Alliance Applauds Governor and Legislature on HSR Vote
July 7th, 2012Sacramento, CA – Jim Earp, Executive Direcor of the California Alliance for Jobs, issued the following statement today in response to the Senate’s vote to appropriate funding for High-Speed Rail.
“Today’s vote marks a historic moment for California. The appropriation of Prop 1A funding moves us closer to building the nation’s first high-speed rail system, a feat befitting our state’s pioneering legacy. The Governor, senate and house leadership, and the legislature have demonstrated courage and vision in this process. They follow in the footsteps of forward-thinking leaders before them who invested in innovative water and transportation infrastructure projects that put millions to work and helped make California’s economy the 9th largest in the world.
“High-Speed Rail is a game-changing project that will benefit everyone. It will create hundreds of thousands of much-needed jobs, put money back into local economies, increase local and state tax revenues, and increase our GDP—all of which will boost California’s economy. A green transportation alternative, high-speed rail will move millions of people more efficiently, meet our ever-growing growing transportation needs, and will significantly lower our carbon and GHG emissions.
“The project couldn’t come at a better time as we work our way out of an economic slump that has plagued this state for years. With today’s vote, we show the world our commitment to rebuilding the state and keeping California golden.”
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As a labor-management partnership, The California Alliance for Jobs represents more than 2,500 heavy construction companies and 80,000 union construction workers in Northern and Central California. The Alliance is a leading authority on California’s infrastructure issues. For more information, visit www.rebuildca.org