot Maintenance Buildingand a 13,800 square-foot Transpor-tation Building. Supporting ser-vices include a washer and interiorbus cleaning station, diesel fuelingstation, two repair shops, and twohot water and steam cleaning sta-tions.

Chief Engineer Phillip Meyers givesthe crowd concrete details on Div.18 facilities.

Dance Hall Sweeties strut their stuff about the Wild, Wild, West at Div. 18.From left: Terry Solis, Rene Farley, Carol Taylor, and Leslie Partin.

Has the Personnel Department gone crazy? Aren't those bus operators a lit-tle young? Why, they are even out of uniform. No, no, no, it's just some visi-tors to the Openhouse trying the driver's seat for size.

••••n•nn

After busting the bronco, this little cowhand enjoys a safe ride at Div. 18.Maintenance Instructor Richard Au shows two visitors the view patrons sel-dom see — the underbelly of the bus.

RTD Board Member Gordana Swanson is helpingAsst. General Manager of Operations RobertKorach out of town on the stage. Or is it the otherway around? Either way, Director of TransportationEd Nash is the stagemaster. The "Country Westerners" add authentic sounds to the Wild, Wild West theme.

Headway

Page 5

Sheriff aka Transportation Superintendent Wes McCarns (far right) and the mysterious man in white (far left) keep a sharp eye on two culprits whose attemptto rob the Silver Nickel Saloon landed them in jail.

Silver, came the new Division 18

ti

—rU

HeadwayPage 6

Personnel Analyst Benjamin Mar-quez, Jr. was named Employee ofthe Quarter by the District's Person-nel Department for Fall 1984.

Michael Scaiola receives an Employee Suggestion Award of $1,000 for hisdesign of a die that salvaged rear-engine doors and saves the District over$25,000 a year. Standing with Michael are, from the left: Nick Patsaouras,RTD Board President, Michael's wife, Theresa; rear left, General ManagerJohn A. Dyer and right, Assistant Director of Personnel Al Rice.

General Manager John A. Dyer, left, and RTD Board Member Gordana Swan-son present a Certificate of Appreciation to Robert W. Selig, President of theTheatre Association of California, Inc. for his contribution to the mass show-ing of Metro Rail trailers in California in 1984.

December Employees of the Month. Front row (from left): Jack Landrum, Maintenance Employee of the Month; Robert Perkins,Operator of the Month; Kevin Tate, Information Operator of the Month; and RTD Director Carmen Estrada. Back row (from left)Div. 2 Manager Don Karlson, Div. 1 Manager John C. Adams, General Manager John A. Dyer, and Manager of Customer RelationsRobert Williams.

Brotherhood Crusade Ok'd for Donations

Brotherhood Crusade President Danny J. Bakewell (far left front) pledged hisorganization's support for the RTD following the RTD Board of Directors'vote to include the Brotherhood Crusade in the District's 1985 program foremployee donations through payroll deductions.

"I can't speak highly enough ofJohn Dyer and the RTD," beamedBrotherhood Crusade PresidentDanny J. Bakewell, Sr. on hearingthat the RTD's Board of Directors,during the January 24 Board Meet-ing, voted to include the Brother-hood Crusade in the District's 1985 -program for employee donationsthrough payroll deductions.

In quick response to Bakewelland to more than 200 of the Bro-therhood Crusade supportersattending the Board Meeting,Board Member Jay B. Price asked,"Now that we've helped you, willyou help us by sending letters toyour Congressional representa-tives in Washington in support ofMetro Rail? Is that a fair quid proquo?"

The Brotherhood Crusade is anon-profit, tax-exempt fundinginstitution dedicated to the health,social welfare, and educationalneeds of lower income and minor-ity groups in Los Angeles. The Cru-sade is interested in funding

programs that offer an innovativeapproach to age-old problems."Traditional funding sources havea tremendous criteria for eligibil-ity," said Bakewell. "Our only cri-teria is that the agency be non-profit and tax exempt. We takerisks and fund programs that arenot sanctioned by traditional chari-ties."

"Although the Brotherhood Cru-sade was born out of a need in theBlack community that does notmean we are insensitive to othercommunities," said Bakewell.Brotherhood Crusade funds sup-port drug prevention programs,battered women's shelters, gangviolence intervention programs,the United High Blood PressureFoundation, the Ocean Park Com-munity Center, and the Chinatownand Koreatown Senior CitizensPrograms among others.

Bakewell pledged that the Bro-therhood Crusade would send atleast 500 letters to Washington."We help people who help us," hesaid.

Headway Page 7

IRAs Government's Gift of ShelterBy Miriam,F. Penney

Editor's Note: Headway is pleased topresent the first in a series of articlesdevoted to a variety of legal issues andconcerns. This column is intended toprovide general information only, notspecific legal advice. For adviceregarding specific legal matters, read-ers are advised to consult an attorney.The authors of this column welcomeany comments or questions from read-ers. Send letters to: Headway, SecondFloor, 425 S. Main St., Los Angeles,Ca. 90013.

ATTENTION, TAXPAYERS: Thegovernment will PAY YOU up to$1,082.50 if you put away moneyfor your retirement.

contribution up to the dateyour return was due, includ-ing extensions, and still takethe deduction. Now, even ifyou get an extension of timeto file your tax return, youcannot deduct the IRA contri-bution for the tax return yearunless the contribution ismade by the original April15th deadline.

Suppose you don't have anyextra cash now, but you expect toget a tax refund. Here's a tip: fileyour tax return early, claiming theIRA contribution deduction, getyour tax refund and use the refundmoney to make the contribution inthe amount you claimed. This isperfectly legal, provided you makethe claimed contribution by April15, whether or not you get the taxrefund money by then.

