Help Stop Further State Cuts to Transit Operations

by Damien Newton on June 15, 2009

6_15_09_caltrain.jpgCaltrain parked in SF. Photo: smif/flickr

Last month, Streetsblog we saw that thanks to some creative accounting, Governor Schwarzenegger had found a new and creative way to rob transit even after he effectively eliminated the transit subsidy that exists in the state budget.  Because the gas tax is producing more funds than expected, hundreds of millions of dollars in transit funds appeared in state coffers.  However, as quickly as it appeared, the Governor proposed spending it on the giant gaping hole that in the state budget.

News comes from CALPIRG, that last week a joint budget committee met to decide what to do with the Governor's proposal.  Via an email to their members, CALPIRG reports that there was signifigant opposition to the Governor's proposal from the Democratic Caucus:

On Thursday the Legislature's Budget Conference Committee took up the Governor’s proposal to shift another $336 million in “spillover” funds away from transit to the General Fund. Senators Ducheny and Leno, and Assembly Members Evans (Chair) and Blumenfield all made substantial comments reflecting their distaste for the proposal, their acknowledgment that the February budget and the last several budgets have decimated transit funding, and their desire to find a solution to fund transit operations. 

But the battle is far from over.  After the jump you can find the entire text of CALPIRG's appeal to members to help fight further rollbacks in the legislature.

As most of you know, the legislature has raided transit operations funding for other general fund needs. As a result transit services have been significantly reduced, and fares risen, in cities throughout the state. As the price of gasoline goes back up, so has the portion of the sales tax on gasoline legally dedicated to transit operations, but the legislature could raid 100% of those new funds unless they hear from supporters.

Please contact your legislators and urge them to SUPPORT the Conference Committee’s direction to find a way to restore SOME 2009-10 transit funding.

Here is a link to detailed information about transit fare hikes and service cuts throughout the state, job losses, and transit capital projects that have been delayed: http://www.caltransit.org/files/resources/07%20STA%20member%20survey.doc

Here are more details from last Thursday's hearing, from Josh Shaw at the California Transit Association:

On Thursday the Legislature's Budget Conference Committee took up the Governor’s proposal to shift another $336 million in “spillover” funds away from transit to the General Fund. Senators Ducheny and Leno, and Assembly Members Evans (Chair) and Blumenfield all made substantial comments reflecting their distaste for the proposal, their acknowledgment that the February budget and the last several budgets have decimated transit funding, and their desire to find a solution to fund transit operations. (Senator Lowenthal was absent for the moment, but Senator Ducheny said that her remarks especially reflected what she knew to be his concerns.) No Republican members made comments.

Senator Ducheny specifically asked for the item to be kept open, and that the Committee and staff look for a way to save $100 million for transit, through savings elsewhere or some other development or breakthrough. Chair Evans said they all knew they would need to eventually take “most if not this entire source,” but she finally agreed to keep it open in deference to her colleagues’ remarks. Budget staff was asked to consider ways to provide some amount of funding for transit, and some justification for the amount and to possibly include this discussion in the open local government discussion.

Please specifically ask your legislators to talk to the Conference Committee members personally – and to each caucus’ leadership – to carry the message that they, too, support the effort to find SOME funding for transit. Make that your message and we will work with legislative and budget staff to define appropriate amounts and mechanisms to achieve that restoration.