On Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown and California legislative leaders announced new fees chart for the drivers. Now, California drivers would go under a new plan of $52 billion with higher prices at new registration center and pumps. It is made to reconstruct the state’s bridges and transportation system.
Jerry Brown said that the deal isn’t perfect and includes long overdue. But Brown prioritizes it to improve the transportation system of the state and fix the infrastructure system of the city.
In Brown’s announcement on Wednesday “There will be critics, who say ‘Oh this costs money,’”. “If the roof in your house is leaking, you better fix it, because it gets worse all the time. This is mostly about fixing what we already have.”
This deal is a result of two years of making and possibly could be voted by Legislature for the coming week. Approximations suggest it would collect $5.2 billion by increasing the registration fees from $25 to $125 according to the size of vehicle. Sales tax on gas would not change but excise tax could rise.
Though Republicans didn’t support the deal and Assembly Republican Chad Mayes, R-Yucca Valley (San Bernardino County) said “Californians deserve better,” “State government has mismanaged our transportation system for decades, and the only answer, the only response to that is that the ruling party here in California wants to raise taxes.”
Also, Wunderman, CEO of the Bay Area Council, said “The reality is infrastructure is something we share, and it won’t fix itself,” “The future costs if nothing is done are really severe.”