IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orange County Business Council (OCBC) released the following statement today in response to Governor Brown's transportation plan to fix California's degrading roads and highways:
"The Governor's package includes a mix of reforms to ensure we're using all existing and new transportation revenues as efficiently and accountably as possible," said Lucy Dunn, President and CEO, OCBC. "And it also includes a pared down package of new revenues that will help us climb out of the immense funding pothole we've gotten ourselves into that has doomed California roads to the most congested and crumbling in the nation."
The plan represents a bipartisan approach, including both reforms and revenues to address the state's $6 billion shortfall in transportation funding. While the package will only deliver $3.6 billion of that need, California's crumbling transportation infrastructure is currently ranks 45th worst in the nation and is in dire need of action now in order to prevent major economic consequences in the future.
The yearly budget would partly be financed by a $65 fee for vehicle owners, an 11-cent hike in the diesel tax and a six-cent increase to the gas tax. Other money would be allocated from California's cap-and-trade carbon emissions program. Reforms include CEQA and NEPA reforms to streamline delay on important infrastructure projects, extensions on public-private partnerships, and regular reporting on state highway performance.
"California is the world's eighth largest economy and largest in the U.S., however, in order to keep that momentum we must consistently provide access and mobility for the state's residents and businesses," Dunn said. "A growing economy depends on the ability to move people and goods, at our current state of disrepair; without action now California is looking at a bleak future."
OCBC has strongly advocated for a plan including both reforms and revenues, read here for a recent opinion editorial published by Dunn.
About OCBC:
Orange County Business Council is the leading voice of business in Orange County, California. OCBC represents and promotes the business community, working with government and academia, to enhance Orange County's economic development and prosperity in order to preserve a high quality of life. OCBC serves member and investor businesses with nearly 250,000 employees and 2,000,000 worldwide. In providing a proactive forum for business and supporting organizations, OCBC helps assure the financial growth of America's sixth largest county. For more information, visit www.ocbc.org.