Washington, D.C – Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) announced that $750,000 in federal funds will be awarded to the California Department of Transportation under the Federal Highway Administration’s Surface Transportation System Funding Alternative Program (STSFA). These funds were awarded to further build upon the Mileage-Based Fee Pilot Program (SB 1077) that DeSaulnier established during his time in the California State Senate. This pilot program will explore alternative funding mechanisms necessary to advance the construction and maintenance of California’s roads, bridges and transit systems. This funding was authorized in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on December 4, 2015.

“Given the inability of the Highway Trust Fund to sustain needed roadway and bridge repair across the country, states are leading the way in identifying innovative funding alternatives. I am pleased California was well positioned to take advantage of this federal funding opportunity as a result of SB 1077.  Our state will be at the forefront of finding innovative ways to improve safety and reduce congestion for Bay Area commuters,” said Congressman Mark DeSaulnier.

The FAST Act established the Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives Program to provide grants to states or groups of states to demonstrate user-based alternative revenue mechanisms that utilize a user fee structure to maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund.

Earlier this year, Congressman DeSaulnier was a keynote speaker at the Mileage-Based User Fee Alliance’s Annual Conference, where he encouraged transportation leaders to adopt similar state policies to replace the losses in gas tax revenue.

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, Representatives Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) and Ted Lieu (CA-33) called on House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) to initiate an immediate investigation into the egregious overprescribing of opioid prescription painkillers and the inaction of Purdue Pharma and other pharmaceutical companies that may be aware of inappropriate opioid distribution by bad actors.

Recent reports by the Los Angeles Times exposed that Purdue Pharma, the maker of the highly addictive painkiller OxyCotin, collected extensive evidence on the overprescribing and illegal trafficking of the substance for more than a decade, yet the company failed to notify the appropriate federal and state authorities. During the course of their inaction, sales of OxyCotin at some pharmacies increased by over 1400 percent. Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999, and simultaneously so have sales of these prescription drugs.

“Despite receiving evidence from pharmacists and its own employees regarding suspected criminal trafficking of opioids, Purdue Pharma reportedly refused to take action and continued to engage in irresponsible practices that may have violated the law. In California, I was a leader in the fight to improve the state prescription drug monitoring program to prevent overprescribing by physicians and doctor shopping. Congress has a responsibility to investigate pharmaceutical companies that work around these reporting systems, ignore reports of illegal activity, disregard patient safety for the sake of profits, and endanger the public health,” said Congressman Mark DeSaulnier.

“I am troubled to learn of Purdue Pharma’s inappropriate opioid distribution practices. Reports indicating Purdue Pharma knowingly disregarded evidence of criminal drug trafficking of its drug reveals the company’s clear negligence for patient safety, medical ethics, and legal responsibilities all for the sake of profit. The fact that the United States is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic is cause for serious concern and we must hold those responsible accountable. As a member of the House Oversight Committee, I urge the Committee to initiate an investigation into this matter,” said Congressman Ted Lieu.

Click here to read a full copy of the letter sent to Chairman Jason Chaffetz.

To read complete coverage of Purdue Pharma by the Los Angeles Times click here.

Editor:

Thank you to the Antioch Herald for its recent coverage of the Frazier-Beall transportation plan, a smart, sensible bill that addresses our state’s transportation issues and provides a fair approach to funding provisions that will fix our roads and strengthen California’s economy. It is inarguable that our transportation infrastructure is rapidly deteriorating under the pressure of population growth that puts more vehicles on the road than the system was designed to manage safely.

The transportation funding plan put forth by Assemblyman Jim Frazier and Sen. Jim Beall offers a practical solution. It calls for an equitable distribution of funding responsibility among multiple sources, including gas and diesel tax increases and an annual fee for zero-emission vehicles. The bill encourages the use of public transit and other transportation alternatives. Frazier and Beall exhibit a commendable vision by balancing modes, understanding their net positive impact on relieving congestion and carbon emissions while off setting their impact on a corresponding net loss of gas tax receipts under the current program.

