Californians Sour on Bond-Financed Rail and Water Projects

TAHOMA, Calif. — Fewer than half of likely California voters favor current plans for construction of a bullet train system or an $11 billion water bond slated for the 2014 ballot, according to a poll.

The Public Policy Institute of California statewide survey released late Wednesday found that only 42% of likely voters favor the water bond, down from 51% support last March.

The poll also found that just 43% of likely voters favor the state's $68 billion high-speed rail project.

"Majorities of likely voters would favor the water bond and high-speed rail if the price tags on these big- ticket items were reduced," said Mark Baldassare, PPIC president and CEO in a statement. "Californians' continuing concerns about the economy and the state and federal budgets make planning for the future a difficult process."

Lawmakers removed the water-bond proposition from the November 2012 ballot on concern that it might jeopardize Governor Jerry Brown's Proposition 30 tax increase measure, which passed. It was the second time the ballot measure was delayed after it was approved by the Legislature and originally signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009.

The bond money would finance an overhaul of the state's aging public water system.

In 2008, voters approved a $9.95 billion general obligation bond measure to seed construction, with more than 52% voting "yes." Lawmakers delayed that bond measure two times from its originally scheduled appearance on the2004 ballot.

Earlier this week, the California High-Speed Rail Authority authorized the eventual sale of $8.6 billion of bonds to fund the first stage of the 500-mile bullet train system.

So far, only several hundred million dollars of state GO bonds have been issued for the authority. Lawmakers created the rail authority in 1996 to plan a high-speed passenger train system to link the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay regions.

This week's PPIC poll also found that Californians are more optimistic about the economy then they were just after the recent recession, with 41% saying they expect better times over the next year. However, 52% still expect hard economic times ahead, according to the poll.

The survey said 48% of likely voters approve of Gov. Jerry Brown; 25% think the Legislature is doing a good job.

Even though rating analysts have said the state's budget situation has improved, 72% of likely voters still think it is still a big problem.

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Transportation industry California
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