Transportation, local government, labor and business advocates launched a radio campaign July 23 to fight rumors of a possible transportation raid to help balance this year's budget.
Following is the text of the ad and an analysis by Judy Lin of The Bee Capitol Bureau:
Text: Hey guys, Will Durst here. You know the old saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Well, here's something that's broke, we're fixing it, and some Sacramento politicians are already trying to break it again! I'm talking about our roads, bridges and mass transit.
You voted not once but twice to make sure our gas taxes are used only for transportation projects. And just as these badly needed projects are getting under way, certain legislators are trying to get their hands on your gas taxes to solve their budget problems.
Fortunately, the governor and Democratic leaders have said they oppose this bad idea. It would stop desperately needed transportation projects all across the state, cost thousands of jobs and sink us further into debt.
Look, our state's infrastructure is broken. We're fixing it. Let's not let a few misguided politicians get in the way.
To find out more, log onto rebuildca.org. That's rebuildca.org.
Announcer: Sponsored by the California Alliance for Jobs.
Analysis: The ad was put together by a labor- and business-backed group with an interest in state construction on highways, roads and bridges. The group, California Alliance for Jobs, poured more than $2.3 million into the 2006 infrastructure bond campaign, which was approved by voters.
The ad suggests that borrowing from gas taxes would delay transportation projects, put thousands of jobs at risk and sink the state further into debt. Some of this is true.
Proposition 42 was approved by voters in 2002 to dedicate gas sales tax revenue for transportation purposes. It currently generates about $1.4 billion a year.
That money is often pooled with local, state and federal funding for transportation projects, so it's not certain transportation projects would grind to a complete halt.
But it's also true that the money would be only a temporary fix because Proposition 1A, approved in 2006, will force any raids to be repaid – with interest – within three years.
Call Judy Lin, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 321-1115. note: her last day is today friday aug. 1
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