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Friends of the Fourth
District:
In early January, I was happy to offer my support to two proposals
by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that have the potential to bring
greater financial security and economic prosperity into Los Angeles
County.
The first plan is the Governor’s proposed budget for the State of
California – a budget that places a high value on the importance of
local government. The most important aspect of the budget proposal
is that it honors the promise of Proposition 1A – which ensures that
legislators in Sacramento will not take local tax revenue in order
to cover the State’s budget shortfalls.
To give you an idea of how much revenue flowed from our County
coffers, in the last year before Prop 1A passed, $103.2 million from
local Los Angeles County property tax revenue was taken by the
State. All told, in the decade before Prop 1A passed, just over $1
billion in local revenue was taken by Sacramento.
Besides Proposition 1A - the budget proposal includes new or
expanded funding for vital programs, such as, increased outreach for
children’s health care, reimbursement for the costs of the special
election and the permanent funding of Proposition 42 transportation
revenue.
Most importantly, the budget proposes a constitutional amendment to
permanently protect Prop 42 funds – which means the 2/3 vote of the
legislature can no longer be used to hijack these funds to pay for
State shortfalls. Proposition 42 funds are a necessity for Los
Angeles County to invest in much needed maintenance and upgrades for
streets and roads. For example, $1.4 billion is funded in the
Governor’s budget through Proposition 42; $255 million of which is
headed to our County for local projects.
In addition to the new budget proposal, Governor Schwarzenegger also
recently proposed an ambitious multi-year, multi-billion dollar
upgrade and expansion plan for California’s crumbling transportation
infrastructure. The ambitious plan calls for traffic congestion in
Southern California to be reduced up to 18% in the next 10 years.
Accomplishing that goal could lead to the construction of up to
1,200 new miles of highway carpool lanes and the addition of over
600 miles of transit lines.
At Union Station, in downtown Los Angeles, existing railroad tracks
would be extending into the City to accommodate more trains and
reduce delays in getting in and out of Union Station. An additional
$36 million would be spent to build new track lines so commuter
trains and freight trains would no longer get caught on the same
congested tracks.
The plan also calls for several much-needed railroad grade
separations in Los Angeles County. By building these grade
separations, we increase safety and reduce congestion all at the
same time. Instead of commuters getting stuck at busy intersections
while trains cross by, the separations allow cars to avoid the
railroad tracks altogether by passing underneath. A total of $214
million would be spent to build five separations in the County,
including one at the busy intersection of Los Nietos Road and
Norwalk Boulevard in the Fourth District.
We are at a critical juncture in our community and we need to make a
serious investment in the future of our transportation
infrastructure and economic future. The Governor’s proposals have
the potential to bring positives outcomes for both into Los Angeles
County.
DON KNABE
Supervisor, Fourth District
County of Los Angeles
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