IRA contributions with money thatyou can't reasonably expect to dowithout until at least age 59 1 /2.

How did we arrive at our govern-ment subsidy amount of up to$1,082.50 at the beginning of thisarticle? Assume that you are a tax-payer in the highest tax brackets(50% Federal, 11% California) andthat you make the maximum$2,000 contribution. The $2,000deduction reduces your Federaltax liability by 50%, or $1,000. The$1,500 deduction on your Califor-nia return eliminates $165 of Cali-fornia taxes (at the 11 0/0 tax rate).But your California taxes are anitemized deduction on your Fed-eral return, so your California taxsavings reduces that Federal taxdeduction; the net effect is a sav-ings of only 50% of the California

tax reduction, or $82.50. The totalmaximum tax savings, Federal andCalifornia, is then $1,082.50.

On the whole, it is well worth-while to find some way to make anIRA contribution, even if you can'tafford to make the maximum allow-able contribution of $2,000. IRAsare nothing short of government-subsidized retirement planning,since part of the contribution eachyear is made with money that youwould pay out in tax dollars. An IRAaccount should be part of everyqualified taxpayer's investmentportfolio; it government generos-ity at its greatest.

Miriam F Penney is a tax attorney with thelaw offices of Glassman & Browning, Inc.in Beverly Hills. She has been practicinglaw for seven years.

Yes, folks, it's true. The Federaland California governments wantto encourage taxpayers to savemoney for their retirement years.To do this, these governmentshave passed laws that provide tax-payers who establish IndividualRetirement Accounts (IRAs) withbig tax breaks that amount to let-ting you use some of your dollarsthat you would otherwise pay intaxes to fund your IRA.

Here's how it works. If you placeup to $2,000 into an IRA, you candeduct this amount from yourgross income, subject to theserules:

1. For Federal tax purposes, ifyou had at least $2,000 inearned income (that is,wages and salaries, but notcounting passive incomesuch as rents, interest, anddividends), you can contrib-ute any amount up to $2,000to your IRA each year andtake a deduction for theamount of the contribution.Starting with IRA contribu-tions made for 1985, Federallaw allows alimony receivedby a taxpayer to count as"earned income" for pur-poses of calculating theallowable IRA contribution.

2. Under California law, thededuction is limited to thelesser of (1) $1,500, or (2)15% of your earned income(so you must have had atleast $10,000 in earnedincome in 1984 to get themaximum deduction of$1,500 on your 1984 Califor-nia tax return). Contrast thiswith Federal law which per-mits you to contribute anddeduct 100% of your earn-ings, up to $2,000.

3. To get a deduction on your1984 tax returns, the IRAcontribution for 1984 must bemade by April 15, 1985. Thisis a change that is effectivefor the first time for 1984 IRAcontributions; under priorlaw, you could make your

Copyrighto 1985 by Miriam F Penney.All rights reserved.

4. You can claim the IRA contri-bution deduction on yourFederal taxes even if youremployer provides you withcoverage under its ownretirement plan. Californialaw allows you to deduct theIRA contribution only if youare not a participant in youremployer's qualified retire-ment plan.

5. For both Federal and Califor-nia tax purposes, you cannotdeduct IRA contributionsmade for any year in whichyou are age 70 1 /2 or older.

6. If you have a non-workingspouse, you can contributeup to $2,250 to IRA's for your-self and your spouse underFederal tax laws. Californiaallows a maximum deductionof $1,750 if you contribute toIRA's for yourself and anunemployed spouse. Ofcourse, if both spouses areemployed, each can contrib-ute to his or her own IRA andtake the full deductionsunder the rules discussedabove.

7. The IRA contribution deduc-tion can be taken even if youdon't itemize your otherdeductions. That is, it is tech-nically an "adjustment" toyour gross income and not an"itemized deduction."

Remember that the funds inyour IRA earn money for you andthese earnings aren't taxed to youuntil you withdraw money fromyour IRA. This permits IRAs togrow more rapidly than the samefunds in a non-IRA account whichdoes not enjoy the benefit of taxdeferral.

However, if you withdraw fundsfrom your IRA before age 59 1 /2 (oron disability, if that occurs sooner),you will have to include the amountwithdrawn as income and you willalso pay a "penalty tax" in additionto your regular tax equal to 10% ofthe amount withdrawn. Borrowingagainst your IRA or pledging it assecurity for a loan is not allowed(the premature withdrawal penaltywill be imposed), so don't make

L J

0

by Elia HagerVisiting Nurse

There are positive and negativemethods to control anger or the sit-uations produced by anger. Thepositive ways are those that relaxthe situation and either cause noresentment or allow resentment tobe resolved. We have all seen thedestructive effects of negativeanger resolution — quarrels andstrained relationships at work or athome, interrupted lines of com-munication, terminated friend-ships, etc. The extreme form ofanger between nations is war. Aform of anger between co-workersis quarreling, bickering and name-calling. None of these resolves anegative situation.

My goal in writing this article is tohelp you intervene in the viciouscycle of anger and prevent the situ-ation from escalating into warfare.Learning the following ten tech-niques and practicing them mayhelp you put resentment in itsproper place — resolution.

1. Don't Get Personal: Talkabout the problem not theperson. There is no roomfor name-calling; keep thefocus on the discussion, onthe problem and don't bringup the past.

2. Be Polite: Even the mostpetty anger can erupt intofull attacks when faced withrudeness.

3. Laugh At Yourself: Don'ttake life so seriously; laughat the foibles of human nat-ure.

4. Don't Make Excuses:Accept the responsibility foryour actions or omissions(what you did or what youdidn't do).

5. Don't Blame Others: Again,accept responsibility anddon't assume the "if-I-go-down-he/she-will-go-down-with-me" syndrome.

