At a press event for the Fix Our Roads coalition on Monday, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti called on legislators to compromise on legislation to fix the state’s roads and highways. But what kind of compromise is needed to secure funding? Is compromise contemplated to include Republican ideas, or is compromise just between the Democratic legislators who see tax and fee increases as the solution and Democrats who demand more spending in their districts?
Frankly, if there is no compromise over transportation infrastructure funding there is little hope that compromise can be found on any issue under the capitol dome. All sides in the political struggle agree something must be done to fix the state’s roads and infrastructure. It’s important for business, it’s important for workers, and it’s important for anyone who deals with the state’s congested highways.
The disagreement is how.
The fact is that much is needed to fix the state’s infrastructure. That includes spending more wisely and spending current transportation related dollars on the roads. Republicans have offered ideas to audit transportation funding and use funds like truck weight fees exclusively on the roads.
California State Transportation Agency secretary, Brian Kelly, said at the Los Angeles news event that new legislation would be introduced next week that will detail an infrastructure-funding plan.
But new legislation can’t simply say how the money will be spent. It also must make clear how the money is acquired. Just raising taxes is not compromise. Targeting money to certain legislative districts to secure votes of wavering Democrats is not compromise.
Will the new legislation include ideas on how to shift transportation related current revenues for the roads and highways and to spend transportation dollars more wisely? The governor wants to pass the infrastructure plan by April 6. Will he push hard for true compromise?