Davis Proposes Interchange Near Casino

Gov. Gray Davis, who says his transportation plan is aimed at easing gridlock by directing money where it is most needed, is proposing to spend $30 million to build an interchange leading to a desert casino owned by an Indian tribe that is a major campaign donor.

The interchange would lead to a privately owned outlet mall and to the Morongo Indians’ gas station, restaurants and casino.

“It’s unbelievable we would use taxpayer dollars to support Indian gambling in California,” said Assemblyman Bruce Thompson (R-Fallbrook), a frequent critic of casinos.

A two-lane underpass built in 1964 exists at Apache Trail on Interstate 10 and leads to a frontage road to the tribe’s businesses. Davis proposes to spend $30 million in taxpayer money to construct a new four-lane interchange, plus left-turn lanes, with three two-lane offramps and a fourth offramp of three lanes.

Davis administration officials defended the project as necessary for safety and to ease congestion.

“Thank goodness there haven’t been fatalities,” Davis spokeswoman Hilary McLean said, adding that the project has broad support from the tribe and local officials. “There has been concern about safety because of traffic backing up on the interstate.”

Two Riverside County supervisors endorsed the project. But Davis bypassed requests by some Riverside County transportation experts who said there are more urgent needs in the burgeoning Inland Empire.

The interchange is one of 46 projects in Davis’ $5-billion transportation plan not included in California’s overall transportation plan, prompting some critics to contend that Davis is turning road and mass transit construction into pork barrel politics.

“The governor clearly went through and identified projects he wanted,” said Scott Baugh of Huntington Beach, leader of the Assembly’s minority Republicans.

Davis sprinkled his transportation plan with dozens of projects from road widenings to the purchase of buses to new ferry service for Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. Urban areas that are Democratic strongholds fared especially well.

The governor’s transportation plan, or at least the bulk of it, appears likely to win legislative approval. It’s a major part of the new state budget being fashioned for the 2000-01 fiscal year that begins July 1.

The Morongos operate one of the state’s largest casinos, with 1,627 video slot machines. Casino Morongo is one of a few tribal casinos in the state that probably will expand to 2,000 Nevada-style slot machines, the maximum permitted under agreements negotiated by Davis and the tribes last year and ratified by voters in March.

As their casino has grown, the Morongos have become politically influential, leading all other tribes by donating $1.7 million to candidates for state office between 1995 and 1998, according to a report issued this week by California Common Cause.

The Morongos did not give money directly to Davis in his 1998 election campaign. However, they were one of three tribes that formed a political action committee with the California prison guard union, and spent $512,000 to help elect Davis.

Jim Knox of California Common Cause said the proposal “raises questions about the influence of major campaign contributors and the extent to which policy may be formed based on who’s contributing.”

The Native Americans and Peace Officers PAC spent the money primarily for polling and phone calls to voters on Davis’ behalf. The Morongos reported giving $275,000 to the political action committee in 1998. Davis was the only candidate who received the committee’s support in 1998, though it since has expanded to help other state candidates.

“Absolutely none,” said Davis spokeswoman McLean, discounting any connection between donations and the decision to include the project.

Added Morongo consultant Waltona Manion: “The project was approved and supported on its own merits.”

Bypassing the Usual Process

The governor has been grappling with transportation issues for much of his tenure. With a record surplus estimated at $12.3 billion, Davis proposes to spend $2 billion in general tax dollars on transportation. It’s the first time a governor has offered such a commitment of general fund money for roads and mass transit.

“We need to invest money, yes, but we need to do it wisely,” Davis said in a statement heralding his plan.

In an effort to speed what he says are needed transportation projects, Davis bypassed the normal state transportation planning process, which entails detailed study and a five-year plan for funding and construction, and is overseen by the California Transportation Commission.

Instead, Davis appealed to local and state politicians and others to compile their own lists of projects. In some instances, local officials were called on a Friday and asked to submit their wish lists by the following Monday.

The result is an amalgam of about 70 projects that are in the state transportation plan, and many that aren’t. Davis hopes, for example, to jump-start a $4-billion extension of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system to San Jose, using $725 million in state tax money. The BART extension is not included in the state transportation plan.

Nor is the $30-million interchange at Apache Trail.

“Everyone, from community residents and their families to commuters . . . will greatly benefit from this transportation project,” Morongo Chairwoman Mary Ann Andreas said in a statement. “The permanent impact of this transportation project will be felt by the region for decades.”

At the San Gorgonio Pass station of the California Highway Patrol, Officer Dave Waters said traffic backs up on Interstate 10 at Apache Trail “five or six times a year,” particularly on busy shopping days as people go to the nearby outlet mall.

Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Bay Area, San Diego and Sacramento would be big winners in Davis’ transportation plan, receiving larger shares of the $5 billion than they would in the normal state transportation planning process. All other counties would receive less.

Riverside County would receive $210 million if Davis had used the regular transportation funding formula. Under Davis’ plan, the county would get $115 million for four projects, including the Apache Trail interchange.

Riverside County Supervisor Tom Mullen, writing to the state in March on behalf of the Riverside Transportation Commission, called the interchange “an appropriate candidate” for state funding.

But in May, Riverside County Transportation Commission Executive Director Eric Haley did not include it on a wish list of eight projects, three of which are included in Davis’ plan. Davis is offering to pay about a third of the combined $250-million price tag of the three other Riverside projects, but would pay the entire $30 million cost of the interchange.

In an interview, Haley said there is a “demonstrable” problem with congestion at Apache Trail on some weekends and evenings. He also said the interchange could spur development in the area.