Yes on Two Bond Measures : Schools and quake protection for highways would be improved

Prudent investments are key to a secure future. For different reasons, two bond propositions on the March 26 ballot would pay dividends for California in years to come. Both deserve voter support.

Proposition 203: A strong public education system is the foundation of a strong economy. But too often students in public schools must try to prepare for life’s challenges in learning environments that are dismal, overcrowded and unsafe. Those are not conditions fit for a generation that will inherit California in the next century.

The state legislative analyst’s office reports that there is a $7-billion backlog for retrofitting, new construction and repair projects for California schools. Proposition 203 can help close this gap. The $3-billion bond measure would help build or upgrade facilities for K-12 schools and the community colleges and Cal State and University of California schools.

Since the state’s general fund does not pay for capital expenditures, bonds are the most readily available funding source. State officials and the bond rating agencies agree that investments in infrastructure (like schools and highways), if done carefully in the context of other expenditures, do far more to help the state economy than to create excessive debt.

Proposition 192: Known as the Seismic Retrofit Bond Act of 1996, Proposition 192 represents phase two in the effort to strengthen the state’s bridges and highway overpasses against collapse in a severe earthquake. The value of such retrofitting was proven in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Proposition 192 proposes to spend $2 billion for further seismic improvements. It makes sense for reasons beyond the most obvious, which is earthquake safety. When the next big temblor strikes, taxpayers around the nation will want to know that California has done its fair share to mitigate the hazards. Passing 192 would communicate that clearly.

A large percentage of this money would be earmarked for the Bay Area, which may irk some Southern Californians. But this is one state. Whether highways or schools are involved, we all benefit from the improvements.