PAYING THE TOLL

The Question of Regional Government

2012-07-03T06:36:00.002-07:00

I can see many sides of many issues, and as a historian it's nice to have the freedom to take a stance or to avoid one. But on the question of regionalism, I am a passionate advocate for authoritative and democratic government. And I do mean government--public, accountable, and transparent--not some mish-mash of public/private "governance." This week, some of my research was published in ACCESS magazine, which reaches large numbers of people who face this question on a regular basis. Hopefully, it will contribute to the larger discussion.

http://uctc.its.berkeley.edu/access/40/access40_defeatofgg.shtml

Urban Infrastructure Podcast: Penna Turnpike and the Chicago Skyway

2012-03-11T06:25:00.001-07:00

I have been a fan of the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago since my days at the Keston Institute at USC. This week, I had the chance to share some of my recent work in a GCI seminar. And, for the first time, I am now featured in a podcast! You can download my talk at the GCI podcast Web site.

I discuss some of the issues related to toll financing and highways, looking back at the experience of the Penn Turnpike and the Chicago Skyway. It includes some of the material in my most recent article, "Tolls and Control" in the Journal of Planning History. There are a lot of other fascinating lectures available from the GCI. I know what I will be listening to on my next drive south!

Rachel Weber organized the seminar--she does some amazing work related to urban development and finance. I highly recommend her article "Selling City Futures" in Economic Geography, as well as her various other articles related to tax increment financing. I am also looking forward to some of her new research on the Skyway specifically, with Marc Doussard and Phil Ashton, which should be forthcoming soon.

Chicago Skyway: Past, Present, Future?

2012-01-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

I just returned from my first Transportation Research Board meeting, which was an amazing experience. Thousands of academics and professionals--engineers, planners, mostly, but at least three historians--met in Washington to discuss transportation. Apparently, this meeting has been growing quickly over the last decade, and it is now one of the largest subject-specific conferences there is. I think it testifies to the need for vibrant interdisciplinary forums, and I am sure it could be a model for many areas of inquiry.

I produced my first poster for the event. It is a preview of one of my current projects: a book on the Chicago Skyway.

New Article on Toll Road Privatization!

2011-12-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

My new article comparing recent efforts to privatize major toll roads was just release online by the Journal of Planning History!

Tolls and Control: The Chicago Skyway and the Pennsylvania Turnpike

And, expect much more in the future. I am developing a book on the history of the Skyway, which provides an exciting glimpse into Chicago infrastructure politics over the last fifty years, a subject not for the meek, believe me. I'll be presenting some of the new research in Washington at the meeting of the Transportation Research Board (the 800 lb gorilla of transportation conferences) in January. Be sure to look for me!

TURNPIKES, TOLL ROADS, AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

2011-06-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months, there has been a lot of excitement surrounding turnpike agencies throughout the country. The Maine Turnpike Authority is undergoing reform in the wake of a major scandal over freewheeling gift card distribution and general extravagance. The Ohio turnpike, which is being eyeballed for a potential lease by Gov. Kasich, has been in the papers for disproportionately high salaries,well above those of the DOT. And, Peter Samuel reports that early indications have surfaced that there may have been some questionable contracts granted (or NOT granted, it's not clear) for tolling facilities by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey recently. Still, Penn Turnpike officials seem to be competing for the status of most likely to be in hot water. Agency officials have hired outside consultants to scrutinize the agency's "top brass." Despite this declaration of openness, they are nevertheless in court fighting off a journalist's attempt to secure access to its EZ-pass records.

