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How YOU Can Stop Governor Schwarzenegger's Attack on Public Transit

• Background
• How Does the Governor's Budget Proposal Affect Me?
• The Latest Update On What's Going On
• What Can I Do To Make My Voice Heard in Sacramento?
• Talking Points To Use When Contacting Your Elected Officials

Background

On January 10, 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released his proposal for this year's state budget.  The San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times reported the next day that the $143.4 billion budget proposal cuts spending, while reducing the deficit with accelerated repayment of debt via additional money from gasoline sales taxes.  "This budget is a responsible budget," mentioned Governor Schwarzenegger.  "This is a budget that lives within our means but still provides crucial services."

The Governor originally wanted to cut $1.1 billion of funding for public transit in California.  The Governor's May budget update, according to a San Francisco Chronicle story on May 16, increased the amount of public transit funding to be cut, to $1.3 billion.

Of great concern to SCVTARU is the redirection of additional money from gasoline sales taxes - known as spillover - used for public transit operations.  This is money used to keep buses on the street, and commuter rail, subways, and light rail on the tracks.

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How Does The Governor's Budget Proposal Affect Me?

Governor Schwarzenegger's latest budget proposal redirects over $1.3 BILLION used for operating buses and trains throughout California to plug holes in the state's $5.5 billion deficit.  According to research by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in Oakland, the San Francisco Bay Area in general would lose over $145 million in state funding.  Out of that share, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) would lose over $14 million in state funding.  It is a 27% increase from the nearly $11 million VTA would have lost in the Governor's original budget proposal.

To make up for the lost revenue, transit agencies like VTA would have to cut bus and light rail services and/or raise fares.  News of the Governor's original budget proposal came just as VTA announced a 7% increase in transit ridership vs. December 2005 (100K Adobe Acrobat PDF) at its February 1 Board of Directors meeting.

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The Latest Update On What's Going On

This year's state budget also includes tax breaks for corporations in California.  As detailed in the same San Francisco Chronicle story, critics of the tax breaks note that the tax breaks would cost $1.3 billion over four years, and would not help California businesses.

As a result of these and other budget concerns, on July 21, Senate President pro tempore Don Perata ordered a full lockdown of the Senate to force fellow Senators to negotiate on this year's state budget.   That lockdown only lasted until Saturday morning, when Perata ordered the Senate to reconvene on July 25.

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What Can I Do To Make My Voice Heard in Sacramento?

Your voice will need to be heard loud and clear to ensure that key State Legislators and Governor Schwarzenegger include the following in the final state budget:

• Provide public transit funding at least equal to the amount the State Budget Conference Committee recommended
• A long-term solution that provides stable state funding for public transit

Live in Silicon Valley?  Please take a moment to make two (2) simple phone calls to the Governor and to Senator Perata, to express your support for transit funding.

Step 1

Call Governor Schwarzenegger at 916-445-2841.

• Press 1 to continue in English
• Press 2 to voice your opinion on legislation
• Press 0 to speak to a representative
  

Step 2

Call Senator Perata's district office in Oakland at (510)286-1333 or his Sacramento office in (916)651-4009.

When calling, let Governor Schwarzenegger and Senator Perata know why public transit funding in California is important to you, in your own words.

SCVTARU has received reports that the Governor Schwarzenegger's office is informing callers that his state budget proposal would give transit more money than ever. The Governor is actually counting the transit funds that would be redirected to General Fund programs as transit and calling it more funding.  Talking points to address what the Governor's staff tells you are in the next section below.

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Talking Points To Use When Contacting Your Elected Officials

• Governor Schwarzenegger sells the environment as his top priority.  Redirecting funding for the most available form of helping the environment - public transit - contradicts his stance on the environment as his top priority.
• The Governor's office has recently told callers that money from the general fund will be used to make up the spillover funding, resulting in more money than ever.  Paying for general fund purposes with dedicated public transit money does not count as more money for public transit.
• Redirecting public transit funding to plug other holes in the state budget will likely result in service cuts at transit agencies throughout California.  The end result: even more cars on our jammed highways, ultimately adding more greenhouse gas emissions to our environment.
• Funding previous General Fund programs with legally dedicated transit funds does not count as more funding for public transit.  Worse, replacing dedicated transit funds with voter-approved bond dollars defies the will of the voters, and will not create needed new public transit options.
• Just as agencies like VTA report increases in public transit ridership, the Governor's attack on public transit will ultimately reduce transit ridership.  The Governor's budget proposal reintroduces the "death spiral" of fare hikes, service reductions, and lost ridership VTA experienced earlier this decade.
• Hardest hit by the Governor's redirection of public transit funding: those who cannot drive an automobile due to age, health, and/or financial reasons.  These people traditionally depend on public transit for shopping, health care, work in the retail and service sectors, and schools.  Service cuts made on public transit throughout California affect the ability for these people to contribute to the state's economy.
• VTA front-line employees are also affected by the Governor's budget proposal.  Layoffs of bus and light rail operators, mechanics, and customer service personnel are likely, as transit services and thus operating hours are reduced.
• Find additional talking points and background information on this issue at the Transportation and Land Use Coalition's web site on this issue at http://www.transcoalition.org/c/sus_spill/index.html.

Silence is not an option.  California's politicians won't listen when you don't speak to them!

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---SCVTARU March 2007
revised July 5, 2007.  TALC members sss contributed to the revisions.

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