AGENDA 21 RADIO

BY PAUL PRESTON

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – How much is one vote worth in the California state Senate? A half-billion dollars, if it’s linked to a big tax hike to pay for overdue road repairs.

The key vote to raise gas taxes and vehicle fees came late Thursday from Sen. Anthony Cannella, a little-known Republican and the only GOP member of the heavily Democratic Legislature to vote for the bill.

In return he won a promise of $400 million for a railroad extension into his Central Valley district in California’s agricultural heartland and a $100 million parkway project for the University of California, Merced.

Another $427 million will go to the overlapping districts represented by Sen. Richard Roth of Riverside and Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes of Corona, both Democrats. In a joint statement they claimed credit for delivering “Riverside County’s fair share” to their constituents.

The deal negotiated by Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders passed without a vote to spare and will raise gas taxes by 43 percent, or 12 cents a gallon, while also increasing diesel taxes. The hikes take effect Nov. 1.

The plan aims to raise $54.2 billion for road and bridge repairs, mass transit and other projects over 10 years.

Assembly Minority Leader Chad Mayes, R-Yucca Valley, called it “a deal so bad they needed $1 billion in pork to buy the votes to pass it.” Republicans argued it puts an unneeded burden on overtaxed Californians.