The Pennsylvania story really strikes a chord for me right now, because I am in the midst of a battle over Chicago Skyway records. I submitted a FOIA to several departments of the city of Chicago for Skyway records from the 1990s. Yes, go ahead, LAUGH! So far, I have been met with nothing but delay and denial. Each of Chicago's departments is treated as a separate legal entity under its interpretation of the law. The Department of Streets and Sanitation sent me nothing but a terse we "do not have any records that are responsive to your FOIA request." Rosa Calderon, the FOIA officer for Streets and Sanitation, ignored multiple further queries and requests for help or information on record keeping procedures. Very unfriendly. The representative in the city clerk's office didn't even bother to get back to me, but to be fair that wasn't a completely formal, legalistic request. The Dept. of Finance representative, Sandra Collins, has put more effort into warding off my requests, but she told me that she was sure there was a "statute of limitations" on such things. Statue of limitations is revealing language--during that time, Streets and Sanitation was under the leadership of Al Sanchez, who will be serving time for operating a "sham city hiring scheme" through the department. While I am looking for materials that were designed for general consumption and publication, I am sure no one wants to risk any more skeletons accidentally falling from closets. Really, I just want to fill out a chart that I developed from the annual and monthly Skyway reports, showing traffic and revenue. No big secrets there. But, I am pretty sure the FOIA officers consider it their job to find reasons to deny requests, rather than to assist with research. Not surprising, I suppose.

Whether or not they actually HAVE the reports from that period seems not to concern anyone, even though that's the requirement of the relevant public records law. Actually, I suspect that the official, public reports that I am requesting would be easy to locate. Until 1989, when Sanchez took over, they were regularly sent to a number of regional libraries, including the Harold Washington Library. I submitted a request for review of the request to the Illinois State's Attorney about a week ago, hopefully something will come of it. In the meanwhile, wish me luck!

When I was starting my research on the Golden Gate Bridge, I had to go through a lengthy and confrontational process to get access to their records, despite California's very strong public records act. I discovered that the act was STRENGTHENED in the 1970s SPECIFICALLY because of the intransigence and lack of accountability of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transit District (thank you Bill Bagley). Read the introduction to my book for more information, and resources for how to pursue these requests. Local governments, especially ones with TOLL REVENUES to protect, seem to be universally secretive and resistant to investigation.

Chicago Skyway History presentation in Berkeley May 4

2011-05-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

I will be presenting research on the history of the Chicago Skyway, including its 2004 lease, on May 4 at noon at UC Berkeley, room 304 in Wurster Hall. Chicago is known for its, shall we say, interesting municipal politics. Skyway history is no exception. MORE INFORMATION available on the IURD website!

TO RAY LAHOOD: More than one Path to Transportation Safety

2009-11-16T05:59:00.000-08:00

Ray LaHood came out with a statement over the weekend calling SAFETY his "No. 1 Priority when it comes to planes, trains and automobiles." That's nice. Who is not in favor of safety? Actually, he's focusing on trains, talking about developing new federal oversight and standards for the nation's decentralized, motley and pathetically inadequate mass transit systems. Certainly, recent incidents in Los Angeles and Washington DC (especially Washington DC) have highlighted the fact that these systems are not always adequately maintained or operated.

Now, I am not one to automatically denounce federal action based on a knee-jerk opposition to "big government." I have no problem with a little broad, well-targeted regulation here and there, especially when it comes with carrots as well as sticks. We've yet to see if this initiative involves carrots, but certainly no amount of funding can be enough to bolster the skeletal, aging, and often (already) embattled mass transit systems of urban America. And, according to the Washington Post, there is a gaping lack of oversight protecting light rail and subway riders.

But, if safety truly is the biggest concern here, I want to suggest two approaches to reducing passenger risk that I urge Mr. LaHood to consider.

First, the safest way to travel is NOT TO TRAVEL. No matter how safe those "planes, trains and automobiles" are, there is an inherent element of risk in their use. I guess you can call this the ABSTINENCE approach to transportation safety. LaHood's recent statement reflects the chasm transportation and land use in American policy--chasm that needs to be bridged if we are going to develop policies that promote sustainability in the long-term. For too long, policy-makers in transportation have accepted blindly that the goal of transportation policy should be the efficient and inexpensive movement of passengers and goods. Making the vehicles of that movement more efficient and safer is a laudable goal, but reducing the need to move is a much more cost-effective way to reduce the need for spending on infrastructure, reduce pollution, and of course to reduce the number of accidents and failures overall. How do we do that? Adopt policies that allow for dense residential development, the revitalization of central cities, and easy access to jobs, services, recreation, shopping and other amenities. For the movement of freight: how about promoting local farming and manufacturing? Rather than cultivating suburbs and subsidizing endless movement, we could be cultivating local jobs and businesses. LaHood should be building ties and lending support to the local and regional planning initiatives that promote these goals.

