GOP Seeks $500 Million for Roads Next Year

Republicans in the Legislature on Thursday proposed spending $500 million from the next state budget to improve local roads, part of an ongoing push by the GOP to spend much of an estimated $10.3-billion surplus on backlogged building projects.

The proposal is part of a much more ambitious package, the “20-20 Vision Plan,” under which GOP leaders are advocating spending $127 billion over the next 20 years to repair California’s overburdened schools, streets and waterworks.

For next year’s budget, Republicans advocate $3.1 billion in new public works spending--$1 billion for school construction, $1 billion for water delivery systems, $400 million for criminal justice buildings, and $200 million for crime labs, in addition to the money for local streets and roads.

Local government would be given wide discretion over how to spend the road money under the Republican plan.

“Sounds kind of boring,” said Assembly Republican Leader Bill Campbell of Villa Park. “But frankly, it’s extremely important to the future of this state. . . . We have survived off investments made in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s.”

Though the broad plan has slim chance of being completely embraced in a Legislature thoroughly dominated by Democrats, it represents an opening gambit by the minority Republicans designed to carve out their own philosophical position. Democrats have yet to unveil a road-building plan.

Down to 29 seats in the 80-member Assembly and 14 seats in the 40-member Senate, Republican leaders from both houses have circled the wagons, breaking with tradition by drafting joint budget plans and holding news conferences in a bid for a more powerful presence.

Few dispute that there is an overwhelming need for California to invest in infrastructure--the state Department of Education predicts that 434 new schools will be needed in five years, for example. But Democrats and Republicans differ about how the investment should be made.

In a time of record budget surpluses for California, Republicans argue that the building projects can be handled on a pay-as-you-go basis, without floating large bonds and running up more debt. Democrats, who are entertaining a massive statewide school bond, have indicated support for a mixture of bond and pay-as-you-go money.

“That’s what each of us do” as individuals and families, said Sen. Chuck Poochigian (R-Fresno). “When we have surplus funds, we make certain decisions to take care of things we need.

“If it is embraced on a bipartisan basis,” he added, “it is a sea change over the way we have been funding these projects.”