IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
The State of California just passed a $125 Billion State budget which increases funding for education, welfare programs, and expands Medi-Cal.
But the most pressing issue in California, besides the drought, is the crumbling infrastructure of California’s Roads and Highways. The new budget left that issue unresolved and Governor Brown punted the matter to a special legislative session.
It is estimated that the State of California requires $6 Billion annually just to repair and maintain our current transportation infrastructure. That is far more than gasoline taxes paid by motorists could ever fund. Not that that is the fault of taxpayers, California has one of the highest gas taxes in the Country. Unfortunately, while California government is more than willing to pay for high-speed rail, water infrastructure, and school construction with General Fund dollars, state leaders refuse to use those resources for roads and highways.
The fact that most infrastructure is paid through general fund resources while transportation funding is covered by user fees (gas taxes) should strike any thoughtful person has hypocritical. What has a greater economic impact than goods movement that is dependent on road and highway transportation at its most basic level?
We also should not forget that the state siphons gas taxes away from roads into public transportation, rail projects, and now into the Governors High Speed Rail pet project through the application of “carbon” taxes onto gasoline which just began this January. The state also has a habit of raiding these funds during every budget crisis, about every 7 to 10 years.
The special legislative session that begins shortly is designed to push through new taxes for motorists, because of course we should “pay” our fair share. Discussions about increasing gas taxes, car fees, and other nickel and dime ideas are apparently all on the table, requiring of course a 2/3rds vote which would need some Republicans to support the measures in both the Assembly and the Senate.
The real question that needs to be asked and answered is why the ONLY major infrastructure investment in the state that does not garner general fund support is roads and highways when they are just as important as schools, water, and any other infrastructure beneficial to every Californian.
The reason it won’t be asked, is that the leaders of California are dedicated to fighting global warming and protecting the environment and don’t appreciate California’s love for the automobile. As a matter of public policy, California’s political leaders have done everything possible to punish drivers, raise the costs of owning a car, and attempted to bully people in every way possible to use public transportation. They have continuously used tax dollars paid by car owners and truck drivers for purposes other than helping the people that pay the taxes.
In this year’s budget, Sacramento’s political gurus, instead of funding infrastructure needs for the majority of the population, have expanded welfare programs, given illegal aliens healthcare services, funded education beyond Proposition 98’s required level and funded numerous other programs. They didn’t bother to address ANY transportation funding for our roads.
Now that Sacramento has spent all the money, they can claim poverty on this matter and claim that taxes must be raised! Yes, my fellow Californians, we pay the highest income, property, sales and gasoline taxes in the country. But our good friend Uncle Jerry is going to tell us that it just isn’t enough. You and I must pay more taxes for roads and freeways! It’s only fair that the people that use the roads should pay for them!
Just don’t ask Uncle Jerry to apply that same concept to public transportation, education, or healthcare. Yes, the people running Sacramento do have priorities. Those priorities just do not include most of us.