6. Be Aware Of Your Sur-roundings And How YouAffect Them: Are you con-siderate of your fellowemployees and their per-sonal space?

7. Don't Stew: Don't saveinsults. They are like bacte-ria, save enough and youhave an infection. The oneinjured is you and the one tosuffer is you.

8. Talk—Don't Dump: Don'tbring up the past, stay withthe subject and keep the lidon the garbage can.

9. Accept Your Inability ToControl What People Think:You may be able to controlthem while they work, andyou may be able to controlthem physically but youcannot control another'sphilosophy—the how andwhy they react as they do.

10. Alter Your Perception ToYour Personal Stressors:Remember, if you can't fightand you can't flee-you gottaflow.

Postscript: Love your enemies. Notonly will it confuse them, it'll drivethem crazy.

MOT INEIE:How Not To Look Back in Anger

Page 8 Headway

Vic Muniz Retires —A MinuteJust out of the Army where he wasassigned to the Manhattan Projectin Los Alamos, New Mexico, a 23-year old Victor Muniz came to LosAngeles, for R and R. He had timeto kill while he waited to hearwhether the City of Albuquerque,New Mexico wanted to hire him asa policeman or a fireman. Not oneto waste time or pass up an oppor-tunity, Muniz took a "temporary"job as a conductor with the LosAngeles Transit Lines, on July 7,1947.

Thirty-seven and one-half yearslater, a now 61-year old VictorMuniz retired on January 31 fromwhat was once called the LosAngeles Transit Lines, then in 1958known as the Los Angeles Metro-politan Transit Authority, and,finally in 1964 as the RTD.

"I worked both as a conductorand a motorman on the old yellowcars or PCCs. Do you know whatPCC stands for?" Muniz asks."President's Conference Car."Most Angelenos who rode the Redand Yellow cars become sentimen-tal or nostalgic in their reminiscingof that era. Muniz is no exception."There was something romanticabout those cars. Why, I met mywife on my streetcar," he said. "Imet her before I was hired as a con-ductor. I was standing behind theconductor watching him operatethe gears and then she stepped onthe car. That was over 41 years

Luchus Smith, Maintenance Divi-sion Manager at 3305, has everyreason to be the proud father thathe is. He and his wife Gracie havefive children, two of whom are out-standing athletes.

Luchus began his career withthe District when his daughter Lori,23, was born. Lori is a former LongBeach and San Diego State trackand field Most Valuable Player andOlympic contender. His son Greg,25, is a minor league baseballplayer with the San Diego Padresorganization. Both aspiring ath-letes are young, talented, spiritedand have hopes of the majorleagues for Greg and the 1988Olympics for Lori.

Lori competed in this past sum-mer's Olympic Trials where shewas a semi-finalist in the 100 meterwomen's hurdles. She acknowl-edges the disappointment of notmaking the U.S. team and attrib-utes that in part, to not being at thepeak of her ability. However, theincentive to keep striving in thedirection of the 1988 Olympicsaccording to Lori "lies with my loveof the sport, my desire to stay incondition by working out withweights, and the traveling whichthe sport affords me."

Greg, a 13th round draft choiceof the Los Angeles Dodgers in hisjunior year of college at SouthernUniversity, earned MVP honorsduring his rookie season. He isnow on a Triple A team which is the

ago." For Muniz the "temporary"motorman job became a verysteady job. He became a Bus andStreet Car supervisor for the LosAngeles Transit Lines in 1956. "Iwas the first Hispanic promoted tosupervisor within the Company.That was a dramatic change forme. I really felt I had to go out andprove myself. Remember in 1956we didn't have any EEO or Affirma-tive Action. You had to get every-thing based on your own merit.And I had some very strict supervi-sors who didn't pull any punches."

As a supervisor Muniz found thegreatest challenges and rewards indeveloping and guiding his staff."You've got to give employees anopportunity to move up and todevelop their potential. The super-visor has to encourage theemployee to explore and enhancehis ideas."

In 1970 Muniz was appointedStops and Zones representative.On his philosophy of work, "I ranmy section as if it were my owncompany. The interests of the com-pany always came first." The mostcompelling aspect of Muniz' tenureas a Stops and Zones representa-tive was its diversity. "No two dayswere alike. This has been a realeducation for me. I enjoyed fightingfor the bus stops and red zonesand I very seldom lost a case in theTraffic Commission or PublicSafety hearings." For those hear-

last hurdle preceding the majorleagues. This is Greg's secondseason with the Padres, and he islooking forward to spring trainingwhich starts this month in Yuma,Arizona. Once making the team,he would play the upcoming sea-son in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 6'2" infielder recognizingthe fierce competition in the minorleagues, says that, "my faith in theLord, a positive attitude, and myability to stay healthy" distin-guishes him from many of histeammates. Last season with thePadres, Greg hit 8 home runs, 40

Lori Smith, 23-year old daughter ofMaintenance Div. 5 Manager LuchusSmith pins hopes on the 1988 hep-tathlon.

ings, Muniz prepared himselfbeforehand just as a lawyer pre-pares for a trial. "It is just like a dayin court. I state my case, they statetheir case. You have to know yourbusiness and the rest is just left towho's right and who's wrong."

Looking back over to his differ-ent work roles, he commented, "Ithink it's important to come upthrough the ranks. It may be thehard way, but it certainly gives youthe broadest view possible of thewhole operation."

Off duty Muniz' time is taken byhis many commitments to his com-munity of La Mirada. He is pres-ently a Public Safety Com-missioner for the City of La Mirada,and is a member of the St. Paul'sMen's Club, Knights of Columbus,Friends of the Theater, and the Sis-ter City Association.

