EDITORIAL FREE LUNCH MTA BOARD FEASTS WHILE THE PUBLIC REMAINS STARVED FOR BETTER TRANSIT.

IN the best of times, it's irksome to hear about the perks bestowed on so-called public servants - free cars, free tickets and free lunches.

But when the perks stray from simple toward luxury levels at a time when budgets are tight, it's more than just a little irritating.

That's why the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority ought to stop dining on taxpayer-provided fancy meals at its meetings. It sends the wrong message.

It's not hard to imagine the 13 members of the MTA and their paid staffs feasting on seared salmon or brisket as they consider raising bus fares on people who probably can't even afford such salivary treats. Or picking through spicy tuna rolls and succulent sushi while figuring out what services to cut and whom to lay off to make up for budget shortfalls.

The MTA board has an annual budget of about $20,000 to spend on food for the members, who also get a stipend of $150 per board meeting. However, the appointees also get a regular salary for their jobs as elected officials, a six-figure salary in the case of the L.A. City Council members and county supervisors.

Even the Los Angeles City Council, a body that never met a perk it didn't like, realizes that it would be bad form to feast like Caesar on the taxpayers' dime at a public meeting.

In fat times, the MTA board members might be able to justify such an expense, at least to themselves. But when expenses are outstripping income, as they are this year, to the extent that the MTA is looking to eliminate 133 jobs, there's no excuse for this kind of excess.

MTA board Chairman Frank Roberts has admitted that the free lunches may not be appreciated by the taxpayers and should be rethought. He ought to encourage his 12 fellow board members that the next time they sit down at a dinner or lunch meeting, they should bring a brown bag at their own expense.

The saving might not make much of an impression on a $2.8 billion budget, but it would do wonders for the board's credibility.