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Agencies Gang Up on L.A. River "MTA" Tag

By Ed Fuentes
Published: Thursday, October 08, 2009, at 11:21PM
MTA White Out Ed Fuentes

Councilmembers Jose Huizar and Ed Reyes take on the tagged Los Angeles River.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — |VIDEO| At 2,000 feet long by 60 feet tall, the MTA tag near the 4th street bridge was said to be one of the largest graffiti tags in the United States.

On Thursday it proved plenty large enough for a press conference that included the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, a pair of City Councilmembers and the L.A. Sheriff's department.

Contractors hired by the Corp of Engineers began removing the giant tag, with funding provided under the federal stimulus package. Councilmen Jose Huizar and Ed Reyes got to take the first strokes. Both have been active in efforts to revitalize the Los Angeles River.

The event included praise for the Sheriff's Graffiti Task Force, who in January arrested eight individuals suspected of creating the tag, an acronym for "Metro Transit Assassins."

While the current paint-out is a budget affair, Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Koontz said it would cost $3.7 million to properly clean away the tag without allowing any paint to drain into the river.

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User_32

on October 08, 2009, at 11:28PM – #1

3.7 million dollars? Couldn't they have found a better project to fund?


on October 08, 2009, at 11:57PM – #2

$3.7 million in restitution is whats "expected" for a full cleanup with a preferred method of hydro-washing of paint, a complete capture of spill preventing entering a watershed, then a protective coating. The first phase, that includes this tag, is $837,000, which includes the cost to cover and monitor graffiti around Los Angeles County and the Santa Ana River Basin channels and rivers.


Guest 1

Bill on October 08, 2009, at 11:58PM – #3

For real. All these fools are kidding themselves with this symbolic stunt. Make sure to get all key words in: jobs, change, and of course climate change.


Guest 2

armando on October 09, 2009, at 01:50AM – #4

damn, if it cost that much to clean it up - just leave it! eventually it could become a tourist attraction and in 10 years we couldn't imagine life without it!


Guest 3

Joe on October 09, 2009, at 02:21AM – #5

How colossally stupid.

Let our MTA appropriate it as a branding stunt.

It's disgusting that (at the very least) $ 800,000 is being spent on a tag removal when thousands of homeless people downtown have nowhere to go to the bathroom.


Guest 4

Ali Reza on October 09, 2009, at 03:13AM – #6

what a sad example of wasted resources. lol @ politician saying he was "crying for help"

cleaning up graffiti will never stop graffiti. something that might help is lealizing yards for kids to do their thing. but that will never happen because its logical and progressive. until you let urban artists express themselves you can never stop graffiti.

bunch of clowns patting themselves on the back. meanwhile the whole city is selling and smoking weed.


Guest 5

Robert on October 09, 2009, at 05:18AM – #7

The graffiti along the LA River has created nothing but blight. This is the first step needed in cleaning up LA. If you take that train from OC regularly, you know that the "Welcome to LA" sign is graffiti, litter, sewage and homeless bathing in RIO LA. Blight affects business, real estate, tourism and a sense of pride. I say let's clean up LA now...the cost is worth it. Next step..landscaping and elminating the concrete bottom. Someday we can be proud of the accomplishments and the LA River can be a positive resource for the city. The blight there has gone on way too long!


Guest 6

JDRCRASH on October 09, 2009, at 08:58AM – #8

One thing that will really help is when the whole area is redeveloped. The LA River Revitalization project would help a lot.


Guest 7

Chad Schlotterback on October 09, 2009, at 10:41AM – #9

What Joe said, "It's disgusting that (at the very least) $ 800,000 is being spent on a tag removal when thousands of homeless people downtown have nowhere to go to the bathroom."

Gotta go with Joe on this one.

Chad


Guest 8

Russell Brown on October 09, 2009, at 10:47AM – #10

Novel idea.

Instead of having to spend $3 million cleaning it up, why was no one paying attention to the days and days of graffiti making in the first place?


Guest 3

Joe on October 09, 2009, at 12:23PM – #11

Why do we romance the LA River?

It's not a naturally occurring river but a concrete, manmade drainage wash. If it were a naturally occurring river, it wouldn't provide an endless canvas for taggers as taggers don't tag on the soft earth of a real river.

The city really should be ashamed -- not for the graffiti -- but for making such embarrassing decisions with its supposedly dwindling funds. Make me not believe those who say we're broke.


Sebastian Mele on October 09, 2009, at 01:08PM – #12

Build a dam and fill it with water, put some row boats, and bam a tourist atraction, or just Cap the river and make it into a park.


Guest 3

Tik on October 09, 2009, at 01:34PM – #13

Imagine if that kind of money went to community mural programs like the East LA Community Arts and Mural Program

http://www.elacamp.org/


Robert Banuelos on October 09, 2009, at 06:49PM – #14

Chances are its just going to get tagged up again. the money would have been better spent revitalizing the river by tearing out the concrete and allowing the bare earth to provide a watershed that can filter some of the water. Plus it would prevent people from tag the river, cause you cant tag dirt (well you can, but its pointless.)


Guest 9

d,.walker on October 09, 2009, at 08:28PM – #15

Glad they are getting rid of that because there is surely no other graffiti in the LA river basin.

Could they not just paint it over with some sealer and gray paint for much less. This is absurd.


Kevin Lynn on October 11, 2009, at 08:44AM – #16

How about this: LA County citizens can pay for a permit once a year. Then in certain parts of the city we have an open season on taggers. . . Breathe, Relax, Aim, Squeeze. . .


Guest 3

Joe on October 11, 2009, at 11:11PM – #17

I love that idea!

We can rotate hunting seasons seasonally:

Spring:

  • drivers who cut off or don't share the road with bicyclists
  • vile pigs who litter
  • anyone who asks for spare change

Summer

  • people who wear Bluetooth headsets outside of a car
  • anyone who uses the word "amazing" more than 2x an hour
  • lame journalists or anyone in fashion

Autumn

  • Hummer buyers / drivers
  • gays "on the DL"
  • women with -- or considering -- plastic surgery

Winter

  • restauranteurs who have TVs in their restaurants
  • sports fans
  • DTLA urban planners, since obviously, they need to go

Guest 10

Jim on October 14, 2009, at 06:58PM – #18

This is embarrassing and insulting. Your tax dollars at work, to do…nothing. Buffing this will add nothing to your life, but take money away from other places that need it more. I’m sure the homeless around the LA river with breath a sigh of relief that the MTA is gone. Good thing they didn’t use that money for food or shelter. Another news flash, you cannot stop graffiti. Its like trying to stop terrorism. The harder you fight, the more it comes back. I didn’t even have anything to do with this tag, but I wanted to go replace it just to show how stupid the government is. News flash 2: When you paint over concrete to cover graffiti, it usually looks worse than what was there. Of all the places graffiti shows up, the least intrusive is the LA river. It should be a legal place to paint and show art. Then you can have any kind of art you like, Murals, designs, whatever and with the miles and miles of walls, you would have canvas forever. Maybe it would keep graffiti off Buildings, and homes. But what do I know, I don’t power wash a glorified sewer with a shirt and tie on.


Guest 11

Frank on October 15, 2009, at 01:38PM – #19

For those of you who do not know our local history here is a page to enlighten you about the Los Angeles river http://www.urbanedpartnership.org/target/units/river/tour/hist.html



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