Officially, Muniz retired on Feb-ruary 1, but he returned to RTDFebruary 4 in the capacity of a con-sultant to the Stops and ZonesDepartment. To the question ofwhat about peace and relaxationafter retirement, Muniz brushedthat aside with, "Look, I'm only 61,I'm not even old enough for SocialSecurity."

A shiny new, gold-faced watchglistens on Muniz' wrist. He holds itup, showing it off proudly. "Justwhat I always wanted — a watchwith a logo."

RBIs (runs batted in) and boasted abatting average of 352. He alsohad the opportunity to play againstJapanese All-Star baseball playersas the National League ChampionPadres traveled to Japan for anexposition game.

Lori, an employee with the Uni-fied School District, is currently intraining with Coast Athletic TrackClub. While her sights are mostdefinitely set on the '88 Games,her preparation and training is tak-ing on new heights. This timearound, she is training to competeas a heptathlete, which is equiva-lent to the men's decathlon exceptthe heptathlon has seven eventsand the decathlon has ten. Out-side of track, Lori enjoys bowling,weight lifting, and jogging. Shefeels her most notable accomplish-ment to date has been competingin Madison Square Garden whereshe represented the United Statesin the U.S. Sports Festival.

In the off-season, Greg is mostlikely to be working as a painter ordoing what he enjoys most, playingwinterball in places such asColumbia, South America. Gregsees the highlight of his career todate when he played an expositiongame which featured University ofSouthern California All-Stars andthe Los Angeles Dodgers. "Thegame was played in Dodger Sta-dium and my family, all my friendsand about 40,000 people werethere. It was great!"

Vic Muniz, soldier, streetcar con-ductor, motorman, supervisor,Stops and Zones Representative,now retires to become a consultant.

Health FairOn Way

Everyone, plan to come andbring the family, friends, children.Have an ultra-sound arterial scan.See how high or low your bloodpressure and pulse rate are read-ing. See your heart rate on an EKGmachine. Learn about fast foodnutrition, and compare all the factsabout the various painkillers on themarket. Watch the fascinatingmovements of our aerobics teamas they show you how to movealong with music toward betterhealth. Pick up free, nutritious andeasy recipes for delicious dishes.Take advantage of free health testsand free information that couldcost you as much as $280.00 in aclinic or hospital setting. The Dis-trict wants all employees to have achance to increase their healthawareness while having a goodtime, so the fair will be held at oneor more Divisions during the monthof June, on a Sunday. There will beballoons, food, music, a freesportswear fashion show, and funand free information for all. Watchfor further announcements,posters, and articles in the Head-way. Y'all plan to come and mapyour own route to health andremember — It's Free!

Luchus stresses that, "each ofmy children are high achievers intheir own right." Son, Luchus Jr.,was in the top four of his class atLoyola Marymount and is now aVice President with a branch ofHome Savings and Loan.

Greg Smith, 25, looks for a future inthe major leagues.

Smith's Kids Make Good

Ferguson, Gil

Frizzelle, Nolan

Grisham, Wayne

Hayden, Tom

Hill, Frank

Hughes, Teresa P.Johnson, Ross

Name

70 Orange

69 Orange

63 Los Angeles

44 Los Angeles

52 Los Angeles

47 Los Angeles64 Orange

District Counties

4667 MacArthur Blvd. #305Newport Beach 92660

16921 S. Western Ave., Gardena 902473088 Pio Pico Dr.. Suite #200.Carlsbad 92008

17195 Newhope. #201Fountain Valley 92708

13710 Studebaker Rd. #202Norwalk 90650

1337 Santa Monica Mall,Santa Monica 90401

15111 E. Whittier Blvd. #385Whittier 90603

3253 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles 900071501 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton 92635

CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLYMain District Office'

(714 756-0665

(213) 516-4037(619) 434-1749

(714) 662-5503

(213) 929-1797

(213) 393-2717

(213) 945-7681

(213) 747-7451(714) 738-5853

Telephone(District)

445-7222

445-0965445-2390

445-8377

445-6047

445-1676

445-7550

445-7498445-7448

(Capitol)

Floyd, Richard E. 53 Los AngelesFrazee, Robert C. 74 San Diego, Orange

Katz, Richard

Lancaster, Bill

Leonard, William

Lewis, John R.Margolin, Burt M.McClintock, Tom

39 Los Angeles

RiversideLos Angeles

62 Los Angeles,San Bernardino

61 San Bernardino

67 Orange45 Los Angeles36 Ventura

Kelley, David 73Lafollette, Marian W. 38

* During legislative session, mail for Assembly members may be addressed to the State Capitol. Scaramento 95814.

How Not To Waste Precious Time

Molina, Gloria

Moore, GwenMountioy, RichardNolan, Patrick J.

56 Los Angeles

49 Los Angeles42 Los Angeles41 Los Angeles

46 Los Angeles

60 Los Angeles

50 Los Angeles54 Los Angeles

Robinson, Richard 72 Orange

Roos, Michael

Tanner, Sally

Tucker, Curtis R.Vicencia, Frank

Waters, MaxineWright, Cathie

Wyman, Phil

48 Los Angeles37 Los Angeles, Santa

Barbara, Ventura34 lnyo, Kern, Los Angeles

Proposition A StoryProposition A became effective July 1, 1982. Revenues from the half-cent taxare used for public transportation improvements and development of a 150-milecountywide rail transit system. More than $285 million has been generated bythe tax to implement the program. Under Phase One of the program, tax reve-nues are allocated on a 25% share to be returned to the 84 cities of the county,based on population. Funds are used for local transit improvements, such asdial-a-ride, bus shuttles, contracted services and ridesharing programs. Fiftypercent of generated revenues goes to the Fare Reduction Program which nowfixes bus fares at 50 cents.