Secondly, let's see some policies that encourage people to use the safest mode of travel. According to my calculations, based on numbers from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, (which I should say are rather inconsistent, come with lots of caveats, and don't seem to necessarily match up with their supposed sources), there is a highway fatality for about every 121 million passenger miles traveled in the United States--and this represents a recent improvement. In contrast, there is one fatality for every 285 million miles of transit--and that includes buses. However, I think it's fair to say that safety improvements are needed for rail of all sorts, particularly in terms of grade crossings. There are a shocking number of fatalities due to collisions of trains with cars, bicycles, pedestrians, etc. as a recent report from Transportation For America documents. Perhaps Mr. LaHood should be talking about the safety of streets, roads, and railroads rather than the vehicles that operate on them (I know that LA could sure use some grade separations, for example).

Certainly, one way to promote safety in transportation is to encourage people to use the safest means of travel. Improved safety standards and oversight that come with real and substantial funding for investments in infrastructure and better rolling stock would also be an enormous boon. Even better would be money for improved and expanded transit service that can lure people out of their dangerous automobiles. And, let's also think about encouraging walkable neighborhoods--overcoming entrenched local opposition to density and affordable housing is certainly something that could reduce fatalities and injuries associated with transportation. If safety is your No. 1 priority, make it a priority that helps break down barriers and obsolete paradigms for transportation policy.

A Novel Abuse of the California Environmental Quality Act

2009-09-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

An angry group of misanthropes are suing to stop a suicide barrier on the Cold Spring Canyon Bridge in Santa Barbara County.

UPDATE: Report that this is the deadliest year to date for this remote bridge, seven deaths so far. Time to take action.

Suicide Barrier Seems to Be Going Nowhere without Funding from the Bridge District

2009-08-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

Read the latest on the prospects for a suicide barrier. They are not good. This is not surprising, but discouraging nevertheless. I hope that the coalition that has been fighting for it over the last few years--and making real progress--re-orients its efforts to pressure the bridge district to actually put up the cash for the project. In good times or bad, that's the best bet for success, in my opinion. In bad times especially--when the reliability of toll revenue diminishes but nevertheless remains much more stable than most other potential sources of funding.

California Constitutional Convention Gaining Momentum, Opposition

2009-07-22T07:13:00.000-07:00

I'm glad to see new analysis of the Constitutional Convention proposal, from the New America Foundation and Repair California. As my readers know, I've been optimistic about this idea since it was proposed by the Bay Area Council's Jim Wunderman last year. However, there seems to be a cohort organizing against a convention, using strong language in support of continued piecemeal reform without directly denouncing the convention proposal. California Forward seems to be the organization representing this approach. I imagine that a convention is seen as too risky for minority party members (and other conservatives) who have an interest in maintaining the vacuum of governance at the state level and the ongoing shift of authority to the local level where they still have pockets of power. I think we do need an effective state government, however, now and in the long-term. And, it is obvious that the piecemeal approach to reforming state government has failed. I hope that the convention movement can overcome inertia and weak reform measures designed to dampen its momentum.

Reconstructing Transportation

2009-07-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

I know many of you will be glad to hear that my much-anticipated essay on transportation policy is finally available! The July issue of Technology and Culture has been released. It coincides with efforts to hammer out the terms of surface transportation legislation. Brace yourself for the same old battles between modes over the next two months. My hope is that if enough people start thinking about how modes are really an artificial and inadequate categorization of transportation they might start to think about systems rooted local and regional patterns of movement--and to develop policy to support efficient and effective multi-modal systems.

