How might siphoning funds off for other priorities affect public rust regarding future bonding for infrastructure?
The budget for 2007-08, and likely the 2008-09 budget, will be tough budgets for the state. There is an existing structural deficit, and transportation dollars have been tapped in the 2007-08 year and likely will be in 2008-09 as well. The sales tax on gasoline and its complicated calculation formula, with gas prices as high they are, has been throwing off the revenue that can be diverted. It is not an ideal situation from a transportation standpoint, but from the broader vantage point of good public policy, it could be one of the best strategies available to help the general fund deficit. It is just one of the practicalities of budget politics in Sacramento. Having said that, I think that there is a growing understanding in Sacramento, both from the Legislature and the Administration, that tapping transportation dollars to fit annual budget challenges ultimately has adverse impacts on the completion of projects. We are starting to see solutions emerge, especially with the 2007-08 budg