California’s transportation network serves as the lifeline for our personal mobility as well as an economic engine that makes the state the preferred originating point to move goods throughout the U.S.  We must fund consistent, long-term maintenance and expansion now to keep our lifeline open and ensure a safe, reliable transportation system that we can count on.

Art Hadnett

President, West Division at HNTB Corporation

San Francisco

By Acting Sergeant James Stenger #3604, Antioch Police Field Services Bureau

On August 31, 2016, at approximately 10:20 AM, APD dispatch received several calls from citizens regarding a possible shooting at Romis Liquor on E 18^th Street. Officers arrived on scene and determined there was no shooting and that a traffic collision had occurred. It was determined a 31-year-old Antioch male just exited the store when a 53-year-old Oakland female pulled into the parking lot and drove her vehicle into the store wall, pinning the male against the wall.

The male was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries to his lower extremities. The female was arrested for driving under the influence and later booked into the Martinez Detention Facility.

This preliminary information is made available by the Field Services Bureau. There will be no further information released regarding this case at this time. Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Following are the Antioch Police calls for service highlights as published in City Manager Steve Duran’s Weekly Report dated August 26, 2016 and provided by Chief of Police Allan Cantando.

Calls for Service & Arrest Data Summary:

Time Period: 08/18/16 00:00:00–08/24/16 23:59:59

Number of Calls for Service: 1,803

Number of Case Reports: 327

Number of Arrests: 79

Felony: 38

Misdemeanor: 40

Infraction: 1

Arrests with DUI charge: 0

The data is based upon unaudited CAD/RMS data at time of report generation.

