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Mayor Villaraigosa Delivers 'State Of The City' Address Wednesday

HOLLYWOOD (CBS) — Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called on Congress to invest in transportation during his State of the City address from Paramount Studios Wednesday evening.

Villaraigosa called for a permanent half-cent sales tax increase to fund major transit projects in Los Angeles County and asked voters to support a November ballot measure that would eliminate the scheduled 2039 expiration of the Measure R sales tax.

If passed, the measure would allow the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to finish the transit projects in 10 years instead of 30, which would create 152,000 jobs, according to the mayor's office.

Villaraigosa, who wants to use $2.5 million to start a new city-funded economic development department, is also asking workers to pay more for their health benefits to cut costs.

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