WARNING TO CITIES: push too hard for more federal transportation funding without reforming the way it is spent and we’ll end up with more of this:

2009-07-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

Great article in the New York Times today pointing out that cities are getting way less than a fair share of transportation stimulus money. Of course, this is old, old news. I'm in DC right now looking into this very issue as it played out mid-century. City leaders knew that they should be getting more money from the feds, and they fought hard to get a bigger cut. But, their efforts backfired. The problem was, the funds that were coming out of Washington through state highway departments were earmarked for only one form transportation infrastructure. And, that form was very, very problematic for the physical reality of cities. After fighting so hard to get a bigger share, cities ended up with horrific, destructive highways shoved through their dense urban cores. They were dying for the money, wanted to spend it but could only spend it on highways, and rationalized the destruction by saying they were "renewing" urban neighborhoods by bulldozing slums. And, as was so painfully obvious even then and certainly now, all of this was shaped by deeply racist motivations and and carried out with devastating consequences for minority communities. The reaction to this disaster was manifest in nation-wide freeway revolts. And, we've been left with scarred, gutted city cores as a result.

Now, the very same problems that led to the urban transportation fiasco of the 50s and 60s still plague transportation policy. Funds are still earmarked by mode, planning still takes place separately by modes, urban transportation planning is still inadequate and weak. We need change the structures and procedures that shape transportation appropriations and planning to integrate modes.

My article in the July issue of Technology & Culture goes into more detail on ways to do this. Also, Raymond A. Mohl of the University of Alabama, Birmingham has done some great work on this subject and I believe will be coming out with a book soon. If you want to read more, I suggest looking up his numerous articles on the subject, including his contribution to a special issue of the Journal of Urban History on freeway revolts, vol. 30 no. 5 (2004). You'll find several other fantastic pieces in that issue, as well. I've got a freeway revolt piece, as well, but it's a suburban study, focusing on the origins of Marin County's growth control regime.

The Fatalities of Tax Advantage Leases

2009-07-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

Take a look at my new blog post on the tax-related causes of the Washington Metro crash. I moved it over to the Huffington Post, where it has gotten almost no attention. I may be wrong, but I think this story--the connection between long-term leases for tax breaks and the metro crash--is not nearly as big as it deserves to be.

Bridge Suicide Statistics

2009-05-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

Recently, I gave a talk at the Huntington about Golden Gate Bridge suicide. I just want to share the statistics I compiled for the presentation. The data is as accurate as I could manage using a variety of sources, as of May 2009.

I don't think the large number of suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge is the result of any special fame or beauty--the vast majority of victims are local, just as they are on other structures. Rather, it reflects the unusually long time that has elapsed since the bridge earned a reputation for suicide. That, in my opinion, is to a large degree due to the administration of the bridge. The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District is too narrowly focused and its leaders too insulated from pressure or accountability. The problem of suicide falls outside what they consider to be legitimate bridge district concerns. If the bridge were operated by a general-purpose government, as are most such structures, consideration of the larger consequences of thousands of suicides for the region and its residents--not just for the immediate interests of the agency--would come into play.

UPDATE: The All-America bridge in Ohio has developed a reputation as a suicide magnet, with 28 deaths since 1997. Local officials are talking about a net. Here's an article in the New York Times. I love the quote from the mayor of Akron: “I think that for a community to have, and I’m going to use this word, an icon that represents suicide, and then not to take some action, do something — we’d really look like an uncaring community." The problem with the Golden Gate bridge district is that it's set up to operate the bridge, based on a corporate, business model. Concern for the image of a community isn't part of the program.

New Huffington Post Blogger

2009-04-10T11:33:00.001-07:00

Take a look at this short piece by yours truly in the Huffington Post today. Looking at the comments, it strikes me that we're still very much stuck in old patterns of understanding transportation, and especially mass transit. Mass transit systems have never stood alone as successful self-supporting enteprises. During their private heyday, they were almost invariably linked with real estate development or electric utility ventures. They are too closely integrated with places, development patterns, economic activity to be analyzed as independent systems today, as well. But nevertheless, they are. One of the points I was trying to make with that post was is that it's probably more important to recognize that mass transit creates places--dense, urban places like Manhattan and SF--than it is to observe that dense places are a prerequisite for "successful" transit. Transportation is about connections--and their success depends on institutional connections that reflect the significance of the physical connections.
I develop these themes much more in a piece that will be coming out in the July issue of Technology and Culture. Don't miss it.

A Classic Image from Illinois

2009-04-03T16:08:00.001-07:00

This was taken from an article in TOLLROADSnews, an e-newsletter published by Peter Samuel. While there are indications that Blagojevich tried to squeeze the turnpike, I don't think it was one of his more successful scams. But, it's a potent image.