The remaining 25% of revenues are used to develop the rail transit program.Phase Two of Proposition A will begin July 1, 1985 and remain effective indefi-nitely. A new allocation of revenues system takes effect. Twenty-five percent ofgenerated funds will be directed to the Local Return Program. With the expira-tion of the Fare Reduction Program, 40% of the revenues will be allocated to theLos Angeles County Transportation Commission. Known as the DiscretionaryFund, the LACTC can use these funds for bus or rail programs, including subsi-dies. The extent of fare increases and services largely depends on how much ofits Discretionary Fund the LACTC will allocate to local transit operators from yearto year. The remaining 35% of revenues are earmarked for the Rail DevelopmentProgram.

Currently, the RTD is working closely with the LACTC to ensure that sufficientsubsidies are secured to keep fares as low as possible and to maintain adequateservice levels.

Headway Page 9

Neoplan BusesNot RecalledYour Reps—How To Find Them

Continued from page 2

9140 Van Nuys Blvd., #109 (818) 894-3671 445-1616Panorama City 91402

41555 E. Florida, Hemet 92344 (714) 652-5023 445-785211145 Tampa Ave. #17A, (818) 368-3835 445-8366Northridge 91326

362 E. Rowland St., Covina 91723 (818) 332-6271 445-9234

1323 W. Colton Ave., #101, (714) 798-4242 445-7552Redlands 92374

626 E. Chapman Ave., Orange 92666 (714) 997-9270 445-27788425 W. 3rd St. #406 Los Angeles 90048 (213) 655-9750 445-7440Paseo Camarillo, 350 N. Lantana (805) 987-9797 445-7402Camarillo 93010

5261 E. Beverly Blvd., (213) 721-557 445-1670Los Angeles 90022

3731 Stocker St., Los Angeles 90008 (213) 292-0605 445-8800406 S. 1st Ave., Arcadia 91006 (818) 446-3134 445-7234143 S. Glendale Ave., #208 (818) 240-6330 445-8364Glendale 91205

11400 Stanford Ave., (714) 530-7200 445-7333Garden Grove 92640

600 S. New Hampshire Ave., (213) 386-8042 445-7644Los Angeles 90005

11100 Valley Blvd., Suite 106, (818) 442-9100 445-7783El Monte 91731

1 Manchester Blvd., Inglewood 90306 (213) 412-6400 445-753316600 Civic Center Dr., #233 (213) 804-1436 445-7486Bellflower 90706

7900 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles 90001 (213) 582-7371 445-2363250 E. Easy St., #7 Simi Valley 93065 (805) 522-2920 445-7676

5405 Stockdale Hwy., #112, (805) 395-2673 445-3266Bakersfield 93309

The human race is heir to many ills,and one of the most common is thetendency to put off things until later(and later). Or as it is more com-monly known, procrastination,which has been termed, "the art ofkeeping up with yesterday."

Edwin Bliss, in his book GettingThings Done, lists three ways tocope with procrastination.

First is the salami technique.This is built on the same principleas the old saying, "the eye is big-ger than the stomach." What mayseem to be the nastiest task imagi-nable — scrubbing the bathroomor making six phone calls toexplain an error on your report —seems a little easier to tackle whenit's broken down to a slice at a time.Make one phone call or just cleanthe sink.

Who knows, you may so enjoythe feeling of fulfillment you getfrom starting the task that youmight be tempted to go ahead andfinish.

Or, you might not. But at leastyou will have made a start on com-pleting the task you've been dread-ing.

Second is the balance sheetmethod. Take a sheet of paper andlist the good points for procrastinat-ing the task. On the other side,write down the benefits of doing itnow. The sight of the written bene-fits of getting the job done nowcould push you over the edge togetting the job done.

Method three requires you torecognize procrastination as partof your behavior pattern. Bliss sug-gests that you start first thing in themorning on the worst task of theday. This reduces the nastinesssince you're only half awake any-way. And you won't dread having todo it for the rest of the day.

Here are some other pointers tokeep in mind in the war againstwasting time.

— Keep your schedule flexibleand allow some extra time in casesomething goes wrong (it usuallydoes). A schedule filled from 6 a.m.to 10 p.m. is one that will not be fol-lowed.

— Reward yourself for doingsomething you hate. It could besomething as simple as getting acup of coffee or buying a new plantfor the living room.

— Do delegate. You can't doeverything.

— Be realistic in your time man-agement. This reduces frustrationand keeps you from driving your-self too hard.

— Get the most of your sleep.Try asking your subconscious aquestion before you go to sleep.Sometimes your dreams can sup-ply you with the answer.

You may be wondering what todo with all that saved time. On the

RTD has experienced problems onone fifth of its rush hour fleet with the"A" frame unit of the rear suspensionsystem cracking. The decision takenby RTD not to have the buses recalledwas largely due to assurances fromthe buses' builder, Neoplan USA Cor-poration, that stated that the busescan be safely operated, provided thecrack does not exceed 3 1 /2 inches onthe side of the A-frame beam.

The A-frame cracks were first dis-covered on District buses on Decem-ber 14, 1984 and have increased innumber since that time; all but oneremain in service. The Districttogether with the National HighwayTraffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)has placed Neoplan on formal noticeregarding these problems. NeoplanUSA Corporation has initiated a tem-porary repair retrofit program intendedto enable the buses to remain in ser-vice until a fully proven repair programcan be designed and incorporated intoall 415 buses. Meanwhile, the Dis-trict's Maintenance Department hastaken precautionary measures andhave stepped up its monitoring of thestructural failures in the A-frame toensure a safe and efficient run for allits patrons.

