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Posted on 11/08/2006 5:37:35 AM PST by calcowgirl
LOS ANGELES - California voters have launched a wave of public works projects unseen in the Golden State in decades, and in doing so may have handed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a victory that will define him for his second term and beyond.
The approval Tuesday of every bond initiative Schwarzenegger had asked for _ four propositions totaling $37.3 billion _ sets the stage for the building of roads, schools, housing and flood-control projects at a level that could dwarf the state's 1960s building boom that became Gov. Pat Brown's legacy.
Passage of the bonds _ the biggest in the nation's history _ also could prove to be a bellwether for more government borrowing nationwide, according to experts who say states from New England to the Southwest are struggling to find financial fixes for their crumbling infrastructure.
"It's amazing, he has really done something historic," said David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University, who predicted no more than two of the bonds would pass _ a rate that would have been consistent with voters' lukewarm support of such bonds in the past.
The victory is not all sweet, however. Paying off the bonds will add a significant weight to the budget during Schwarzenegger's second term, and for decades after.
With interest, the cost will be more than $73 billion _ an amount five times the size of Boston's Big Dig highway project and a sum that eclipses the annual budgets of every state except California.
Still, Senate Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, called the bonds' passage a milestone in state history.
They "will make a real difference to the lives of millions of Californians, who will find it easier to get to work, will send their children to better schools, will live in safer, more affordable housing and will live with less fear of catastrophic floods," Perata said in a statement.
He hashed out the borrowing plan with Schwarzenegger and state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles.
Critics say the bonds will thrust the state deep into debt just as it's rebounding from the dot-com bust, resulting in cuts in funding for social services and other programs.
An examination by The Associated Press revealed the bonds may not be able to deliver nearly as much as promised.
Forty percent of the transportation bond, for example, would go to projects other than roads. The education bond fails to keep pace with expected classroom needs. And despite promises that the housing funds would go to building shelters for battered women, such projects would be eligible for only about 2 percent of the money.
The flood-protection bond, which also aims to prevent a Katrina-style disaster in the state, provides little direction for how officials would rank and allocate billions for flood protection projects.
Some environmentalists fear that deep-pocketed developers may be able to sway decisions on which projects are funded, allowing them to build even more homes in flood-prone areas.
But voters were not swayed, and Philip Gustlin, 72, of Brentwood, summed up why he was willing to have the state take the financial risk.
"I'd rather have things fixed now and paid for over a period of time than just wait it out," said Gustlin, who voted for all four measures.
Of the four, Proposition 1E, the $4.1-billion flood-control measure, won by the largest margin, 64 percent in favor.
Proposition 1B, the $19.9-billion bond measure to improve roads and public transit, captured 61 percent of the yes vote.
Proposition 1C, the $2.9-billion affordable housing bond, passed with 57 percent, and Proposition 1D, the $10.4 billion education bond measure, passed with 56 percent.
Voters also approved Proposition 1A, which amends the state Constitution to ensure that a portion of the tax on gasoline is dedicated to transportation projects. It passed with 77 percent of the vote.
In polls leading up to Election Day, many voters indicated they viewed it as a major success that the Republican governor and Democratic-controlled Legislature were able to reach agreement on a public works plan and put it on the ballot.
The compromise on the infrastructure package followed a year of deeply divisive politics in California that ended last fall with Schwarzenegger taking a beating at the polls over his government-reform initiatives.
The governor, who easily won re-election Tuesday, spent much of the final weeks of this campaign promoting the bond package.
McCuan, the political science professor, said he thinks Schwarzenegger will draw political and personal strength from the bonds' victory as he launches his second term.
"If you look at how Schwarzenegger operates, he brands things, he puts his name on things. 'This project is brought to you by the movie that is Gov. Schwarzenegger,' " McCuan said. "As his second term begins, he's going to start building a legacy by building up infrastructure."
| Prop | . | Description | YES | Percent | NO | Percent |
| Prop 1A | Y | Transp Fund Protect | 4,889,840 | 76.60% | 1,498,096 | 23.40% |
| Prop 1B | Y | Hwy/Air/Port Bond | 3,919,246 | 61.30% | 2,482,466 | 38.70% |
| Prop 1C | Y | Housing Shelter Fund | 3,680,872 | 57.50% | 2,723,923 | 42.50% |
| Prop 1D | Y | School Facility Bond | 3,627,826 | 56.50% | 2,793,349 | 43.50% |
| Prop 1E | Y | Disaster/Flood Bond | 4,059,223 | 64.00% | 2,289,600 | 36.00% |
| Prop 83 | Y | Sex Offender Reform | 4,550,728 | 70.50% | 1,907,205 | 29.50% |
| Prop 84 | Y | Water/Flood/Park | 3,407,554 | 53.80% | 2,927,556 | 46.20% |
| Prop 85 | N | Parental Notificat. | 2,976,766 | 45.90% | 3,506,283 | 54.10% |
| Prop 86 | N | Cigarette Tax | 3,149,147 | 47.80% | 3,426,440 | 52.20% |
| Prop 87 | N | Energy/Oil Tax | 2,958,348 | 45.30% | 3,565,895 | 54.70% |
| Prop 88 | N | Educ. Fund/Prop. Tax | 1,481,505 | 23.10% | 4,926,697 | 76.90% |
| Prop 89 | N | Campaign Public Fund | 1,618,591 | 25.50% | 4,723,962 | 74.50% |
| Prop 90 | N | Eminent Domain | 3,015,051 | 47.40% | 3,333,581 | 52.60% |
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STATEWIDE RESULTS:
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They keep voting in the people who screw them...it's absolutely incredible.
Some of those bond measures were ludicrous. Pay 40 billion over 26 years to get 20 billion in bond funding. Nice legacy to leave the children to pay.
Schwarzenegger true color is blue, no suprise there.
I am absolutly amazed at the stupidity of the majority of voters in this state. The only good news is the cigarette and oil taxes were defeated. It appears that Republicans took it in the shorts nationwide...from house and senate all the way down to city councils. Man, what a bummer. I guess I'll turn in my application for a passport today. But where to go? Do you think I can apply for political asylum in Australia. I am soooo pissed.
I see prop 85 (Parental notification) failed again.
So the little girls can have an abortion w/o telling parents. Stupid sheeple.
"Voters may have ensured Schwarzenegger's legacy with bond package
Yup. California voters will be paying for this long after Schwarzenegger is no longer governor."
This state will be bankrupt before Arnold leaves office, he spends money like a drunken soldier, and has done nothing to cut spending the face of the one thing he's kept his promise on, not raising taxes. Kinda of like someone else we know, in Washington, D.C.
I've gone from angry to numb. I agree with you on the stupidity. The ads for the bonds kept reiterating "Pay over time without raising taxes". It's FREE!!! (grrrr...)
With $40 Billion in bonds (+plus an extra $80 Billion from "other sources"), no eminent domain legislation, and "comprehensive immigration reform", California is going to be a much different place in a decade (or sooner).
That was one of the few propositions I voted yes on. And I do not even have a daughter.
Aztland is coming. Better learn how the French are coping with their socialist sponsored insurrection.
Cali voters have no consistent philosophy. They overwhelmingly vote down a $50 parcel tax (as they should), but then approve $40 billion in new spending. It makes no sense.
But it felt so good at the time.
un b livable
Not a happy day. :-(
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