CA: Legislature approves record public works spending plan - $37.3 billion package

ap on San Diego Union - Tribune ^ | 5/5/06 | Samantha Young - ap

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO – State lawmakers early Friday approved a series of bills that would place a record public works spending plan before voters in November, reviving a proposal that had broad public support but failed to pass the Legislature earlier this year.

The $37.3 billion package would be the largest bond issue in California history and now goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The governor, who proposed an even larger spending plan in January, called the votes in each house “a landmark accomplishment that will yield benefits for generations to come.”

“For the first time in a generation, we are making a real investment in our state's future,” he said in a statement issued shortly before 3:30 a.m. Friday, after the votes in the Assembly sent the bills to his desk.

The version passed by the Assembly and Senate asks voters to approve four propositions: $19.9 billion for roads and transit projects; $10.4 billion for school and university buildings; $4.1 billion for flood control; and $2.85 billion for affordable housing projects.

“The Legislature came together and put its arms around an investment that hasn't been made in decades,” Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez said.

State Sen. President Pro Tem Don Perata said the projects funded through the bond package will have an impact on Californians' daily lives.

“It's a good, solid piece of investment that will help fortify California's middle class,” he said.

Schwarzenegger had made passing a massive public works spending plan the centerpiece of his re-election year agenda. During his state of the state address in January, the Republican governor proposed selling $68 billion in bonds to help pay for $222.6 billion in spending over 10 years.

An attempt to place a smaller bond measure on the June ballot failed in March when lawmakers and the governor could not reach a compromise. Despite the legislative setback, polls showed that Schwarzenegger's proposal to upgrade the state's highways, bridges, schools, levees and water systems had broad public support.

He had been involved in the talks between legislative leaders in recent weeks, even as he remained in the background Thursday while the parties negotiated the final details.

Lawmakers of both parties wanted to strike a deal before they began negotiations over next year's state budget. Those talks will begin after the governor releases his revised spending plan next week.

The package passed by the Assembly and Senate is only about half the amount of borrowing originally sought by Schwarzenegger. But the governor said he was pleased with the result, thanking leaders of both parties and praising the bipartisanship that ultimately led to the deal.

The votes of at least two Republicans in the Senate and six in the Assembly were required to get the two-thirds majorities required to approve the bond bills.

Assembly Republicans had wanted some rollbacks in environmental reviews for construction projects and greater use of contracts in which one company both designs and builds a project.

The Senate passed bills related to both those policy initiatives. But Assembly Republicans refused to support the bill dealing with the so-called design-build provision for new construction, in part because they were not happy with the language.

Both houses also approved a bill allocating $500 million from state reserves for immediate levee repairs and a constitutional amendment to protect Proposition 42 gas tax money for road projects.

“It's about time we stepped up and made the investment,” said Assembly Minority Leader George Plescia, R-La Jolla.

[calcowgirl]

I am just gagging reading this stuff. I'm just posting snips as I come across them. You're gonna LOVE the next one! Get out your violin--and pour yourself a drink!

[calcowgirl]

More from AB 1689 (Misleading language for ballot initiative):

SEC. 6. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all ballots of the November 7, 2006, statewide general election shall have printed thereon and in a square thereof, exclusively, the words:

"Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2006" and in the same square under those words, the following in 8-point type:

"For the purpose of providing shelters for battered women and their children, clean and safe housing for low-income senior citizens; homeownership assistance for the disabled, military veterans, and working families; and repairs and accessibility improvements to apartment for families and disabled citizens, the state shall issue bonds totaling two billion eight hundred fifty thousand dollars ($2,850,000,000) paid from existing state funds at an average annual cost of ______ dollars ($_____) per year over the _____ year life of the bonds. Requires reporting and publication of annual independent audited reports showing use of funds, and limits administration and overhead costs. (The Attorney General shall fill in the blanks in this subdivision with the figures provided by the Legislative Analyst for the annual average cost of the bonds and the number of years required to retire the bonds.)"

[calcowgirl]

Continued.... from AB 1689:

(b) Notwithstanding Sections 13247 and 13281 of the Elections Code, the language in subdivision (a) shall be the only language included in the ballot label for the condensed statement of the ballot title, and the Attorney General shall not supplement, subtract from, or revise that language, except that the Attorney General may include the financial impact summary prepared pursuant to Section 9087 of the Elections Code and Section 88003 of the Government Code. The ballot label is the condensed statement of the ballot title and the financial impact summary.

And, from the Election Code:

13247. (a) The statement of all measures submitted to the voters shall be abbreviated on the ballot. The statement shall contain not more than 75 words of each measure to be voted on, followed by the words, "Yes" and "No." Abbreviation of measures to be voted on throughout the state shall be composed by the Attorney General and shall be a condensed statement of the ballot title prepared by him or her.

(snip)

13281. The ballot label for measures to be voted on throughout the state shall be composed by the Attorney General and shall be a condensed statement of the ballot title prepared by him or her.