Also, I mistakenly identified Samuel as a senior fellow with the Reason Institute when I posted this (seems that was a while ago), and he immediately sent me an email saying that he was no longer formally affiliated with them. I think that response is an impressive testament to the power of google alerts--several other of my postings have also gotten immediate reactions. I am going to have to be careful about key words. Or perhaps less careful.

For example, I can throw these ideas out into the ether: I'd really like to interview Quentin Kopp about his role in the transfer of Bay Area toll bridges from the state to the MTC in 1997, for example, and his views on the implications of the shift for the constellation of power in the Bay Area. Quentin? You too busy with high speed rail these days for a chat with a humble historian? I'd also like a sit-down with Steve Heminger, who would have been Obama's secretary of transportation in an ideal world.

BUILDING ROADS THAT CREATE THE NEED FOR MORE ROADS

2009-04-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

Please take a minute to read this fantastic, hilarious April 1 piece from the Project for Public Spaces: US Transportation Revealed to be Giant Ponzi Scheme.

ASCE's Infrastructure Report Card

2009-03-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

I don't agree with Bob Poole, the Reason Foundation's infrastructure privatization champion, about much. But his recent critique of the "Infrastructure Report Card" of the American Society of Civil Engineers is right on the mark. This publication always makes a splash, and media cites it promiscuously. It's easy to rely on slick, professional reports that offer nice numbers that seem credible. But, as seems to be the case here, too often they don't represent any real research. I've recently begun to realize how much of a problem this can be, even with the most respected policy research and advocacy groups. The ideological current can be powerful even where the water appears still. Credible research often either drowns in the murky depths or is swept out to sea.

Disturbingly Bad Chronicle Article about Marin City

2009-03-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

Is this the death-rattle of print journalism? An article on Marin City published in the Chronicle business section last weekend harkens back to the Moynihan Report of 1965. This problems of this tiny bastion of African-American culture and history in elite Marin County, its author suggests, are largely the fault of its residents, evoking the pathology of the Black family and the "lure of the streets." C'mon. At least consider the political/economic character of the city's problems.

This is an excerpt from the article by Dana Perrigan:

A right turn at the bottom of the exit ramp leads to a world of privilege and plenty: a small, quaint and charming coastal city jutting into Richardson Bay... The median price of a home is $1.23 million. Violent crime is almost nonexistent.

A left turn leads to a world within a world: an unincorporated area of Marin County that ... is marred by poverty and crime. The majority of its 3,000 residents are black...

[MORE DESCRIPTION, THEN THE ONLY ANALYSIS IN THE PIECE, IMPLICITLY ENDORSED BY THE AUTHOR:]

The community's biggest problem, says [boxing trainer Homer] Hall, is violence caused by "kids growing up in dysfunctional homes and not getting what they need."

"These are good kids," he said, "but the pull of the streets is just so strong."...

A few minutes later, Sam Louis pulls up in a black Chevy Silverado pickup. Louis owns and operates Joe's Original BBQ Service... "The kids here don't have fathers," he said. "They don't have mentors. And so they have a lot of trouble in school."

Here is the letter to the editor that I wrote, but that did not get published:

It’s time to take a close look at Marin City government to account for the problems of this struggling community, not to trot out tired and disturbing clichés about Black families or the “pull of the streets.” Dana Perrigan’s recent story left out a critically important detail: Marin City not actually a city, but rather an unincorporated urban place. The Marin County Supervisors have always had the primary responsibility for its government and its residents’ well-being—along with a handful of special districts, most dominated by Sausalito. Over the years efforts for incorporation have been defeated by opponents arguing that Marin City residents would have more resources and services if they continue as recipients of the wealthy county’s largesse. However, it's a good bet that opponents of incorporation have also worried that if self-governing, Marin City would have adopted policies that would support economic development and local jobs—in other words, that they would allow growth that would threaten the beauty, lifestyle, transportation facilities, and property values that the rest of Marin residents enjoy. Self-government needs to replace paternalism in Marin City.

One more thing I want to add: keep Dana covering real estate, not race relations. And hire back some of the good journalists and editors, PLEASE!
And by the way, I am a single mom, and my family is just fine.

