HOLLISTER
State Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, who represents San Benito County, had this to say in a statement about California’s halted funding to many infrastructure projects and legislators’ attempt to close the budget gap.
“(Wednesday’s) decision to cut off bond funding for state infrastructure projects, many of which are in the 28th Assembly District that I represent, made the need to act even greter,” she said in a statement released this week.
Democrats had proposed a plan to cut $18 billion from the state’s $40 billion projected deficit, while the governor has said he will veto the bill. A state panel Thursday, meanwhile, cut off the cash flow for 2,000 projects statwide, including five in San Benito County.
The local projects on State Treasurer Bill Lockyer’s list of public works projects with funding halted include the Highway 25 widening and its total cost of $10.8 million, the migrant camp refurbishing and its total cost of $2 million, construction on Lone Tree Road for $1.7 million and two projects at San Benito High School totaling $825,000, according to a list on the state treasurer’s Web site.
Lockyer is on the state panel that voted to halt funding to the projects, $3.8 billion statewide, because the state is slated to run out of cash in February, according to the statement.
“This represents roughtly $660 million per month in suspended funding for about 2,000 infrastructure projects – courts, schools, highways, and levees – on top of the $40 million for each day this budget crisis continues,” she said in the statement.