• ·8/24/2016 at 11:08 pm, a victim of auto theft and a friend drove to Antioch on a tip that the victim’s stolen modified Toyota Landcruiser rock crawler and trailer were spotted downtown. Both had been stolen from a storage yard in Stockton about two weeks ago. They had used social media attempting to seek information on its whereabouts and located the Toyota and trailer which was attached to a Ford F250 with 54 year old Michael Vargas and 45 year old Harlan Bingham getting ready to leave. They called APD Dispatch and provided officers with updates while they were en route. Both Vargas and Bingham were contacted in the area of W. 7^th St. and K Street. Both were taken into custody without incident and booked into county jail. Vargas was found to have an outstanding warrant also. The victim provided a video from the storage yard that captured the theft and confirmed the F250 truck being the vehicle used during the theft.
• ·On 8/24/2016 at 10:45 pm, officers responded to the 2900 block of Delta Fair Blvd. for a possible burglary in progress. 34 year old Jamie Cambra was contacted in front of the business. She was found to have an outstanding warrant for her arrest for petty theft and was taken into custody without incident. She was later booked into county jail. The reported burglary was unfounded.
• ·On 8/24/2016 at 5:07 pm, an officer responded to a cold burglary call at 2800 Gentrytown Dr. While walking through the complex, the officer was flagged down by several citizens who advised 22 year old Michael Chamberlin was yelling and threatening them. As the officer approached, Chamberlin placed a bandana over his nose and mouth and immediately ran. When other citizens observed the officers attempts they blocked Chamberlin’s path. With the help of bystanders the officer was able to catch Chamberlin and take him to the ground. Chamberlin resisted and refused to comply with officers’ orders to put his hands behind his back. With the assistance of additional officers, Chamberlin was taken into custody. He was transported to county jail for making threats and resisting arrest.
• ·On 8/24/2016 at 4:17 pm, CHP made a traffic stop on 29 year old Dijon Ammons and he pulled over on Hillcrest Ave. near PG&E. Ammons waited until the officer walked up to the side of his car then sped off at a high rate of speed. CHP saw that Ammons hit a parked car and rolled the vehicle he was driving on S. Lake Dr. Ammons fled on foot and a citizen reported that Ammons was last seen in the backyard of a nearby house on S. Lake Dr. Ammons was found hiding under the rear deck of that home and he surrendered once he was spotted. Ammons had injuries to his arms including a cut on his left wrist that needed medical attention. CHP released Ammons pending further investigation and he was transported to the hospital for treatment. We took the traffic collision for CHP.
• ·On 8/24/2016 at 11:54 am, an APD detective obtained a Ramey Warrant for 45 year old Carlos Ramirez regarding a sexual assault of a minor. An on-duty patrol officer was aware of the warrant and knew what vehicles Ramirez was associated with. The officer drove by Ramirez’s residence in the 4600 block of Brookdale Cir. and both of his vehicles were at the house. Officers contacted Ramirez at the front door of the residence and he was placed under arrest. Ramirez was transported to the Antioch Jail where he was interviewed by the detective and later transported to county jail.
• ·On 8/24/2016 at 1:25 am, an officer conducted a pedestrian stop on 24 year old Jose Pedroza at Chevron located at 2413 A St. Pedroza was found to have a warrant in the system for violation of his parole/probation. Pedroza was arrested and booked at county jail.
• ·On 8/23/2016 at 11:31 pm, officers contacted 45 year old Gary Sanford during a pedestrian stop near Auto Zone located at 1623 A St. and found to be in possession of methamphetamine and heroin. Sanford was released at the scene on a citation.
• ·On 8/23/2016 at 11:18 pm, officers contacted 37 year old Merian Murphy was contacted at Kaiser hospital on Sand Creek Rd. as she was causing a disturbance. Murphy had a warrant for her arrest so she was arrested and handcuffed. Murphy was able to grab an officer’s Taser from his vest, but she was quickly subdued. While being placed in the patrol car she kicked an officer in the chest a few times before being contained in the car. No one was injured in the altercation with Murphy. Murphy was direct transported to county jail.
• ·On 8/23/2016 at 2:46 pm, an officer was conducting extra patrol in the area of 7-11 on Buchanan Road when he saw 25 year old Dparis Williams standing at the front door. Williams has been arrested for trespassing numerous times at this location. He was arrested again for trespassing and a probation violation. He was sent to county jail.
• ·On 8/23/2016 at 12:35 am, 39 year old Julian Owens was contacted during a pedestrian stop in the area of C St. and W 20^th St. Officers found Owens in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine and heroin as well as a glass pipe. Owens was cited released from the scene.
• ·On 8/22/2016 at 11:42 pm, 44 year old Nicole Costa was contacted while trespassing at Goodwill located at 2701 W. 10^th St. She had a warrant for her arrest in the system for several drug violations. Costa was arrested and cite released at the scene with a new court date.
• ·On 8/22/2016 at 11:57 pm, officers were dispatched to a disturbance at an apartment located at 3421 Hudson Ct. 54 year old Terryn Conerly was contacted at the apartment and found to have a warrant in the system for his arrest. Conerly was arrested and booked at county jail.
• ·On 8/22/2016 at 7:49 pm, 46 year old Tisha Stephenson and the 50 year old male victim are both transient. The victim became upset because Stephenson was not following the unwritten rule of only panhandling for 30 minutes at a time so others could have a turn. They got into an argument that resulted in Stephenson pulling out a metal bat and hitting the victim, causing minor injuries. Stephenson was still panhandling when we arrived and was arrested without incident and booked into county jail.
