Transit Advocates: Governor Signs Bills That Will Prevent Further OCTA Bus Cuts!

 Also more gory details about this in another email I got...

CDCAN REPORT

#061-2010 –  MARCH 22, 2010 -  MONDAY

CALIFORNIA DISABILITY COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK

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California Budget Crisis

Governor Signs Special Session Gas Tax Swap & Transit Funding Bills

Says Legislature Addressed His Concerns With Legislation Passed Today To Provide Tax Relief As Part of Governor’s Jobs Package – Transit Bill Should Help In Closing Some of Local Transit Agencies Shortfalls

SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 03/22/2010  07:40 PM  (Pacific Time)] – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, saying that the Legislature addressed his concerns with two measures passed today dealing with tax relief as part of his jobs package, reversed himself and signed into law the two bills that last week he said he would veto:  ABx8 6 [the “x8” refers to the 8^th extraordinary session and the number – in this case “6” refers to the actual bill number] dealing with sales and use taxes – sometimes referred to as the “gas tax swap” bill and a related bill, ABx8 9,  dealing with transit funding that will free up millions of dollars for public transit agencies.

The Governor also signed a third special session budget measure, ABx8 14 dealing with state cash resources. 

Even with the signing of these bills today, the projected State budget deficit is still close to $18 billion by the end of the 2010-2011 State Budget year that ends June 30, 2011.

Transit Agencies Across State Face Big Shortfalls

The funding from ABx8 9 will ease – though not close – the deficits in many local public transit agencies, including Sacramento’s Regional Transit.  Proposed reductions by various transit agencies would have enormous potential impact on people with disabilities, mental health needs, the blind, seniors, low income workers and families who rely on public transit for work, health care and other needs. 

Governor Praises Legislature for “Great Work”

The Governor, in a letter to the legislature upon signing ABx8 6 and ABx8 9, praised the Legislature for its “great work” for passing today additional legislation to fix what he called were “technical problems” with the gas tax swap bill .  The Governor said that the passage today of “…two key tax reductions as part of my jobs package…will provide significant benefit to the state’s general fund and will help put Californians back to work.”

Those two tax reduction measures included a $200 million homebuyers’ credit that the Governor said he commended the Legislature for passing, saying that “…this successful program will lower taxes on the sale of both new and existing homes, stimulating the housing industry and creating jobs for thousands of Californians. Similarly, the tax exemption [which the Legislature also passed today] on the purchase of clean-technology manufacturing equipment will spur investment in solar manufacturing, renewable energy, fuel cells and zero-emission vehicles in California, creating jobs and maintaining California’s leadership in the field of clean-technology.”

TEXT OF LETTER GOVERNOR SENT TO LEGISLATURE UPON SIGNING SPECIAL SESSION BUDGET BILLS TODAY

To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am signing Assembly Bill X8 6 and Assembly Bill X8 9.

Last week, I sent a letter to the Legislature indicating my concerns with the gas tax swap

proposed by Assembly Bill X8 6 that resulted in a tax increase on commuter rail services, and the fact that the Legislature provided no tax reductions to help stimulate job growth. Earlier today, the Legislature passed a measure to fix technical problems with the gas tax swap bill and passed two key tax reductions as part of my jobs package. The package of bills as written will provide significant benefit to the state’s general fund and will help put Californians back to work. For these reasons, I am signing these bills.

I commend the Legislature for acting today on the $200 million homebuyers’ tax credit. This successful program will lower taxes on the sale of both new and existing homes, stimulating the housing industry and creating jobs for thousands of Californians. Similarly, the tax exemption on the purchase of clean-technology manufacturing equipment will spur investment in solar manufacturing, renewable energy, fuel cells and zero-emission vehicles in California, creating jobs and maintaining California’s leadership in the field of clean-technology.

I commend the Legislature for your strong bi-partisan actions on these measures. I encourage you to maintain this momentum and ask that before adjourning for Spring Recess the Legislature send me measures to relieve homeowners from tax penalties associated with the sale of their homes in a “short sale,” and extend federal tax provisions to renewable energy projects funded with federal stimulus dollars. These two measures are critical and time sensitive.

I look forward to working with you to move our state and our economy forward. Thanks for the great work.

Sincerely,

Arnold Schwarzenegger

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I actually ended up benefiting from the bus cuts, including the most recent one and the one before that. My total commute round-trip by bus was shortened by 7 minutes.

Whoa! That's really cool, Spokker. I'm sure the people who relied on Night Owl service to get home at night also share in your joy.

What does that have to do with anything? Should I not share my experiences? Is that not the entire point of a discussion board?

I sent many letters and spoke out in support of Night Owl service.