Argument in Favor of Proposition 35

TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK, OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS:

DOESN'T IT JUST MAKE SENSE TO PUT EVERYONE TO WORK TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS?

– Proposition 35, the Fair Competition Initiative, simply gives state and local governments the choice to hire qualified private sector engineers and architects where it makes sense to do so—SOMETHING MANY OTHER STATES DO ALREADY.

Why is Proposition 35 needed?

BEEN STUCK IN TRAFFIC LATELY?

According to the state's independent Legislative Analyst, last year traffic congestion cost California consumers $7.8 million a day! There is a huge BACKLOG of transportation projects needed to REDUCE CONGESTION and PREPARE OUR HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES FOR THE NEXT EARTHQUAKE.

– PROP. 35 WILL ALLOW US TO USE PRIVATE EXPERTS TO GET TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS COMPLETED ON TIME AND ON BUDGET—AND KEEP TAXES DOWN.

How did we get into this mess?

A small group of Caltrans bureaucrats—concerned only with their self-interests—filed several lawsuits that essentially banned the state from hiring private architects and engineers. They even terminated 15 existing earthquake retrofit contracts with private engineering firms.

– PROP. 35 WILL ALLOW CALIFORNIA TO ONCE AGAIN MAKE USE OF PRIVATE SECTOR EARTHQUAKE EXPERTS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OUR HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES.

But the problem doesn't end there: school districts, cities, counties and other local agencies' ability to choose both private and public sector architects and engineers is at risk, too.

Prop. 35 would simply restore state and local agencies' choice to utilize private experts—using the same fair selection process on the books today—to select the most qualified architects or engineers to get these projects designed and built on time and on budget.

– PROP. 35 MEANS WE DON'T HAVE TO RELY ONLY ON CALTRANS.

The state's independent Legislative Analyst recommended Caltrans contract out more work.

Why? Caltrans simply cannot do all the work alone. Plus, 17% of the Caltrans engineers have less than 3 years experience. And Caltrans is hardly a model of efficiency—a recent university study shows Caltrans spends more on administration than on maintenance of our roads and highways!

– THE CALIFORNIA TAXPAYERS' ASSOCIATION and other taxpayer groups SUPPORT PROP. 35 because it could SAVE CALIFORNIANS $2.5 BILLION ANNUALLY and CREATE 40,000 JOBS over the next ten years.

California's population is growing, creating the need for more schools, roads, transit, hospitals and other vital services. THERE'S PLENTY OF WORK FOR BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS to relieve traffic congestion, accommodate growing school needs and retrofit our aging highway system.

– COMMON SENSE TELLS US PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ARE THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO MEET THESE NEEDS and SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY.

With so much at stake, WE NEED ALL HANDS ON DECK. Join with:

– California Taxpayer Protection Committee

– Coalition for Adequate School Housing

– California Minority and Women's Business Coalition

– California Chamber of Commerce

– California Society of Professional Engineers

– National Federation of Independent Business

– J. E. Smith, Former Commissioner of the California

Highway Patrol

And hundreds of school districts, cities, counties, water districts, transportation agencies and earthquake engineers.

VOTE YES on 35.

LARRY MCCARTHY, President
California Taxpayers' Association
LORING A. WYLLIE, JR., Past President
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
TODD NICHOLSON, President
Californians for Better Transportation