• ·On 8/22/2016 at 5:30 pm, officers were dispatched to the alley behind 1700 Sycamore Dr. for a subject possibly living out of their vehicle. 53 year old Irene Hendricks was contacted and found to have a no-cite warrant in the system for her arrest. She was taken into custody and booked into county jail.
• ·On 8/22/2016 at 2:00 pm, officers went to a home in the 5100 block of Canada Hills Dr. to standby while adult protective services removed a subject from the home. Officers contacted 33 year old Michael Woodruff while at the call location and ran him for warrants. He was listed as a parolee at large out of Amador County. We learned he was living at the listed location and contacted his parole agent. The agent placed a parole hold on him and he was arrested and booked into county jail.
• ·On 8/22/2016 at 1:26 pm, officers saw 29 year old Vartisha Jones standing near the intersection of Sycamore Dr. and Banyan Dr. and knew she had a warrant for her arrest. She was contacted and arrested. During a search of her person, Jones was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. She was later booked in county jail.
• ·On 8/22/2016 at 3:42 am, 24 year old Bismarck Amituanai was intoxicated and causing a disturbance at his parents residence in the 2000 block of Beechwood Way. Bismarck was contacted arrested without incident. He was booked into county jail.
• ·On 8/21/2016 at 11:58 pm, 35 year old Nina Asghari was contacted during a traffic stop in the area of C St. and W. 20^th St. She was found to be in possession of 1.8 grams of methamphetamine and a glass pipe. She was arrested and cite released from the scene.
• ·On 8/21/2016 at 10:20 pm, many residents called regarding a shootout with 20+ shots being fired in the Mandarin Way area. None of the callers reported seeing anything. Officers located numerous expended .223 caliber shell casings in a driveway in the 2200 block of Mandarin Way and numerous expended .40 caliber shell casings in the driveway area of the 2300 block of Mandarin Way. Three unoccupied parked cars were struck as were two residences. No injured victims were located. While investigating this incident an officer saw a parked occupied vehicle in the area. 19 year old Deangelo Currie was in the vehicle and gave a false name. He was found in possession of a loaded handgun under the seat. Currie was arrested without incident and sent to county jail.
• ·On 8/21/2016 at 4:55 am, officers responded to a structure fire at Antioch Middle School. Officers arrived and located a garbage can on fire. The fire was quickly put out. Contra Costa Fire arrived and checked the buildings. No other damage was located. There were no witnesses or suspects located.
• ·On 8/22/2016 at 1:30 am, 26 year old Ricardo Cendejas assaulted his former girlfriend on a previous date and now there was probable cause for his arrest. Cendejas also had a no bail felony warrant for assault on an officer. Tonight, he showed back up at the apartment located at 1111 James Donlon Blvd. and was trying to gain entry into the apartment. As officers approached, he fled on foot and into an awaiting vehicle. The driver of the vehicle swerved towards officers nearly hitting them. The vehicle fled and a pursuit was initiated. Officers gave chase onto westbound Highway 4 until CHP took over the pursuit near Bailey Rd. An APD K9 officer stayed in the pursuit with CHP west on Highway 680 to 242 to 24 were the APD K9 officer was terminated at the Caldecott tunnel. CHP advised later that they lost the vehicle in downtown Oakland.
• ·On 8/21/2016 at 6:35 pm, officers responded to a large fight at Ashburton Park located at 2900 Ashburton Dr. While officers were en route, one of the victims called 9-1-1 stating he was following a vehicle with several responsibles inside. The victim advised he was struck several times and that the subjects inside the vehicle had a shot gun. Officers located the vehicle at the intersection of Cavallo Rd. and E. Tregallas Rd. A high risk stop was conducted and four subjects were detained that were subsequently positively identified by the victims. Inside the vehicle, officers found numerous shot gun rounds, a loaded shot gun, and several air soft guns. A pit bull was discovered in the vehicle as well and as two officers tried to remove the dog, one officer was bit on the hand. The officer’s wound was minor. He was treated at the hospital and returned to duty. Identified suspects were booked into county jail.
• ·On 8/21/2016 at 2:20 pm, officers responded to 4 Helmuth Lane for a cold report of petty theft of a flag. The officer learned that 66 year old Steven Kinder had taken his neighbor’s American flag. A report was taken at that time, but no arrest was made. Approximately two hours later, the officer responded to the Mexican Restaurant at 1725 Cavallo Road for a vandalism call. During this incident, Kinder caused a disturbance and vandalized the food counter. He was arrested and released on a notice to appear. Approximately two hours later, Officer Adams responded to 1802 Alpha Way for a threats call. He learned Kinder was in an argument with his neighbor over trash. During the argument, Kinder made threats to kill his neighbor. Kinder was located near Romi’s Liquors on Cavallo Road and arrested without incident. Kinder gave a statement and was booked into county jail.
