Building Trades News

$37.5 Billion Bond on November Ballot to Address State’s Long Term Infrastructure Needs

By Christopher Honey
BTN Staff Writer

On May 5, the California legislature approved the largest public works package in the state’s history. The measure will go before the voters in the November general election. If passed, the state will borrow $37.5 billion to expand and repair congested roads, build and renovate public schools, strengthen levees to prevent flooding, and support affordable housing in cities and near public transportation.

The ambitious measure is being compared to Gov. Pat Brown’s groundbreaking investment in California’s water, transportation, and higher education needs. It passage by the legislature represents a huge victory for the Building Trades and for the people of California

“We’re fixing roads and highways, we’re doing things to improve the conditions of poor people, middle class people who can’t afford homes,” said Assembly Speak Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles).

Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) called it “a strong down payment on 40 years of neglect.”

The ballot issue does not allocate the money to specific projects, but many Los Angeles area improvements are believed to likely recipients of some of the bond money, including:

• Extending car-pool lanes on the 405 Freeway
• Studying a north-south bus way in the San Fernando Valley
• Improving security at the Port of Los Angeles
• Building and modernizing Los Angeles Unified schools
• Providing incentives for infill development
• Building affordable housing and homeless youth shelters

According to David Yale, regional planning director for the Metropolitan Transit Authority, $5 billion could go straight to Los Angeles County.

"What's so different about this - and so good about it - is that the money doesn't have to come in slowly," he said. "If voters approve it, the money is there almost immediately."

Mayor Villaraigosa believes that Los Angeles could see $1 billion for public transportation projects alone.

President Perata, Speaker Nuñez and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa have all pledged to campaign for the bond issue leading up the November election. “Make no mistake,” said Villaraigosa, “we’re going to pass this bond here in Los Angeles.”

Locals in the LA/OC Building Trades were pleased that the legislature had taken this important step towards creating good jobs and addressing the state’s long term infrastructure needs.

“This is the greatest infrastructure project since Gov. Pat Brown brought the state into the 20th century,” said Jim Hilfenhaus, political director with Laborers Local 300. “This measure will mean better jobs for the entire state. It means better transportation of goods, improved roadways, adequate water supplies to furnish newer developments, and affordable housing for our workers.”

William Waggoner, Business Manager for Operating Engineers 12, pointed out that a lot of the credit has to go to Perata. “The guy behind the scenes who really put this together was Don Perata,” he said. “Without him, this would not be here, and that’s a fact.”

He added that the bond would provide a large number of good paying jobs for his local. “It means a lot of work for the Operating Engineers – especially building the transportation infrastructure. And the combination of federal transportation funding and this measure will go a long way towards relieving some of the congestion we have here in Southern California.”