First thought on the Governor’s Budget

During his speech at today’s "LA County Transportation Funding Collaborative" Conference on funding, Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-LA) predicted that "Transportation isn’t going to take as big a hit as people think." (Much more on this conference tomorrow morning.) Well, the budget is in, what do people think?

The Governor”s Budget promised a 10% reduction across the board for all departments, but beyond that doesn’t have any of the massive cuts we saw in the 2007-2008 budget. There was even some good news in the budget. The Times reports that "The governor’s borrowing plan also includes a $10-billion proposal for a high-speed rail project that is already on the November ballot."

What can be done to refuel our transportation funds? Our local needs far outstrip what will be available even if somehow the 10% that will be cit were somehow restored. California Progress Report notes that the Governor’s repeal of the Car Tax has already cost the state $20 billion. Of course there are a lot of other suggestions, and I promise many of those will be covered tomorrow.

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