EAP OffersMoney ClassIn 1983 the Personnel Depart-ment's Employee Assistance Pro-gram coordinator conducted asurvey and discovered that thenumber one problem was money.

Almost 70% of the people whoresponded indicated help might beneeded with financial problems. Inresponse to this survey, and toother indications of financial con-cerns, the Employee AssistanceProgram sponsored an orientationpresentation geared toward house-hold money management, plan-ning and budgeting, and debtcounseling.

At the EAP's request, Ms.Donna Fong, Executive Director ofthe Consumer Credit Counselorsof Los Angeles, visited all thirteenof the District's Transportation andMaintenance Divisions. Ms. Fongdescribed the useful, free servicesoffered by her non-profit, com-munity-supported agency. She toldemployees they could call one ofthe agency's nearest branchoffices and set up an appointmentfor a free counseling session tolearn better ways to handle moneyand to pay off debts.

job, of course, the point is tobecome more productive in thehours you are there.

But, if you carry this over intoyour personal life, what then?Frank Gilbreth, an early authorityon time and motion study, wasonce asked what he was saving allthat time for. "For work," hereplied, "if you like that best. Foreducation, for beauty, for art, forpleasure ... for mumbley-peg, ifthat's where your heart lies."

those of you who do not desire tocontribute to both plans, we urgeyou to consider freezing your posi-tion in the Deferred CompensationPlan and join the new Thrift Planfor future contributions.

Existing account balances in theEmployee Deferred CompensationPlan may not be moved into theThrift Plan. Funds left on deposit inthe Employees Deferred Compen-sation Plan will continue to earninterest and dividends even thoughyou have decided to make contri-butions to the Thrift Plan only.Within the next few weeks, meet-ings will be scheduled at variouslocations to explain the Thrift Planin greater detail and to provide forenrollment. Most eligible Non-Contract employees will be givenan opportunity to attend a meetingor to visit personally with a repre-sentative of the Treasurer's Office.Information and enrollment appli-cations may also be obtained bytelephoning extensions 2065,2084, or 6593 from 7:30 a.m. to4:00 p.m.The District is one of the firstknown transportation agencies tooffer this valuable new benefit.

Taxes!"Tax his Cow, Tax his goatTax his pants, Tax his coatTax his ties, Tax his shirtTax his work, Tax his dirt.

Tax his chew, Tax his smokeTeach him taxes is no jokeTax his car, Tax his gasTax the road he must passTax his land, Tax his wageTax the bed in which he laysTax his tractor, Tax his muleTax the books used in school

Tax him good and let him knowThat after taxes he has no doughIf he hollers, Tax him moreTax him till he's good and sore.

Tax his coffin, Tax his graveTax the sod in which he laysPut these words upon his tomb'Taxes drove me to my doom'

And when he's goneThey don't relaxThey'll still be afterInheritance Tax!"— Anonymous

Are you a cartoonist or caricaturist with a great sense of humor? If youare, the Headway needs you. If you would like to submit your cartoons tothe Headway, call 972-6319 or write Headway, 2nd Floor, 425 S. MainStreet, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

Page 10 Headway

RTD Is First With 401(K) Plan Taxes!For those of you who have put offplanning for your retirementbecause you were waiting for the"Right Investment," there's noneed to wait any longer! RTD hasjust announced the implementa-tion of a new Salary ReductionThrift Plan, popularly referred to asthe 401(K) Plan; which providesemployees at all salary levels witha tax shelter, while at the same timecreates handsome benefits for itsinvestors.

Beginning March 1, 1985, Non-Contract employees with three ormore years of service are eligible toenroll in the "Thrift Plan." By con-tributing a percentage of your earn-ings into this plan, you can deferincome tax on some of your salaryand accumulate additional invest-ment earnings toward your retire-ment and escape both Federal andState tax until it is withdrawn. Thewithdrawal usually occurs at a timewhen presumably you are in alower tax bracket. The first payrolldeduction into this Plan will be onApril 12, 1985.

The Plan has been approved bythe Internal Revenue Serviceunder IRS Code Section 401(K).Contributions ranging from a mini-mum of $15.00 to 10% of your sal-ary may be made each pay period.However, it is possible for contribu-tions at the higher levels to be cutback dependent upon the applica-tion of ceratin IRS rules. Your tax-able income will be reduced by theamount of your contribution intothe Thrift Plan. In other words, if a$20,000-a-year employee puts$1,500 into the plan this wouldreduce taxable income to $18,500.The contributions will be investedinto your choice(s) of the invest-ment options described below.There are no administrative orinvestment management fees.

District Operators voted 4,214 to391 February 7 to strike against theDistrict following extensive labornegotiations resulting in animpasse. The United Transporta-tion Union, representing the Oper-ators, is asking for a 4% pay hikethis year with another 4% nextyear. Cost of living raises amount to2% for 1985 and 2.6% for 1986. Anadditional work rules/benefitspackage amounts to 61.5 0/0 in1985 and 12.2% in 1986. Thetotal spread over two yearsamounts to an increase of 86.3%.

The District's offer includes a3.5 0/0 wage increase tied to pro-ductivity improvements that theDistrict feels would put tax dollarsto better use. The District seeks togenerate the revenue to pay theincrease through work rule modifi-cations that would effect a reduc-tion in the District's absenteeismrate which, currently, has climbedto 6% annually as compared to a2% annual rate for Los AngelesCounty employees.

The District also seeks to reduceits Accident Liability costs. Currentliability costs are $28 million a year.The District intends to pay back aportion of the savings to the opera-tors in the form of bonuses.

The investments options are asfollows:

1. A savings and loan associa-tion account, with individualemployees balance insuredup to $100,000 by the Fed-eral Savings and Loan Insur-ance Corporation. The rate ofreturn through October,1985, will be 12.25%.

