Gov. Jerry Brown used his China trip to announce a $1.5 billion development project for the Oakland waterfront -- a package that includes Chinese development money.
From the Chronicle's Matthai Kuruvila: "The Brooklyn Basin deal, announced Wednesday by Gov. Jerry Brown in Beijing during his trade mission, will create 10,000 short- and long-term jobs, 3,100 housing units, 200,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, and 30 acres of parks that include wetlands restoration."
"The project, described by city officials as "shovel ready," already has city approval and a certified environmental impact report, and groundbreaking is expected next year. Plans began 12 years ago when Brown was Oakland's mayor, but stalled because of lack of financing."
"Brown credited Oakland Mayor Jean Quan as being "instrumental" in connecting the China-based investor, Zarsion Holdings Group, with the Oakland-based developer of the property, Signature Development Group."
Brown's China jaunt may be getting a lot of media attention -- the governor can play the media like a violin -- but the trip subsidized by special interests may be of dubious value to California. Dozens of folks ;paid $10,000 each plus hefty trans-Pacific airfare to accompany the gov.
From the LAT's George Skelton: "First, if the junket really is worth the governor's time and energy — if the state actually does stand to benefit — then the state should be paying for it, not a bunch of special interests. That $10,000 "participation fee" for each attendee also covers costs for the governor and his 10 or so aides, according to trip organizers."
"It just looks unseemly — a pack of lobbyists and other favor-seekers paying big bucks to traipse after the governor, schmoozing and gaining invaluable access."
"However, organizers may have missed an opportunity. With a horde of 90, they could have sold tickets to watch the sharp elbows and body blocks by interests trying to cozy up to the oft-aloof governor."
A number of moves are under way to change Proposition 13's requirement for a two-thirds vote for taxes -- a dispute being engaged at the local level as much as in the state Capitol.
From Capitol Weekly's John Howard: "There is no single plan -- yet -- to toss out or rewrite the 1978 constitutional amendment that cut property taxes for homes and businesses by 57 percent, rolled back new assessments and choked off billions of dollars destined for schools and local services. However, talks already are under way in each house to prepare a taxation initiative for next year or for the November 2016 statewide ballot to coincide with the high-turnout presidential election."
"But major legislation is nibbling at critical pieces of the landmark initiative, driven by voters at the local level unhappy that projects were blocked -- even though they received decisive majority votes but less than the 66.6 percent required by Proposition 13."
"We all have examples of communities that have tried to raise their own monies and have come up short with even a 66 percent vote. What's motivating all of us is that if a community wants to raise its taxes to support a needed project, then it ought to be able to do that," said Lois Wolk, chair of the Senate Government and Finance Committee. "We certainly are able to approve statewide taxes with a majority vote, why do we restrict local communities to the two-thirds vote? It doesn't make any sense."
The long-planned Labor Day opening of the new Bay Bridge is in doubt, following the discovery that some of the huge bolts that help hold the span together were broken.
From the Chronicle's Jaxon Van Derbeken: "It would be "guesswork" to say whether the $6.4 billion bridge will be ready to accommodate traffic by the envisioned opening date of Sept. 3, Steve Heminger, executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, said at a meeting of the panel's 21 members, most of them elected officials. "We owe you better than guesswork."
"Engineering a solution to the broken bolts is in the conceptual phase and developing it could take anywhere from "a few weeks to a few months," said Stephen Maller, deputy director of the state Transportation Commission."
"Caltrans has consistently expressed optimism that the problem that caused 32 bolts to break last month after workers tightened them into place would not delay the opening or a spate of celebrations scheduled for Labor Day weekend."
Meanwhile, a new study says transportation officials in Orange County, land of toll roads, should postpone a major new project until their weakened finances are in order.
From the LAT's Dan Weikel: "Because of the weakened financial condition of Orange County’s largest tollway network, a new study recommends that its leadership postpone a road project and stop borrowing money until state authorities can review the operation."
"The assessment released Wednesday by the nonprofit Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco is the second critical review in recent months of the Irvine-based Transportation Corridor Agencies, which oversees 51 miles of tollways, the biggest system of its type in the state."
"In December, SNR Denton, a Los Angeles law firm that helped stop the TCA from building a route through San Onofre State Park, disclosed documents that revealed a host of issues plaguing the agency. They included sagging ridership and revenue as well as mounting debts and declining ratings for bonds sold to investors."
