Watch out Schwartzie... Here it comes... It's gonna be high and inside!!!
IF they build the Oakland side of the Bay Bridge, the State of California should use that money to offset all requirements to purchase public display artwork for the next ten thousand years. They are going to spend additional $Billions just to make the bridge look pretty.
And you know what, the resulting bridge will be ugly anyway. You just know that for a fact.
* Reducing gasoline prices about 11 cents a gallon by cutting the sales tax California charges on such fuel.
* Increasing the state's general sales tax by a quarter of a cent, with revenues earmarked for future road projects.
* Placing the $10 billion bond on next year's ballot and paying for it by gradually raising gasoline excise taxes - by 1 cent in 2006-07, 2 cents in 2010-11, and 1 cent in 2015-16.
So basically they're going to raise taxes, but are going to attempt to hide it by reducing the tax bite on gas but increasing other taxes to more than make up for it.
What's wrong with raising the bridge toll to $10? Other than that would require those who benefit from the bridge to actually have to pay for it.
I guess we can't have that, so let's make everyone else pay more.
Assembly Democrats propose bills aimed at transportation
The Associated Press
http://www.bakersfield.com/state_wire/story/5414819p-5424412c.html
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Assembly Democrats on Tuesday proposed a complicated plan involving tax cuts, tax increases and bonds that they said would generate nearly $60 billion for transportation projects over the next 30 years.
The legislation would put a $10 billion transportation bond measure on the ballot in 2006. It would also eliminate the sales tax on gasoline, cutting prices about 11 cents a gallon.
But it would add a quarter percent to the sales tax on other taxable items until at least 2010 and earmark that money for transportation, and it would raise the 18-cent-per-gallon excise tax on gasoline by 3 percent every five years to keep up with inflation.
The tax adjustments would be revenue neutral, legislative aides said, but only if the federal estate tax goes up as scheduled in 2010. The state is supposed to get a share of that increase.
If the estate tax increase doesn't take effect, the quarter-percent sales tax increase would remain in effect.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, said the plan would ease pump prices while generating more money for transit and highway projects aimed at easing congestion.
He contrasted the Democrats' plan with Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to borrow $1.3 billion from the state's transportation account in the coming fiscal year to help balance the state budget.
"Traffic is too much of a headache-producer and a stress on our economy" to hold up new projects, he said.
A spokesman for Schwarzenegger, Vince Sollitto, said the administration would give the Democrats' plan "the serious review and open-minded consideration it deserves, which is more than the Legislature has given the governor's reform proposals."
He was referring to legislation backed by Schwarzenegger to automatically cut state programs when spending exceeds revenue, tie teacher pay to performance rather than seniority, eliminate traditional public employee pensions and allow retired judges, instead of the Legislature, draw legislative and congressional districts.
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On the Net: www.assembly.ca.gov