Fund Proposition 42 Coalition Applauds Governor
For Upholding Proposition 42
The
Fund Proposition 42 Coalition applauds Governor Schwarzenegger for
upholding Proposition 42 and proposing to fully fund California’s
critical transportation needs in the 2005-06 budget.
In restoring $1.3 billion for transportation in the May budget
revision, the Governor has recognized the absolute necessity of
addressing a growing mobility and goods movement crisis in
California.
The Governor made the announcement at the League of Cities convention
in Sacramento, followed by a rollout in Fresno, Orange County and
Contra Costa Counties. This very public announcement underscores the
Governor's commitment to fully funding Prop. 42
Gridlock, congestion and crumbling streets and highways hurt each and
every Californian. Every year, bad roads cost every motorist hundreds
of dollars in repairs; poor gas mileage and vehicle wear and tear. The
economy is hamstrung by our inability to efficiently move goods from
fields, factories and ports to the marketplace. Poorly maintained
highways threaten life and limb. And hours stuck in traffic take a huge
toll on the quality of life in our communities.
Over the past several years, transportation infrastructure cutbacks
driven by the State's fiscal crisis have deepened this crisis and
weakened our economy, costing tens of thousands of well paying jobs.
And the cost of building and maintaining our transportation
infrastructure increases greatly as we delay needed projects and
repairs.
Assuming that the amount of revenue that Prop. 42 would generate is $1.3 billion, program funding would be:
- $678 million for the Transportation Congestion Relief Program (TCRP)
- $254 million for the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
- $127 million for cities
- $127 million for counties
- $127 million for the Public Transportation Account
The
Governor's decision to restore transportation funding and his advocacy
of permanent constitutional protections for Proposition 42 funds are
welcome and we look forward to working with him going forward to
permanently close the loophole on Proposition 42.
The Governor is making good on the promise he made in his State of the
State address to restore our transportation system, helping to create
jobs, facilitate goods movement, and improve safety and quality of life
for all Californians.
Governor Schwarzenegger is showing real leadership on the
transportation issue and an understanding that suspending Proposition
42 for a third year would have crippled the State’s transportation
programs. Legislators on both sides of the aisle have signaled that
transportation must be a priority in 2005. We are hopeful that this is
an issue where the Governor and the Legislature can come together and
make real progress.
The collaboration of the Fund Proposition 42 Coalition was by far the
most comprehensive education and advocacy effort ever taken by the
transportation community in California. By putting aside regional and
project bias to advocate for a common goal – the full funding of
Proposition 42 – we helped shape the proposal for full
funding.
However, this is not the time to rest on our laurels. We have a
substantial amount of work to do to help the governor’s proposal move
through the Legislature during the budget process. The next four to six
weeks will be busy ones for the Coalition as we launch and conduct a
full-scale public education and outreach program on the Governor’s
proposal. We will need your support and participation in editorial
briefings, meetings, and other events so that we can make the
Governor’s proposal a budget reality.
