GOP to Offer Own Transportation Plan

Refusing to bow to a Democratic majority, Assembly Republicans said Wednesday they will unveil a strategy to rebuild California’s transportation network by devoting part of future budget surpluses to road projects.

Assembly GOP leader Scott Baugh (R-Huntington Beach) confirmed Wednesday that Republicans will offer lawmakers an alternative to Democratic proposals, which call for using voter-approved bonds and sales taxes to finance a multibillion-dollar transportation plan.

“Our proposal doubles the amount of money you can spend on roads and schools and parks and water projects without spending a dime on interest payments that line the pockets of Wall Street,” Baugh said. “We want to pave Main Street, not Wall Street.”

Some Assembly members will hold news conferences Friday in their districts to present the “20/20 Vision for California’s Future” to constituents, Baugh said. The decision to offer a counterplan came after he found no support among Republicans for the Democrats’ transportation strategy. Baugh contends that many moderate Democrats are also dissatisfied with the bond and tax solution.

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The Republican maneuver is the strongest indication yet that transportation probably will be one of the most contentious issues as lawmakers rush to finish the session next month.

Unlike routine legislation, transportation bond measures require a two-thirds majority, which gives leverage to Republicans, who are a minority in both the Assembly and the Senate.

In addition to transportation bonds, Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco) is trying to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would extend for 20 years the half-cent transportation sales tax in counties that have it--and introduce it in counties that don’t.

Baugh said the Republican plan would raise $75 billion to $125 billion, depending on the rate of growth in state revenue, without incurring bond debt or raising sales taxes, as Democrats propose.

The Democrats’ plan would raise about $16 billion.

That figure includes money that would be earmarked for transportation needs if the Legislature passes a bill by Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Northridge) that would reserve gasoline tax revenue for highway projects, rather than put the money into the General Fund. Now, almost no gas-tax revenue goes directly to transportation projects.

Citing the years when then-Gov. Pat Brown oversaw the building of California’s state-of-the-art highway system and renowned university system without going into debt, Baugh said, “We need to get back to fundamentals and prioritize our spending and dedicate our revenues to our capital needs, including transportation.”

Under the GOP plan, the growth money also could be used for schools and water projects.