• ·On 8/21/2016 at 1:40 am, a 20 year old male victim was at a small party in the 5300 block of Catanzaro Way and was standing outside by the front door. An unknown subject in an unknown vehicle fired numerous rounds at the residence, one of which struck the victim in the upper leg. The victim’s friends rushed him to the hospital where he was quickly stabilized with non-life threatening injuries. Officers responded to the residence and met with the remaining occupants of the home who all claimed they had little to no knowledge of the shooting. The residence was struck by at least three bullets and one slug was recovered from the driveway. No casings were located and a protective sweep yielding nothing of note. According to the victim, he had no idea why the shooting took place and it was unknown if he was an intended target or just standing in the wrong place.
• ·On 8/20/2016 at 5:12 pm, officers responded to the 2000 block of Lynwood Dr. on a report of an unwanted guest. Officers arrived and contacted 34 year old Joseph Malfitano outside the residence. A computer check on him revealed there was a warrant for his arrest for drug sales. Malfitano was arrested without incident and booked into county jail.
• ·On 8/20/2016 at 4:21 pm, officers were dispatched to 1111 James Donlon on a report of a vandalism to a vehicle. Officers arrived and learned 23 year old Niemah Rodriguez was intoxicated and for no apparent reason began damaging her neighbor’s vehicle. Officers contacted Rodriguez and found her to be on probation with a clause that she cannot consume alcohol. The victim signed a citizen’s arrest and Rodriguez was arrested without incident and booked into county jail.
• ·On 8/20/2016 at 2:22 pm, a 53 year old resident on Linden Way reported hearing several gunshots in the area of her residence the night before. She went outside and saw numerous people picking up casings in the street in front of her house. She was not able to get a description of the people in the street because it was dark. This morning, she discovered her vehicle was struck by the gunfire. There are no investigative leads at his time.
• ·On 8/19/2016 at 11:16 pm, an officer contacted 40 year old Raheem Coe who was standing in front of the doorway of Gas City located at 4198 Lone Tree Way. Coe has been contacted and advised he was no longer welcome on the property several times in the past. The clerk signed a citizen’s arrest and Coe was taken into custody for trespassing and booked into county jail. On 8/20/2016 at 2:41 pm Coe was re-arrested and sent back to county jail.
• ·On 8/19/2016 at 1:40 pm, a 42 year old victim arrived home at the 900 block of St. Francis Dr. and discovered his house was burglarized. He told APD dispatch that he was going to wait in his vehicle because the house had not been checked. While the victim was sitting in his vehicle he saw documented Norteño gang member, 21 year old Johnny Madden, come out the front door of his residence and start loading property from the burglary into a vehicle. Officers arrived on scene and Madden was taken into custody. The victim stated that he also saw another male inside of his residence through a window. Officers checked the residence and it appeared that the second male most likely saw officers arrest Madden and fled out the rear of the residence before the officers knew about him. Madden was booked into county jail.
• ·On 8/19/2016 at 9:19 am, an officer found that a known gang member, 21 year old Brandon Elder, had two felony warrants for his arrest. Several APD officers went to Elder’s residence in the 200 block of Rossi Ave. where Elder was contacted in his bedroom. Elder was arrested and sent to county jail.
• ·On 8/19/2016 at 9:04 am, a 40 year old female called APD dispatch and stated that 42 year old Shawn West was at her residence located in the 5100 block of Monitor Pass Way and that he had a warrant for his arrest. The caller stated that West drove a blue Jaguar and that she left the residence because West was being verbal with her. At about 10:06 am, an officer saw a blue Jaguar and determined it was West’s vehicle. He conducted a stop on the vehicle and arrested West for the warrant. West was transported to county jail.
• ·On 8/19/2016 at 12:12 am, APD units responded with Contra Costa Fire for the report of an apartment fire at 2118 Alpha Way. On arrival, the back apartment of the complex was engulfed. Contra Costa Fire quickly extinguished the fire before it spread to the other units. This is the same apartment from an arson case on 8/10/2016 in which a suspect in the area is believed to have set that fire with gasoline. The fire tonight appears to be started by the same means. The suspect has not been located at this time. Contra Costa Fire took over the investigation. No one was injured and the other apartments were temporarily evacuated.
• ·On 8/19/2016 at 5:44 pm, a 29 year old male victim arrived at the hospital emergency room with a head injury. The victim informed hospital staff he thought he had been shot or jumped on Sycamore Dr; however, emergency room staff did not believe the injury to be a gunshot wound. The victim was uncooperative with officers and stated he was in the area of Gentrytown Dr. when he heard a gunshot and he all of a sudden blacked out. The victim had a 1-2 inch laceration to his head with swelling around the wound. It appeared as if the victim was struck with a blunt object.
• ·On 8/18/2016 at 3:58 pm, officers were dispatched to the area of 2301 Sycamore Dr. on a report of approximately 10-12 shots heard from the area. As officers were en-route, additional callers reported seeing males fleeing the area in vehicles east bound on Sycamore Dr. and subjects fleeing on foot going into 2301 Sycamore Dr. Officers located spent casings in the middle of Sycamore Dr. in front of the Delta Pines Apartment complex. Officers were unable to locate any victims or suspects.
• ·On 8/18/2016 at 9:45 am, the Antioch Harbor Master realized this morning that a city owned Boston Whaler Boat was stolen from the Marina. An officer responded for the report and watched video of the area the boat was stolen from and discovered the boat was stolen on 8/17/16, at about 0255 hours. The video was not great quality but provided some limited description of the boat used to steal the city owned boat. This case is still under investigation.

