Capitol News

Budget deal on the ballot May 19

On May 19, voters will have the opportunity to approve or reject key aspects of the agreement between the Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to address California's record $42 billion deficit. What follows is a chart from the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) showing the impact of the budget propositions on state revenues in fiscal 2009-2010 as well as in future fiscal years. The chart assumes the propositions will pass, providing about $6 billion in revenue to the budget in the coming fiscal year. If they don't pass, the LAO estimates that the state will be $23 billion short of the money needed to pay its bills over the next year.

From Fran: What you may not know about the state's budget

1. Property tax revenues go primarily to the cities, counties and school districts, not to the state.

2. According to the state Controller's office, the state's combined share of income taxes, sales taxes, and corporate taxes was down $6.3 billion - or 40 percent - in April compared to 2008.

3. The state has a general fund budget of about $92 billion, only about $40 billion of which is not locked in by federal requirements or voter-approved ballot initiatives.

4. Most of that $40 billion goes to programs such as health, human services, prisons, and state parks.


5. Over the past three years, expenditures to fight and suppress wildfires exceeded the amount budgeted by $731 million. In the first 10 months of this fiscal year, the state spent $435 million to fight wildfires. That's six times the amount budgeted for the entire fiscal year, and there are two months left to go. This figure doesn't include the cost of the disastrous Santa Barbara fires earlier this month.

6. California legislators do not receive a pension.

7. California is one of only three states to require a two-thirds vote on the budget.

8. New tax credits mean less tax revenue for the general fund.

9. California has to have a balanced budget and cannot deficit spend the way the federal government can. Nor does it have the ability to print money.

10. The series of cuts in the vehicle license fee (VLF) over the past five years, since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took office, has cost local governments about $5 billion a year. The state has "backfilled" the local governments with its tax dollars since 2003. On May 19, the VLF will increase as part of the budget deal, but the 1.15 percent rate will still be lower than the 2 percent rate of 10 years ago - a rate that was in place for 50 years.

Spotlight on the Delta

On April 16, I joined a group of my fellow lawmakers for a helicopter tour of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. As chair of the Natural Resources and Water Committee, one of the main issues I'm tackling is how to better manage the ecologically fragile Delta to ensure the health of native fish species and the continued flow of fresh water to southern California.

Photos courtesy Dennis O'Connor

District Update

Greening the bottom line

On Saturday, May 30, please join me from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Calabasas Civic Center for "Greening the Bottom Line," an event jointly sponsored by my office, the City of Calabasas and the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce.

You'll receive information on how to save money by increasing energy and water efficiency in your home or business. At 2 p.m., presenters will discuss current environmental legislation and resources available to you.

The event will be held in Founders Hall, located in the Library Building, at 200 Civic Center Way, adjacent to the Calabasas Commons. For GPS and Google Maps, use the address 23910 Park Sorrento, Calabasas, 91302.

For more information, call Stephanie in my district office at (310) 314-5214 or visit my website at www.sen.ca.gov/pavley

Caltrans forges ahead with 405 project despite cash worries

Relief is finally on the way for drivers traveling the heavily congested stretch of the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Caltrans held an official groundbreaking May 8 for a $1 billion project to add a northbound carpool lane on a 10-mile stretch of 405 between the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) and the Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101). Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, U.S. Rep. Howard Berman and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa were on hand to celebrate with a group of dignitaries gathered in a parking lot that overlooks the highway at the West Los Angeles VA Hospital.

A delay in state bond funding, caused by the budget crunch, has left the project $614 million short of funds. Passage of the compromise state budget in February allowed the state to begin selling bonds again, but the substantial backlog in projects caused by the delay means that some, such as the 405, are still waiting for their money. Still, MTA decided to press forward with $372 million it had amassed in federal and local money. That will be enough to fund the project for about 15 months, at which time the transportation agency expects that the bond funds will have materialized.

Drivers can expect to see most surveying and preparatory work in the coming months. MTA reports that significant construction on the carpool lane itself won't begin until the state funding is available.

Santa Monica Beach House opens to the public

On April 25, I spoke at the opening of the spectacular Annenberg Community Beach House at 415 Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica. The Beach House is now open daily from 9 a.m. to sunset, no membership required.

People gather poolside at the Annenberg Community Beach House.

It is the only public beach club of its kind in California. Visitors can swim in the same marble-tiled pool where the Hollywood glitterati once frolicked, tour the historic guest house, and book events in the striking, modern Events House.

