Overview

An effective infrastructure network, including a transportation system that efficiently moves people, goods and services, is essential to California’s economic prosperity and quality of life. Even with the approval of the transportation bond in November 2006, California’s business climate and lifestyle are endangered by decades of underinvestments and poor planning for roadways, schools, housing, levees and other infrastructure. California voters clearly understood these challenges with the overwhelming approval of $37 billion in infrastructure bonds and strong protections for the use of $1.4 billion in annual gasoline sales tax revenues.

Goals:

Develop and maintain a statewide transportation network that is adequate for the needs of business, agriculture and individual citizens.

Major Victories:

• Led a coalition of associations and businesses that stopped a proposal to increase the cost of shipping goods and make California less competitive by imposing an illegal per-container tax in the ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland (SB 974).

Issue Summaries

State Transportation
Position:  California needs adequate, dependable and dedicated funding for transportation to build and maintain a transportation network that is the foundation of the state’s economy and lifestyle. The approval of the transportation bond is a definite “course correction,” but a long-term stable funding plan is still necessary.

Approval of Propositions 1A and 1B in November 2006 set California on a new course for its transportation future. The government agencies entrusted with allocating and spending those revenues face a challenge to keep the faith with the voters. If voters see the funds spent wisely and efficiently, they will be willing to approve the next steps needed to continue improving California’s transportation systems. Transportation   Infrastructure

Goods Movement
Position: The CalChamber believes there is a benefit to working through the legal and economic issues surrounding goods movement legislation to emerge with a positive compromise that cleans the air and makes a substantial investment in goods movement infrastructure. Goods Movement

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