Sawyer-White

Having filed her papers to run for the Antioch School Board on August 12, Crystal Sawyer-White announced the reasons for her candidacy in a press release, on Sunday, August 28. The owner of a local tutoring company and former Parent Education Teacher for teen mothers in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, also offered the following about her background:

“Hello Antioch Residents,

I am running to become a School Board Member of Antioch Unified School District. I have lived in Antioch for over 12 years. I am married with two children. My daughter graduated from Deer Valley High School and she is also a recent graduate of Grambling State University. My son currently attends Diablo Vista Elementary. I am enthusiastic about the quality of education over the past few years within the Antioch Unified School District. Because of my background and experience, I feel I can contribute to our community’s continual success in providing our children with a world class education. I am fully aware of the myriad of challenges both our children and school district face. Since making Antioch my home, I have been actively involved not only as a parent but in education as well.

Here are some of my qualifications:

• Master of Science in Education(with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instructional Strategies) 2012
• Co-founder and owner of Bay Area Tutorial that focuses on student academic achievement and graduation. This includes tutoring foster youth in collaboration with Contra Costa County Office of Education Youth Development Services
• School Site Council – Diablo Vista Elementary 2.5 years
• Member-LCAP (Local Control Accountability Planning)
• Parent Advocate for children with autism and special needs
• Advocate for parents with intellectual disabilities
• Former Parent Education Teacher for Teen Mothers at Mt. Diablo Unified School District

Currently, I am substituting to pursue completing my teaching credential.

My goals are straightforward. I plan to work collaboratively with our fellow Antioch school board members to improve our quality of education for students in addition to providing teachers and parents tools needed to help meet these milestones and goals. Here are some of the following goals and milestones I would like to help our school district achieve:

• Increase attendance
• Increase graduation rates
• Increase college enrollment
• Increase teacher retention
• Increase parent involvement

With your vote I will help to put children first.”