2. The Fidelity Thrift Trust withinvestments primarily in highand upper grade governmentand corporate bonds andmoney market instrumentswith a total average maturitynot to exceed ten years.Recent annual returns were24.06% for 1982, 9.42% for1983 and 13.5% for 1984.

3. The Pennsylvania MutualFund, Inc., with investmentsnormally in stocks and con-vertible securities of smalland medium size compan-ies. The objective is appreci-ation of capital. The returnsincluding dividend reinvest-ments and price changeswere 33.5% of 1982, 40.5%for 1983 and 3.12% for 1984.

Most of you are aware that the Dis-trict already offers a Deferred Com-pensation Plan which providessimilar benefits to this new 401(K)Plan. Members have already accu-mulated $21 million, or $12,500per member in the Deferred Com-pensation Plan. This plan will con-tinue to be available and eligibleNon-Contract employees can be inboth plans simultaneously if theyso desire. Maximum contributionlimits will be 25% or $7,500 into theDeferred Compensation Plan, andup to a maximum of 10% into the401(K) Plan. Additionally, you arealso eligible to contribute to yourown IRA if you are a Deferred Com-pensation Plan member now. To

Because the Union and the Dis-trict came to a deadlock with nego-tiations, both appealed toGovernor George Deukmejian toinstitute the Lockyer Provision,Labor Code Section 1137.2.

The Lockyer Provision is a statelaw governing transit negotiations.It empowers Deukmejian to assigna special panel to investigate thelabor dispute and report back tohim. After the panel makes itsreport, the governor can then askthe state attorney general to seekan injunction halting a strike for a60-day cooling off period.

Named to the 5-member panelby Deukmejian were Roy Brophy ofSacramento, a member of the Cali-fornia State University Board ofTrustees, who will act as the chair-man; Jerome Prewoznik, a SantaMonica Lawyer; William Orozco,president of Orozco Travel Agencyin Los Angeles; Julius Draznin, aLos Angeles arbitrator; and retiredLos Angeles Superior Court JudgeArthur Marshall.

The panel members held a pub-lic hearing on the contract proposalFebruary 13 at the State Building inVan Nuys.

UTU Votes To Strike

District Talent Search Is OnThe Headway is conducting a talent and skills search. While aware that many

of you have special skills and talents, the knowledge of who has which or whatspecifically, is generally unknown. We would like to know of the individual inter-ests, talents, and skills of each and every one of you. Therefore, we are asking youto fill in the blank below that will identify either the talent or skill that you havedeveloped, or of someone you know in the District who is a talented musician, anartist or a creative cartoonist, a specialist cook or a gifted mimic, etc. We will begina talent bank and contact people regarding their area of speciality. Please returnthe form to Headway, 2d Floor, 425 S. Main St., L.A., CA 90013.

(My) (Someone else's) Name:

of Department/Division is a specialist or has

special knowledge in the area of

(S)He, I, can be reached at between the hours

of and

My name:

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Headway Page 11

COMMENDATIONS

DIVISION 1Elaine M. BradshawDIVISION 2Rhonda D. BluntRose M. GravesDIVISION 3Willie R. RandleM. RobertsonDIVISION 6Elijah A. GreenDIVISION 7Robert C. HigbeeLeticia E. RiveraDIVISION 12Will GassnerDIVISION 16Michele TaylorDIVISION 23Arthur L. KingLOCATION 9Veronica Byrd, Ticket Clerk

SCHEDULE CHANGES

Archuleta, Frank J., from Opera-tor to Ex Trans Oprns Supervisor.Arellano, J., from ProgrammerAnalyst to Senior ProgrammerAnalyst.Bradley-Person, Jean N., fromSchedule maker I to Staff Assist-ant.Brown, William R., from ElectricalMaintenance Supervisor I to Elec-trical Maintenance Supervisor II.Cabrinha, Christopher C., fromMechanic C to Mechanic B.Cecere, Frank A., from Extra-Transit Operations Supervisor toTransit Operations Supervisor.Cohen, Irving, from Estimator toSenior Estimator.Collier, Lucius E., from Commu-nity Relations Manager to Directorof Community Relations.Cox, Stephen G., from MechanicB to Mechanic A.Downs, Carlyle T., from MechanicB to Mechanic A.Edwards, Ed, from ManagerClerk/Relief Mail Carrier to MailCarrier.Ellis, Julie L., from General Clerkto Acting Buyer Assistant.Engelberg, Barry L., from Super-vising Legislative Analyst to Direc-tor of Federal and State Liaison.

Farias, Angelina J., from TypistClerk to Clerk.Flores, Julie A., from Clerk toGeneral Clerk II.Fordham, Tyrone M., from Opera-tor to Ex Trans Oprns Supervisor.Gaither, Vincent J., fromMechanic C to Mechanic B.Garrett, Cynthia E., from Opera-tor to Ex Trans Oprns Supervisor.Giang, Hoa, from Mechanic B toMechanic A.Gibson, Denise H., from Messen-ger Clerk to Cash Clerk.Grdanc, Frank J., from MechanicB to Property Maintainer A.Hollis, Coleman J., fromMechanic B to Mechanic A.Huggins, Nelson F., from Opera-tor to Ex Trans Oprns Supervisor.Kaufman, Steven L., from FieldEquipment Technician to Equip-ment Maintenance Supervisor I.Lee, Sut-Fu, from Mechanic B toMechanic A.Lenihan, John M., from ElectronicCommunications TechnicianLeader to Systems ElectronicCommunications Technician.Lofton, Connie K., from Informa-tion Clerk to Extra-Supervisor ofInformation Clerks.Lorusso, William V., from Assist-ant Vehicle Operations Manager toActing Vehicle Operations Man-ager.Madril, John M., from Operator toEx Trans Oprns Supervisor.Quick, Lee W., from Opr./Ex. Tran-sit Opr. Supervisor to Transit Opr.Supervisor.Ray, Anthony D., from ElectronicCommunications Technician toSystems Electronic Communica-tions Technician.Reed, Esther, from Mopper-Waxerto Temporary Cash Clerk.Skarseth, Robert K., from Elec-tronic Communications TechnicianLeader to Systems ElectronicCommunications Technician.Sum, Paul, from Mechanic B toMechanic A.Turner, Grady K., from ElectronicCommunications Technician toElectronic Communications Tech-nician Leader.Villalobos, Ray J., from TransitOperations Supervisor to ActingAssistant Vehicle Operations Man-ager.Wentz, Janet A., from GeneralClerk II to Position Control Coordi-nator.