They bypass the Election Code any time they see fit to deceive the voters.

[SierraWasp]

I wonder what happened to Leslie and Haynes???

[calcowgirl]

More from AB 1689:

SEC. 7. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

In order to provide for the submission of Section 2 of this act to the voters at the November 7, 2006, statewide general election, and to implement other housing and related programs in a timely manner, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.

Classifying this as an "urgency statute" allows them to spend the money immediately instead of waiting until January of 2008. Yep. Gotta have that farmworker housing NOW. It's a matter of "preservation of the public peace, health, or safety!" /s

[calcowgirl]

I wonder what happened to Leslie and Haynes???

Pellicano ? I have no idea!

The fact that Ackerman actually voted FOR the housing bill is the worst of all. But all of those who abstained in the assembly allowed the Dems to get a majority and pass this cr@p.

[calcowgirl]

SW, your question about Leslie and Haynes was a good one.  Apparently, they were not alone. 

Did they go home?  Were they shut out?  Why would these people consistently not vote?

 

Republicans Assembly Members Casting a NO VOTE on Strategic Growth Plan Legislation:

 

	SCA 7	SB 1266	SB 1689	AB 127	AB 140	AB 1467	AB 1039	AB 143
Name	Prop 42 Change	Transport'n	Housing	Schools	Flood Control	Public-Private Partnership	Enviro Streamlining	Design- Build
	Passed	Passed	Passed	Passed	Passed	Passed	Passed	Failed
Garcia, Bonnie	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Harman, Tom	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Haynes, Ray	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
La Suer, Jay	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Leslie, Tim	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Spitzer, Todd	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•
Keene, Rick	•	•	•	•		•	•	•
Bogh, Russ						•	•	•
Blakeslee, Sam	•
Tran, Van			•
Niello, Roger				•
Wyland, Mark					•
Benoit, John						•
Emmerson, Bill						•
Houston, Guy						•

[Czar]

"The fact that Ackerman actually voted FOR the housing bill is the worst of all."

This jackass is my state senator.

He will be hearing from me.

[calcowgirl]

The New "Bipartisan" Strategic Growth Plan

                                                % of Legislators Voting For Bill
                                 Bond Value       Assembly          Senate
Prop #  Bill #   Description      (Billions)     Rep    Dem      Rep     Dem

1a      SCA 7    Prop 42 chg            n/a     50.0   87.5     92.9   100.0
1b      SB 1266  Transportation     $19.925     46.9   95.8     85.7   100.0
1c      SB 1689  Housing             $2.850     25.0   95.8     14.3   100.0
1d      AB 127   Schools            $10.416     37.5   95.8     28.6   100.0
1e      AB 140   Flood Control       $4.090     50.0   95.8     78.6   100.0

[cgbg]

For the first time in a generation, we are making a real investment in our state's future,"

Uh, Arnie, I hate to tell you, man, but you are making an investment in Mexifornia's future.

[calcowgirl]

With obvious minimal Republican support for Bond Props 1C and 1D (housing and school bonds) posted above, and questionable support for others (given all of the No Votes and Nitti-style strong-arming) will you be voting with the Democrats or the Republicans on these measures?

[Mojave]

Arnies groupies will defend whatever his stance winds up being.

[calcowgirl]

FYI, Ackerman voted yes on all 8 pieces of legislation, including the Design-Build and Public Private Partnership bills (that also had less than 50% support from Republican legislators). Please give him some of that there "constructive" criticism from me too! My legislators are both Dems and voted with the herd (but they still here from me often).

[Czar]

Looks like a perfectly wonderful way to waste $37B to me...

[Czar]

"Ackerman voted yes on all 8 pieces of legislation, including the Design-Build and Public Private Partnership bills (that also had less than 50% support from Republican legislators)."

I wonder what the 'Rats promised him. Also, could it be that he's about termed out?

Bitten in the ass (again) by another RINO crapweasel.

[tubebender]

NGOs...the growth industry!!!

[Carry_Okie]

NGOs...the growth industry!!!

Correction: Tax-Exempt Racketeering...the growth industry!!!

[SierraWasp]

"Arnies groupies will defend whatever his stance winds up being."

Ain't it the sickening truth? Dang!!! It's just so mindless and predictable and just plain inane!!!

Of course I'm NOT voting for anymore of this bogus bondage by the Dems and their Bondinator!!! Pat Brown didn't even do this! It's absurd!!

Tom McClintock has been saying the same thing, but if he's rolling over in the clover for Arnoid... Then is REALLY a dubious deal!!!

We dumped Davis and I think it's time we dumped this bondage deal!!! (Arnoid is NEXT!!!)

[tubebender]

The Redwood Community Action Agency. Eureka and Humboldt can't hand them money fast enough so they give them a discount deal on any surplus public property handy.

RCAA has several million in RE and no one really knows who owns it. It sure as hell isn't the taxpayer...

[tubebender]

Try this for a starter... http://clusty.com/search?query=redwood+community+action+agency