Posted on 02/24/2005 8:54:43 AM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO — State Senate leader Don Perata officially unveiled legislation Wednesday to fund huge Bay Bridge cost overruns and other seismic-retrofit needs throughout the state with a multibillion-dollar bond that would go to voters.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has indicated he would consider Perata's Essential Facilities Seismic Retrofit Bond. Both developments, foreshadowed by the Oakland Tribune last month, could lead to the bond's being placed on the expected November special election ballot.
But at the same time, the Republican governor has told the Democratic Senate president pro tem from Oakland that he is still interested in replacing the single-tower suspension span on the eastern end with a cheaper concrete viaduct.
Bay Area legislators hope to head off Schwarzenegger administration interest in making the region's commuters pay most of the multibillion-dollar cost overruns in the Bay Bridge seismic-safety overhaul.
The proposal would include money for south-state hospital retrofit work to help gain the two-thirds vote needed to approve the plan in the Legislature.
State Senate leaders also unveiled a package of bills Wednesday to steer more development to overlooked city land in an effort to curb some of the nation's worst traffic congestion, air pollution and sprawl.
Perata said the four-bill package aims to spur housing in a state where only one in five residents can afford a median-priced home, which now costs $475,000.
Perata outlined bills to make cities incorporate clean air improvements into long-range plans, stimulate housing near transit stations and limit environmental challenges to downtown and inner-city development.
"These are all recycled ideas," Perata said.
The Senate leader chronicled a litany of ills that have accompanied the state's rapid growth to nearly 37 million residents, including unaffordable homes, long work commutes and smog.
"We may well be the first generation that will not be able to pass on a better lifestyle or the quality-of-life living conditions to our children that we had ourselves," he said.
Perata said the bills stem from talks among builders, environmentalists and representatives of cities and counties, although all the groups do not agree on the ideas. He called them a framework for more negotiations and pledged they would move quickly through the Senate.
Late last year, Perata said growth and California's quality of life would top the Senate's agenda during the two-year legislative session that began last month.
Specifically, the bills more than double the eligible acreage allowed in central-city zones to avoid environmental reviews and triple the number of housing units exempted. Presently, only projects under 4 acres and less than 100 housing units can avoid California Environmental Quality Act reviews that sometimes subject projects to delaying actions and lawsuits by opponents.
Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, one of the bill's co-authors and chairman of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, said they did not plan to gut the state's environmental act.
Other bills would make it harder for opponents to derail affordable housing projects in cities and allow redevelopment agencies to steer tax funds to high-density housing projects near transit stations.
Ya sure took care of the unions and special interests tho, huh?
Simply put; it's the law of supply and demand. One in five Californians can afford a median priced home because the supply of homes is incredibly low relative the demand for homes. The supply is low not for a lack of materials or places. but because of anti-growth government regulation and endless lawsuits by eco-wackos.
This will pass. Most Californians haven't seen a bond measure they didn't like. The state is broke, just add some more debt...everything will be okay, we'll just raise taxes to pay for it.
Start a campaign against it now before Perata gets the state Dem machine revved up.
And Norm... All this bondage we're being sold into... Couldn't one call that "Strip Mining CA's Fiscal Futures?" (yes, I deliberately made that plural!)
The concept of "Diminishing Returns" is on the cusp of over-taking ALL of CA's governance as well as the future interests of business interests, both large and small!!!
We needed to "turn on a dime" after Davis and "drain the swamp!" Instead, we screwed around giving the leftist legislative allegators devastating amounts of leeway and "respect" and now, instead of turning around, we've turned to ETERNAL BONDAGE with TERMINAL STUPIDITY!!!
It doesn't do any good to "be nice" and suppress criticism when it's earned and deserved by either Party's Governor/Legislators!!!
There are very few current members of the CA State Assembly and Senate who are not without blame on their heads and egg on their faces... very few.
And the solution that keeps getting proposed by both parties unfortunately, is to borrow more money (in lieu of more taxaton, which is actually now being pushed down to local governments and state institutions to impose new taxes and fees), keep siphoning off road and infrastructure funds for general fund purposes.
That is neither responsible or wise government,, and those who continue to perpetuate it are committing criminal acts, imo.
Well... They're going to keep going to the well till that spigot starts pharting dust!!!
Well... They're going to keep going to the well till that spigot starts pharting dust!!!
Your posting of these highly informative articles that consistently point to the fiscal fallacy of "Borrow & Spend," versus "Tax & Spend" should be making Freepers, Lurkers, Liberals, Conservatives, Democrats, Republicans... In other words... CALIFORNIANS, more than a little concerned!!!
Let's see: 100,000 cars a day cross the bay bridge @ 3.00 per car. That is a cool $2,000,000 a week. Not exactly chump change.
>>the fiscal fallacy of "Borrow & Spend," versus "Tax & Spend" should be making Freepers, Lurkers, Liberals, Conservatives, Democrats, Republicans... In other words... CALIFORNIANS, more than a little concerned!!!
You're singin' my tune WaspMan.
Izatchew harmonizin??? (Grin) I thought I wuz juz hummin in the dark!!!
Just don't go singin' in the rain until you get over that sneezin'! Okay?
HELP! I'ma hopless obsessive/compulsive lover of "Truth, Justice and The Traditional American Way!" (oh, and FR, too)
>>HELP! I'ma hopless obsessive/compulsive lover of "Truth, Justice and The Traditional American Way!" (oh, and FR, too)
LOL. I think there are quite a few of us that fit that description. :-)
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