Calif. finalizes $3 billion payout of infrastructure bond money

Calif. finalizes $3 billion payout of infrastructure bond money California state transportation officials ratified $3.1 billion in funding for trade corridor projects last week, raising the ire and outrage of some Southern California lawmakers who felt shorted in the disbursement.
   The California Transportation Commission, charged with doling out the voter-approved Proposition 1b bond fund, voted Thursday to finalize an earlier decision to give Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties a total of about $1.65 billion, or nearly 57 percent of the $3 billion in goods movement funds available. The counties had been seeking up to 75 percent, or about $2.2 billion, of the funds for transportation projects aimed at improving the flow of goods through ports, via rail and over the highways.
   In addition, the Bay Area/Central Valley will receive $825 million and San Diego will receive $400 million. Areas outside these three main groups were to receive $175 million. The CTC also set aside about $40 million for administrative fees.
   Last November, voters approved the $20 billion Proposition 1b bond measure to provide funds to improve the state's aging highway and transportation infrastructure. The state provided $2 billion for goods movement projects from the total Prop 1b funds, and in December added $500 million in already allocated state transportation funds and $500 million in potential future funds into the pot.
   In December, the CTC also voted to reject arguments by a coalition of 36 Southern California lawmakers calling for the lion's share of the bond funds to go to the five-county region. The coalition, fronted by State Assembly Speaker and Los Angeles Democrat Fabian Nu'ez, argued that Southern California deserved a larger share because 85 percent of the cargo containers handled in California move through the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
   Nu'ez blasted CTC's ratification vote last week as 'flawed' and 'unacceptable.' He also called for the resignation of Roger Snoble, chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, saying Snoble did not perform his advocacy duties properly, resulting in the loss of nearly $500 million in Prop 1B funds to Southern California.
   CTC officials said last week that the decisions were based on what projects were good for the entire state.
   The Prop 1b measure provided for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to distribute the funds through the CTC, whose members he appoints. The arrangement was heralded as a way to assure that political influence did not creep into the disbursement process. ' Keith Higginbotham