CA: Governor Says Bay Area Residents Should Pay Overruns of Bridge Project

LA Times ^ | 8/17/04 | Jean-Paul Renaud

[NormsRevenge]

With the effort to rebuild the Bay Bridge now almost $5 billion over budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday said Bay Area residents should cover the cost overruns and called for a November ballot measure in which voters would decide how to do it.

"Gov. Schwarzenegger is not going to take important transportation money from all over the state, including Southern California, to pay for the cost overruns of the Bay Bridge," said Vince Sollitto, a spokesman for Schwarzenegger.

Officials announced Monday their intent to send a bill that would include the call for a November vote as well as an independent audit to examine the cost overruns. If the bill is approved, Bay Area voters will be asked whether the $1 toll hike they voted for in March should be used to specifically fund the Bay Bridge instead of other area projects.

"Voters did not have full information about the Bay Bridge cost overruns when they were asked to raise the tolls to pay for new projects," Sollitto said. "The governor wants to make the people know the facts and give them the option to spend that new toll money to complete the Bay Bridge that they chose."

[Kenton]

Maybe San Francisco's gonna have to impose a "sin tax" on Starbucks Coffee to pay for this...

[PistolPaknMama]

I just gotta ask! How the does a project get miscalculated by 5 BILLION dollars? I can see miscalculating by a few hundred thousand on a project this size but BILLIONS?

[BBell]

Union Labor, kick backs etc....

[Blood of Tyrants]

$5 BILLION over run? Jeez, what was the original bid? One hundred bucks?

[NormsRevenge]

FRom the Mercury News..

Plan hints of a $5 bridge toll

MORE NEEDED FOR RISING COST OF BAY BRIDGE
Bridge tolls could rise to $5 over the next three to four years under a plan proposed Monday by the governor's office to cover skyrocketing construction costs of the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge and the seismic retrofit of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.

[goldstategop]

The Bay Area never voted for Arnold. He is telling the libs there in not so many words, to "go take a hike."

[Go_Raiders]

I love this guy! As a resident of the East Bay, I pay this toll almost every day. I would love to see it pay for a bridge that I will frequently use, instead of ferries and buses that I wouldn't get on at gunpoint.

Arnold Rocks!!!!

[goldstategop]

Just curious - how do feel being a conservative surrounded by a sea of lefties?

[NormsRevenge]

FRom the Sac Bee..

Bay Bridge denied state aid

Faced with multibillion-dollar cost overruns on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge east span project, the Schwarzenegger administration on Monday blamed Bay Area officials and said the Bay Area must find the money itself to finish the project.

The Big Dig.. Left Coast-style?

[BurbankKarl]

I love it!

[Go_Raiders]

They're nice enough people if you don't get them riled up. The closest I can come to describing it is that it feels like I'm around children all day.

They have this innocent view of the world that is so cute at times. It just never occurs to them that anything bad could come of their actions.

I have some friends that are upset because their children will never be able to afford a house nearby, but refuse to admit that all of the policies, regulations and land use restrictions that they voted for are the prime cause of the skyrocketing real estate prices.

I only get sad when I think of how much they are cheating their children out of by raising them not to rely on themselves (and God).

How are you not surrounded, goldstategop? Orange County?