Bertsch, Curt, an Operatorsince December 9, 1974, retiredDecember 9, 1984.

Billingslea, Jack, a Mechanicemployed June 2, 1967, retiredDecember 5, 1984.

Black, Samuel, Assistant Gen-eral Manager of Operationsemployed on April 1, 1971,retired January 25, 1985.

Glover, Robert, an Operatorsince April 11, 1960, retiredJanuary 2, 1985.

Jarvis, Fannie, Position Con-trol Coordinator employed onJanuary 12, 1965, retired onJanuary 18, 1985.

McEvoy, Roger, an Operatorsince December 24, 1962,retired January 4, 1985.

Medvedik, Frank, an Operatorsince March 24, 1956, retiredJanuary 12, 1985.

Attaway, Elbert, a former Oper-ator, passed away October 13,1984.Barrish, Harry, a former Opera-tor, passed away December 1,1984.Carmichael, Jack, a formerSuperintendent of Mainte-nance, passed away October 3,1984.Derial, Bishop, a former Oper-ator, passed away October 25,1984.Haas, Edwin, a former Opera-tor, passed away November 26,1984.Hockenberry, Melton, a formerMechanic A, passed away Octo-ber 26, 1984.Jacobs, Roy, a Part-Time Oper-ator since December 29, 1983,passed away January 14, 1985.Jordan, Henry, a former Opera-tor employed April 1, 1923,passed away December 13,1984.

Muniz, Victor, Stops and ZonesRepresentative employed onJuly 17, 1947, retired February1, 1985.Namatame, Teichi, SeniorStaff Assistant employed onDecember 2, 1954, retired Feb-ruary 3, 1985.Proctor, Charles, EngineerAssociate employed on April 1,1971, retired on January 30,1985.Seehofer, Earnest, an Opera-tor since July 22, 1952, retiredJanuary 13, 1985.Segletes, Hugo, Buyeremployed on August 24, 1954,retired January 31, 1985.Serrao, John, an Operatorsince October 25, 1969, retiredDecember 23, 1984.Smith, Alvin, Transit Opera-tions Supervisor employed onNovember 20, 1958, retired onJanuary 31, 1985.

Lawrence, Monroe, a CabinetMaker since April 1, 1976,passed away December 13,1984.

McAllister, Edwin, a formerOperator, passed away Novem-ber 26, 1984.

Manning, Joseph, an Operatorsince June 6, 1949, passedaway December 6, 1984.

Miller, Harley, a formerMechanic A, passed away Octo-ber 11, 1984.

Phelps, John, an Operatorsince July 20, 1968, passedaway January 14, 1985.

Vanderbrink, Henry, an Opera-tor since October 30, 1945,passed away October 8, 1984.

Welsh, Peter, a former Opera-tor, passed away November 8,1984.

SHIFTING GEARS

IN MEMORIUM

L

9 PP Jin Kim. Div. 10

Will Gassner, an Operator at Divi-sion 12, has received the Master ofArts Degree in Management fromthe University of Redlands. Heearned his AA in 1979, attendingday classes while driving formerLine 810 nights, obtaining his BA in1982, taking night courses anddriving former line 841 days, andnow, receiving his MA in 1985 byagain taking evening classes anddriving Line 232 days.

Enjoying a feeling of accom-plishment after having earnedthree degrees, Gassner is alsoequally proud of his ten-yearSafety Award.

Jin Kim, an operator out of Division10 who's been with the District for 9years, recently made front pagenews in the Korea Times LosAngeles Edition. The good news isthat his patrons, especially thesenior citizens, love him. Kim's linegoes directly through Koreatown,%.1 n d while there are many Koreanswho ride the RTD, those who don'tspeak English have been afraid totake the bus. The Korea Times hasinformed them that Kim, a nativespeaker, can assist them. Kim sayshe thinks positively about people,especially his passengers. "I feelgood about myself and treat themas I want to be treated. It never failsto get a good reaction from them,"Kim said.

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BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Los Angeles, Ca.Permit No. 32705

Southern California Rapid Transit District425 So. Main St., 6th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013

000011148

7200RODGER 0 MAXWELL132 28TH STHERMCS A BEACH

CA 90254

HER D

Published monthly for the employeesand retirees of the Southern CaliforniaRapid Transit District.

Editorial input and suggestions wel-come. Deadline for receipt of editorialcopy is the 10th of each month. Sendblack-and-white photographs only,please. Requests for photographic cover-age of District events must be precededby 72 hours notice.

Mailing address Headway, 2nd Floor,425 South Main Street, Los Angeles, CA90013.

Mary E. Reyna, EditorStaff Writers:

Maria Chavez, Kathi S. Harper, StephanieKeyes, Pat Padilla, and Luanna Urie

41%RTI-C1

4,*RTC) _FL 1,

Division 18 Open House Pages 4-5