The Beach House occupies a 5-acre site first developed in the 1920s, when newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst built a 100-plus room mansion for actress Marion Davies. The property later changed ownership and was operated as a hotel. The main mansion was demolished in 1956, but the popular Sand & Sea Club continued to function. In 1994, the Northridge Earthquake damaged all structures on the property.

The Beach House property was brought back to life with a $27.5 million grant from the Annenberg Foundation. The project included rehabilitation of the historic guest house and pool, and the construction of the new Events House.

The state played a role in the restoration effort as well. When I served as Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee for Natural Resource and Parks Funding, I was able to secure $350,000 for the environmental work necessary to begin construction on the Beach House.

I'm happy to note that the Beach House represents another step toward sustainability by the city of Santa Monica, which expects the facility to be awarded at minimum a Silver LEED rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Beach House opening draws a crowd.

Public amenities at the Annenberg Community Beach House include a pool, volleyball/beach tennis courts, spaces for events and meetings, the Back on the Beach café, a children's play area, public art, a splash pad and the historic guest house.

The pool is now open weekends from 10 am to 6 pm. Reserve pool passes up to 3 days in advance. Pool passes provide access to the pool, deck, and pool house. The price for adults is $10, for kids, $4, seniors $5, and $24 for a family of four. Starting in June, the pool will be open seven days a week.

The historic Marion Davies Guest House will be open Thursday - Monday, from 11 am to 4 pm. Santa Monica Conservancy docents will lead tours on Thursday, Friday and Monday at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm; and Saturday and Sunday at 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. From October-May the Beach House will be available to rent. For more information, visit the Beach House web site at www.beachhouse.smgov.net.

Local builder, family, honored for green house in Pacific Palisades

I kicked off my new Environmental Sustainability Award this month with dual honors for contractor John Lee of Pacific Avenue Angel Partners, who built the first green Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) home in Pacific Palisades, and for the family that now lives in it.

The Environmental Sustainability Award is made each month to honor businesses and individuals living and working in a way that reduces their impact on the planet.

This white house on Hartzell Street is green. Photo courtesy of Palisadian Post.

The house on Hartzell Street features bamboo floors, recycled paint, toilets with two flushing options (liquid or solid waste) and solar panels. It also traps rainwater for reuse. A grass driveway is supported by plastic tubes that drain rainwater and are strong enough to support a parked car.

Lee, who built his own green home in Santa Monica where he lives with his family, signed onto the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program in 2006 to help build more environmentally-friendly single-family homes. The Lynches - Carmen and Rick and their two children, Zack and Chloe - were looking for a healthier home and fell in love when they saw the house on Hartzell. They've lived in it since December.

USS Stockdale commissioned in Port Hueneme

I had the honor of attending the April 18 commissioning of the USS Stockdale (DDG 106) at the Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme. The new ship is named after Vice Admiral James Stockdale, a naval aviator who survived more than seven years of imprisonment and torture at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" during the Vietnam War. The vice admiral, now deceased, was also the vice presidential running mate of candidate Ross Perot in 1992.

USS Stockdale enters fleet.

It is appropriate, in honor of Adm. Stockdale's legacy, that the ship's motto is "Return with Honor."

About 4,000 people gathered under sunny skies, a light breeze blowing, to celebrate the ship's commissioning. Those in attendance included the Stockdale family, veterans, 75 former Vietnam prisoners of war, Navy personnel, invited guests and the 272-member crew, working under Commander Frederick W. Kacher.

The 509-foot destroyer was festooned in red, white and blue bunting, along with colorful flags. Guns were fired and four F-18 planes flew overhead. The American flag and the POW/MIA flag fly over the Stockdale, which may be headed to the Somali coast if piracy contines to be a significant problem there. The ship's home port will be in San Diego.

Mayor Jonathan Sharkey of Port Hueneme told me that this was the second Navy ship commissioned at the base in his community.

Grass without gas

Did you know that the typical lawnmower pollutes as much in one year as a car driven 22,000 miles?

The South Coast Air Quality Management District is trying to address this problem with its popular "Mow Down Air Pollution" program. Homeowners attending the Saturday morning events can trade in their gas mowers and buy non-polluting battery-electric mowers at a deep discount.

This year, the program sold out within 48 hours after the opening of registration phone lines, with 4,000 people signing up to receive new lawn mowers.

If you didn't get a chance to participate this year, there's always next year. If you visit the air district's website at www.aqmd.gov you can sign up to be notified when registration is about to open.