Sawyer-White is one of seven candidates for school board, including one incumbent and two appointed incumbents. The election is Tuesday, November 8.

On Thursday, August 25, 2016, Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D – Oakley) and Senator Jim Beall (D – San Jose) introduced companion bills – ABX1 26 and SBX1 1 – in the 1st Extraordinary Session to address California’s transportation funding crisis. As mentioned in a previous article, the plan includes increases to the tax on gas by 17 cents per gallon and on diesel by 30 cents per gallon, as well as a $165 annual fee on electric vehicles.

“Over the past year, I’ve worked with my colleagues, local communities and industry experts to develop an all-inclusive plan that makes necessary improvements to our transportation system. These conversations resulted in ABX1 26,” stated Frazier. “The package that Senator Jim Beall and I put forth provides vital tools to ensure California remains economically competitive. By strengthening our trade corridors and accelerating the movement of goods, this proposal keeps business in California while simultaneously creating jobs through the advancement of crucial road maintenance and enhancement projects.”

 The joint proposal provides an additional $7.4 billion annually across California’s transportation system: highways, local streets, transit, bikes and pedestrians. The plan utilizes a portfolio approach in addressing a multitude of funding needs, ensuring that everyone benefiting from California’s transportation infrastructure contributes to its continual maintenance and improvement. Additionally, important systemic reforms are included to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of funds.

“Assemblymember Jim Frazier and I have met with scores of legislators and stakeholders to craft an equitable solution that calls for everyone who drives to pay their fair share toward repairing California’s crumbling roads, bridges and trade corridors,” said Senator Jim Beall, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. “Our plan includes bipartisan recommendations to increase efficiency and accountability to taxpayers.  By choosing to repair our transportation system now, we will have smoother and safer roads, generate jobs, and also save billions of dollars in future maintenance and construction costs.’’

The breakdown of new annual funding includes $2.9 billion for state highway maintenance, $2.5 billion for the upkeep of local streets and roads, $534 million to help regions restore cuts to the State Transportation Improvement Program, $516 million for transit capital projects and operations, $900 million to enhance goods movement, $80 million for active transportation projects and up to $150 million possible through Caltrans efficiencies for bicycle and pedestrian projects.

“This new proposal demonstrates real progress in the fight to secure needed transportation funding,” stated Bob Alvarado, Executive Officer of the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council. “Many in the labor community are already supportive of these efforts and look forward to helping secure the success of a funding package so we can put people to work.”

Asked if he and Beall had considered reallocating current spending to pay for their plan instead of the tax increases, Frazier responded with the following:

“In most circumstances, transportation funding has always come from a user-pay system. The General Fund is an unsteady and unpredictable source of revenue with regular fluctuations, resulting in constant funding and defunding of state-run programs. Therefore, this is not an ideal candidate for transportation projects, which can take years to plan and complete. Imagine the disappointment of developing a project only to have it cancelled last minute and without warning because state revenues are down and other programs were considered more important.”

“The proposal I laid out in ABX1-26 fixes the current transportation funding structure while still following the guiding principle of a user-pay system. This new plan utilizes a portfolio approach to diversify the collection of funds, ensuring that everyone benefiting from California’s transportation system is contributing to its maintenance and overall improvement. Additionally, the plan fixes the gas tax’s current structure, ending the instability and uncertainty of available revenues. It does this by resetting the revenue source to where it was before being altered in 2010. It then indexes it to keep pace with inflation so we can be confident that its buying power will remain strong into the future.”

The 1st Extraordinary Session was called by the Governor in June of 2015. The bills have until November 30th to be taken up for a vote before the session expires. To see the complete text of the bill, please click here.

Assemblymember Frazier represents the 11th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Antioch, Bethel Island, Birds Landing, Brentwood, Byron, Collinsville, Discovery Bay, Fairfield, Isleton, Knightsen, Locke, Oakley, Pittsburg (partial), Rio Vista, Suisun City, Travis AFB, Vacaville and Walnut Grove.