HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06091992 - S.1 Ta;'i BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Contra
FROM: Supervisor Tom Torlakson
Costa
DATES June 9, 1992 Courcy
OPPOSE CALTRANS PLAN TO SWITCH FUNDING OF PROJECTS LISTED IN
SUBJECT: REGIONAL MEASURE ONE
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION-
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Refer to the Board's Transportation
Committee and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to take
immediate action opposing Caltrans "bait and switch" on the projects
listed in the Regional Measure One and their plan to divert the money
to earthquake fortification repairs . This would be in terrible bad .
faith to the voters who voted with specific projects in mind. These
projects should not be deferred by a funding switch such' as proposed.
These projects should be funded and should proceed based on an
evaluation of their own merits .
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Please see attached commentary.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENTt YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURES)
ACTION OF BOARD ON .111nP 90 1 992 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER _X_
As recommended by Supervisor Schroderthe Board agreed to delete the
"bait and switch" phrase but approved the remainderof the . above
recommendation.
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND-CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: Transportation Committee via CDD ATTESTED Tune 9 , 1992
CCC .Transporation Auth. via CDD Phil Batchelor,Clerk ofthe Burd of
SU{)6f VIS41S&W County{WIRMtr'dtA[
M3e2/7•e3 BY DEPUTY
14A—Contra Costa Times Wednesday, June 3, 1992
•
scam
baitmandmswitch
Caltrans'
Voters believed toll increases � ►arty since their own credibility is on the
.,.•,r',.'i line. Democrats and Republicans alike en-
would help fund traffic relief :i . dorsed Regional Measure One, along with
t appears that some slippery Caltrans ; VIRGIL MEIBERT most newspapers and influential business
I bureaucrats have pulled off a classic `
?' �'%� Times Capitol Bureau chief groups Eike the Bay Area Council.
bait-and-switch. scam on trustful Ba 'say Sen. Bill Lockyer, D-Hayward, who was
Area voters. '
y �` the author of the toll-increase legislation,
� = �'
Those are the voters who in 1988 be- said that when he put "safety costs"in the
lieved the boundless promises that their All the legislators have to do is raise bill, he meant that tolls could be used to pay
vote for Regional Measure One would bring bridge tolls again. A boost to $1.50 will do for such traffic safety measures as installing
traffic congestion relief. Granted, Regional nicely, thank you. A 50-cent increase would cranes to pick up wrecked cars.
Measure One was tantamount to a tax in- generate an extra $500 million for earth- "That's the trouble with Caltrans," Lock-
crease. It boosted tolls.on every bay bridge quake retrofitting. yer said. "They're always looking for ways
to a uniform$1. Nobody on the committee had asked, but to sneak around the law, rather than mak-
Those higher tolls would raise more than just in case someone happened to be inter- : ing a genuine effort to comply with it."
$1 billion during the next decade.And all of ested, Caltrans also produced estimates of
that new money was to be spent unsnarling how much money $2 and $3, tolls would He said there's no reason earthquake
our ghastly traffic jams. raise. safety improvements in the Bay Area.
Just wait and see,voters were told.There Sure, the Loma Prieta earthquake oc- shouldn't be financed from gasoline taxes,
would be BART trains tanning to distant curred after the Regional Measure One vote. as in the rest of the state.
provinces, shiny new Benicia-Martinez and ' And,because of the Cypress structure disas- He added that he may go to court to seek
Carquinez bridges, and even a $38 million ter,the Legislature directed Caltrans to rein- declaratory relief, forcing Caltrans to build
shortcut from Interstate 80 in Pinole to the force hundreds of potentially hazardous' the promised projects.
Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. As a bonus, highway bridges statewide.-Already, .$204 Sen. Dan Boatwright, D-Concord,
the new tolls would be permanently capped million worth of that bridge work is com- steamed, "It's the same old story, bureau-
at $1. plete, under construction or in design. - crats out of control."
That was the bait. But — and this is what the coming de- Vowing revenge, he said that as chair-
Voters swallowed it whole. Defying con- bate is all about — those bridge reinforce- man of the budget subcommittee that ap-
ventional wisdom that they were in a ments are conveniently being financed out proves Caltrans' budget, he plans painful
cranky,anti-tax mood,they voted by a 70-30 of the gasoline taxes that all Californians cuts for the agency next year.
margin to raise the tolls and build the new pay. "They may be dancing in the streets to-
bridges, extra train lines and all that other Why shouldn't the Bay Area's bridge re- day, but they'll be weeping in their bed-
stuff. pairs be paid out of the same pot,wondered rooms tomorrow," promised Boatwright.
Last week came the switch. Committee Chairman Quentin Kopp, a San- Even before next year's budget hearings,
It's like the salesman telling you he's sor- Francisco independent? however, Caltrans and Gov. Pete Wilson
ry, but the $10,000 Mercedes that was ad- Why is a bridge in Los Angeles any dif- may have to face voter retaliation. I,
vertised has just beeyi sold. But does he still ferent than a bridge in the Bay Area? A $1 billion transit bond issue will be on
have a good deal for you. "Tradition," replied Martin Kiff, deputy : the statewide ballot in November. It is the
Caltrans officials said they were sorry, director of transportation financing for Cal- second of :three transit'bond -issues pro,
too. But, they told a legislative conference trans. He said safety and rehabilitation im- posed as part of the state's$18.5 billion pro:
committee, there was something else they provements on Bay Area bridges have al- gram to,naturally,relieve traffic congestion...
ongestion;•
had to spend half of that $1 billion toll in- ways been paid for out of bridge tolls, not Bay Area voters may wonder where
crease on—earthquake reinforcements for state,gasoline taxes. they've heard that before.
the bridges. Caltrans lawyers maintain that the very There are already legislators planning to
'After all, public safety comes first, they lang!iage of the Regional Measure One leg- write ballot arguments against the$1 billion
piously intoned. They didn't say exactly islatioii a,'.ves first priority to"safety and op- transit bond issue if Caltrans continues with
which voter-approved projects would be erational cosi." its perceived doublecross. Once burned,
-scrapped to pay for seismic retrofitting. But Bay Area legislatLrs are angry, particu- twice shy.
it was clear that Contra Costa bridges are
leading candidates.
On the other hand, explained Caltrans They may be dancing in the streets today, butthey'll be
officials, they still had a good deal for the
committee. There was a way to give the weeping in their bedrooms tomorrow.
public all of the promised Measure One pro-
jects and reinforce the bridges as well. —State s;en. Dan Boatwright, D-Concord
y�_