ANOTHER EXCITING CSA CONFERENCE!

2009-03-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

The California Studies Association invites you to our 2009 conference, "Debugging the Silicon Dream: Real Life in a Virtual World."

The one-day event will be held on Friday, April 24th, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, at DeAnza College (21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino).

For more information please see the attached flyer, or visit us at the California Studies Association website. The conference is free to all students with a valid ID.

VMT: A BAD IDEA

2009-03-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

The Christian Science Monitor published my letter to the editor today on the idea of imposing a new "Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax."

It's a costly policy proposal that essentially replaces the gas tax, originally conceived of a user fee that roughly corresponds with miles traveled anyway, with something that is more complicated and much more problematic. Its proponents are falling all over themselves to argue that it can be adjusted this way and that to make up for its shortcomings.

One of the major arguments in favor of this is that it is inevitable: that we're all going to be driving hybrids and electric cars very soon, so we had better switch ASAP or our roads will crumble! Let's cross that bridge when we come to it; we're a long way away. After all, we may all be riding bikes sooner than we are all driving electric cars, if that ever does happen. Instead, let's raise the gas tax enough so that drivers can start paying for the "externalities" that they generate as well as the pavement that they use.

The US has a horrible record on fuel efficiency. We have a gas tax that has a small, relatively insignificant incentive for fuel efficiency built right in, a market-based incentive no less! Why would we want to abandon that?

By the way, here is the final report of the Oregon pilot program that has inspired many advocates. I suggest searching it for the phrase "fuel efficiency," it's interesting what you find. James M. Whitty, the director of the Office of innovative Partnerships for the Oregon Department of Transportation, spent six years of his life on the study, and has been traveling around the country promoting the idea for the last few. He's a lawyer whose previous employers include Associated Oregon Industries and the Portland Chamber of Commerce.

Here's an editorial from the Contra Costa times that has been getting a lot of traction in the blogosphere, as well. And, a report by the Republican-dominated "National Surface Infrastructure Financing Commission,"
entitled Paying Our Way.

Nelson Rockefeller as Transportation Visionary?

2009-03-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

I've been reading several of Jameson Doig's books lately, combing through them for details about the origins of NY city's astounding and atypical mass transportation system. I am beginning to suspect that there is one relatively unsung hero who maneuvered mass transportation into a sustainable position within the larger transportation system: Gov. Nelson Rockefeller. He double-crossed Robert Moses into dedicating bridge toll money to transit, AND he managed to squeeze subsidies out of Austin Tobin. He was one of the last of a generation of progressive Republicans who pursued what they considered to be the public interest by promoting active, strong government at all levels. Yes, once the idea of "progressive Republican" was not an oxymoron. I will write more about this fascinating character in the coming months, as I comb the libraries for more information. Bloomberg might do well to take a lesson or two from one of his predecessors as he pushes for congestion pricing. For that matter, so would the "leaders" of today's disastrous Republican Party.

UPDATE on the CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION MOVEMENT

2009-03-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

Last week, I attended the summit on a constitutional convention hosted by the Bay Area Council in Sacramento (see my last post, below). It was a great show. There was standing-room only in the huge Sheraton Sacramento ballroom. One compelling speaker after another outlined the case for a convention, explained why now is the time to pursue one, and addressed the obstacles and problems that must be overcome before it is reality. We're going to see a lot more about this in the coming months.

One of the important challenges is building support in Southern California. My impression right now is that there's little awareness or enthusiasm. For example, when I asked Jack Knott, the dean of the USC School of Policy, Planning and Development at USC, if he had an opinion on the idea recently, he dismissed it as unlikely or impossible citing the opinions of historian Kevin Starr. Both of these men are influential among the moderate-to-conservative crowd that is so important in southern California. They are exactly the sort of people who could help the cause tremendously if they can be convinced that it's worthwhile. This should be a bipartisan cause--everyone is hurt by the disastrous system we have now, with the sole exception of the extreme libertarians who would like to do away with state government altogether.

A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: The Only Hope for Saving State Government in California?

