Community Forums

tncruiser · 10-15-2010, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deaton

I thought all those "shovel ready" projects along with the govt cash was going to fix all the road problems....... what happened?

"govt cash" = my cash
govt only has 2 revenue sources taxation and print it

not gonna get political as i dont care how you vote
BUT PLEASE VOTE
brianj

Dave Rickey · 10-15-2010, 05:11 PM

What happened to the money? They spent it, but mostly by replacing money they were going to spend on city freeways in LA and San Francisco anyway, and moving that money to fill budget holes elsewhere. It takes a 2/3 vote of the legislature to raise taxes in California, but only 50%+1 voter initiative to create a constitutional amendment, so most of the budget outlay is set by the latter and the revenue side is impossible to adjust.

--Dave

sgtjoe · 10-15-2010, 05:24 PM

I used to live in CA. I have been on I-80 in CA from Sacramento to Reno and had two sensors vibrate loose causing me to pull over and air up, took them all off until I hit NV. Coming out of Palm Springs area last year the great CA freeway vibrated my hydraulic reservoir for my levelers loose on the way to Yuma. I for one will avoid as much of CA as I can. They should take their unemployed and anyone drawing Welfare and put them on road crews. Better yet, do what Sherriff Joe in AZ does, men and women prisoner road gangs.

Rich and Cork · 10-15-2010, 06:42 PM

We took a 9000 mile trip around this country last year and I can honestly say that almost every state has crappy roads. In addition I put 8000 miles on our Jeep Rubicon.

SD Traveler · 10-15-2010, 09:13 PM

The bluer the state the crappier the roads. They tend to use highway fuel taxes for mass transit and other boondoggles.

Nick
Native of CA

firedoc · 10-15-2010, 10:32 PM

It was not always this way. I was born and raised in California and spend all but 6 years of my life in the state (no need to comment) When I started driving 50 years ago (yes they had cars) it was easy to tell when you left the state because the roads became immeasurably worse. Cal had the best roads around. And we still do.... the same ones that were around then just much the worse for wear. Seriously you can still tell when you leave the state but for the opposite reason. And it happened long before Ahhnoold.

RedneckExpress · 10-16-2010, 02:43 AM

Have to concur, though I took less beating because of my 4x4 truck underneath the rig. Only other place I've experienced roads of similar quality was in Missouri, but that was mostly the bridges being 2-3" higher than the roadway itself.

Some of the roads were just not though out very well, the CA 211 from Ferndale to Mattole comes to mind....

diandtom · 10-16-2010, 03:08 PM

We just went from North Carolina to Oregon and back. I found I40 in Oklahoma and I 77 in West Virginia to be the worse. West Virginia was worse than Oklahoma as I was having to pay a toll and it was in the mountains

In West Virginia at the last toll booth I told him you should be paying me to ride on these roads.

CarlGeo · 10-16-2010, 04:41 PM

Have lived in California all of my life, and we used to have the best highways in the nation - bar none. When Jerry Brown was govenor he appointed a director of Caltrans that immediately stopped all freeway construction and development. And as stated by someone else, the funds were diverted to fund mass transit and other similar projects, at the expense of highway construction and maintenance. Of course, subsequent govenors appointed Caltrans directors that continued freeway and highway design and construction, but the damage was done. We were behind the curve then and still are behind. In the last 50 years California has added a use tax (sales tax) to private vehicle sales. Prior to this private sales were exempt from taxes or "fees". Also, remember when sales tax was added to gas and desiel fuel? Prior to this time there was no sales tax on fuel. Also, think about who wins when price of gas is $4.00/gal vs $2.50/gal. State collects 33 cents/gal @ $4.00 and 21 cents/gal @ $2.50. Thats a 57% increase! Think on that and who likes high gas prices?

Wanabee FTer · 10-16-2010, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deaton

I thought all those "shovel ready" projects along with the govt cash was going to fix all the road problems....... what happened?

The money for CA road construction was diverted by the governator to the state prison early release program.

Dave Rickey · 10-17-2010, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diandtom

We just went from North Carolina to Oregon and back. I found I40 in Oklahoma and I 77 in West Virginia to be the worse. West Virginia was worse than Oklahoma as I was having to pay a toll and it was in the mountains

In West Virginia at the last toll booth I told him you should be paying me to ride on these roads.

I-35 through OK isn't any better. I drove it three times in a month around mid-summer, each time I thought my teeth were going to shake loose. I think I'll take I-25 from now on, even if it does add 200+ miles and take me into the edge of the southwest desert. The extra cost in gas and time is more than offset by damage to the rig (I was in rental trucks, so I didn't care).

--Dave

az bound · 10-17-2010, 05:55 AM

We saw a great deal of road improvement going on in our national parks this past summer. I think maybe a lot of federal money got rerouted to those projects instead of our interstate highways.

norcalrockhunter · 10-17-2010, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdog

There is a difference between Cal-trans workers and the illegals.. The illegals will work for their money.

Aint the truth,
I live and work off of 101 north of Frisco and I can tell you these roads here are bad, but go down 880 or 580 and you would be lucky to have an axle left on your trailer,
last week I was stuck in traffic on 580 in Oakland coming up to the bay bridge cut, as I was stuck and not moving I looked out the window of the truck at the road and I'm not pulling anyones leg on this there were 5 to 10 inch gaps in the road going arcross the road not going up the road
I could not believe my eyes and these were like every 20 feet or so
California roads suck!!!! and we are so broke right now I do not think its going to get any better for a long time

donie · 10-19-2010, 10:29 AM

Also, as most of you probably know, I 15 coming from Vegas isnt the greatest either.
Especially on the trucker lane.
JMO.
I was under the impression that the tax on gas was supposed to go into the highway fund.
It goes into the Geleral Fund and is used for all the other porkbellie projects other than what is supposed to be used for.