2009-02-06T09:39:00.000-08:00

Recently, two political science professors from CSU Sacramento and one UC Davis law professor published a slew of editorials recently (ok, two that I know of) asserting that it is too easy to amend the California constitution. They are absolutely right, but they need to take it one step further.

There's a potential solution to that problem, and it's more promising than you might expect: hold a Constitutional Convention and rebuild our broken state government from the bottom up.

The Bay Area Council, probably the most cohesive, influential, and progressive business association in California, along with the Courage Campaign, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and the New America Foundation, all VERY CREDIBLE and highly respected groups, have called a summit to discuss this possibility.

There have been efforts in the recent past to undertake a comprehensive revision of the California Constitution, as the state government has been building up to its current crisis for a long time. Most recently, in 1993 the Legislature formed a California Constitutional Revision Commission (chaired by Bill Hauck) to study and recommend a cohesive set of amendments. Its recommendations included more budget restrictions, more executive power for the governor, and greater independence for local government. You can get the executive summary of that report here, and a whole lot more information on the commission's archived website here. For a sense of the political orientation of the commission, take a look at the biographical sketches of the members (including those who were replaced in 1996).

Another resource available online is 1995 brief by Bruce Cain and Roger Noll. They edited a lengthy book on the subject of constitutional revision, as well. For an overview of prior constitutional attempts, take a look at this 1991 brief by Eugene Lee.

If anyone tells you that the problem in Sacramento is a lack of "political will" they don't understand the situation. There is PLENTY of political will in the state to operate a strong and sound state government. It's that welack the tools and procedures to manifest that political will. The way the state government and the decision-making process is structured now is profoundly and deeply anti-democratic. The problems are structural, and a comprehensive structural remedy is the only path to a long-term solution. Noting short of a major change will be enough; decades of incremental amendments, many with very significant negative consequences, have proven that. Of course, there is no way that members of the minority part in Sacramento are going to support a constitutional revision if it means losing their disproportionate power. There arre major, but not insurmountable, obstacles to success.

So, readers, please attend the constitutional convention summit in Sacramento on February 24 if you can. Or, write your representatives to urge them to support the proposal, and keep your eyes and ears open as the effort progresses.

Will Infrastructure Finance be the Next Earth-Shaking Financial Scandal?

2009-01-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

Could it mean the end of hope for a meaningful infrastructure stimulus program?
Or could it be just the wake-up we need to start revitalizing our beleaguered state and local public agencies?

This morning the New York Times featured a front-page article on a massive federal investigation of price fixing and bid-rigging of municipal bonds. Municipal bonds are the bread-and-butter of transportation infrastructure finance, but concerns about the intimacy of relationships between financiers and the public entities that issue bonds are as old as public enterprise itself. You can find an excellent overview of this problem in Alberta Sbragia's Debt Wish: Entrepreneurial Cities, US Federalism, and Economic Development (2003). It's serious but very readable.

What to do? We could start by making the whole process of borrowing money for public projects simpler, easier, and much more restricted. Then, improve the expertise and discretion of public officials, emphasizing education, good salaries, and a rigorous civil service that endows real status on its members. We need to revive an ethic of public service and professionalism in government (just the opposite of what's actually happening in California). A good part of the problem is a veil of secrecy and mystical expertise cultivated by financial interests and other contractors that obscures the ability of under-trained, overworked, embattled and demoralized public officials to understand and manage contracts and assess deals. Certainly, amateur politicians with fleeting term limits have little capacity, inclination, or motivation to intervene or advocate for the public interest. Obviously, sometimes they have very strong motivations to go in the opposite direction. No wonder we are at the mercy of these private sector sharks. Three decades of conservative efforts to "starve the beast" are producing results=cut taxes, create a budget crisis, dismantle the public sector. A very thoughtful, reasonable, yet scathing discussion of contemporary public/private sector relations: Elliott Sclar, You Don't Always Get What You Pay For: the Economics of Privatization (2001). Also see Bruce Bartlett, "Starve the Beast: the Origins and Development of a Budgetary Metaphor," The Independent Review 12:1 (Summer 2007), 5-26.

By the way, a thank-you to the brilliant Stephanie Pincetl for drawing my attention to this article.