Record Resources and Transportation Pork Barrel Projects in California’s Largest State Budget

California’s largest state budget ever — $215 billion — is larded with a record number of local pork-barrel projects injected by individual legislators, often in exchange for “horse trading”  votes on passage of certain pieces of legislation.

There is pork in every aspect of this budget as California Globe is reporting this week: General Government Augmentations in 2019-20 Budget, Education, Resources and Transportation, Health and Human Services, and Public Safety. 

This article will address the Resources and Transportation,–  $230,650,000 million of extras:

• Santa Cruz Port District: $530,000 General Fund one-time to fund a new search and rescue vessel (Santa Cruz).
• Columbia Memorial Space Center: $800,000 General Fund one-time to purchase a 3-D printer and audio visual system (City of Downey).
• Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: $5 million General Fund one-time for first phase of an expansion project, which will reorient the museum’s entrance into Exposition Park (Los Angeles County).
• Del Mar Bluffs Stabilization project: $6.13 million General Fund one-time for one year to help fund a five-year plan to stabilize Del Mar Bluffs (San Diego County).
• Discovery Science Center of Orange County: $10 million for  purchase of nearby property to create a parking lot (Orange County).
• Camp Rebuilds: $21 million one-time for local assistance for capital outlay to rebuild camps destroyed in Woolsey and Tubbs Fires: 1) Wilshire Blvd Temple Camps (Camp Hess Kramer and Gindling Hilltop Camp), 2) the Shalom Institute Camp and Conference Center, and 3) Camp Newman in Santa Rosa.
• Sabercat Trail Bridge: $5.7 million for planning/environmental clearance and final design for the bridge/trail project. The bridge location of the cycling/pedestrian bridge would be over I-680 in Fremont (City of Fremont).
• California Science Center Elevator: $2.5 million General Fund one-time to install a new elevator for ADA compliance and assist handicapped visitors (Los Angeles).
• California African American Museum: $4 million for deferred maintenance General Fund one-time and $500,000 General Fund ongoing for operations (Los Angeles).
• Parks and Recreation Facilities in Pico Rivera: $370,000 to Replace playground ($200,000), replace Veterans and Ladies Auxiliary Park Playground ($70,000), and replace Smith Park Pool expansion joint and heater ($95,000) (City of Pico Rivera).
• Glassell Park Bowtie Parcel: $500,000 General Fund one-time to create a conceptual plan for the Bowtie parcel, which is adjacent to the LA River, including a dedicated project manager position at State Parks to coordinate the planning process (City of Los Angeles).
• LGBTQ Public Spaces: $1.1 million General Fund one-time to support construction of two LGBTQ public spaces in San Francisco: $1 million for renovation of Harvey Milk Plaza and $100,000 for renovation of Eagle Plaza
• Department of Parks and Recreation, Oceanography Program: $1.5 million General Fund one-time for program support.
• A.J. Padelford Park Expansion: $5 million General Fund one-time to acquire 10 parcels within the vicinity of the park and demolish structures located on the properties in the (City of Artesia).
• City of San Diego, Balboa Parks projects: $8.66 million General Fund one-time, as follows: $8.26 million for the Botanical Building renovation, and $0.4 million to complete the International Cottages (City of San Diego).
• Santa Paula Boys and Girls Club: $150,000 General Fund one-time for improvements to the club.
• Jackie Robinson Family YMCA Aquatic Center in San Diego: $5 million General Fund for construction of a pool, splash pad, and mechanical needs.
• Atmospheric River Research: $9.25 General Fund one-time for the Atmospheric Rivers: Research, Mitigation, and Climate Forecasting Program at DWR for research to improve observations, forecasts, and decisions support of atmospheric river precipitation events (Department of Water Resources).
• Interlake Tunnel Fish Screens: $17 million General Fund one-time for fish screens for water conveyance tunnel between Lake Nacimiento and Lake San Antonio. (San Luis Obispo County)
• Drinking Water Drought Relief: $2.5 million General Fund one-time to Continue funding for the placement and filling of temporary water tanks for households that have lost their water supply because of a dry well.
• Safe and clean drinking water for the southern Central Valley for a total of $12.5 million General Fund one-time, as follows: $3 million for City of Sanger to repair water tank and Well 16: $1 million to connect Tombstone to Sanger’s centralized water system: $2.5 million for a new water and tertiary treatment plant for Tulare County: $1 million to repair water systems in Fresno and Tulare Counties, to improve access  to water in cities like Orosi and Del Rey: $1.5 million for the Selma Storm Drain (storage and recharge) Project, Selma Rockwell Pond Groundwater Recharge Project, and the Selma Branch Canal Multi-Use Trail: $1 million to replace Water Well #21 in the City of Dinuba: $2.5 million to bring communities into compliance with safe drinking water standards and remove arsenic from water in communities like Alpaugh in Tulare County and Arvin in Kern County.
• Clearlake Community Center: $70,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Cloverdale Ranch and Gordon Ridge: $2 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Oceanside Beachfront Improvement: $8 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Santa Fe Springs and South El Monte Parks and Community Center in the City of Santa Fe Springs: $2.52 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Santa Fe Springs and South El Monte Parks and Community Center in the City of El Monte: $2.09 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Santa Fe Springs and South El Monte Parks and Community Center in the City of La Puente Park: $1.16 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Jurupa Mountain Conservation in the City of Jurupa Valley: $15 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Pannell Center Summer Nights in the City of Sacramento: $750,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Columbia Memorial Space Center in the City of Downey: $5 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Compton Creek Watershed planning in the County of Los Angeles: $3 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Multi-Benefit Stormwater Capture, City/County Association of San Mateo: $3 million General Fund one-time for local assistance (Office of Sustainability, County of San Mateo).
• Fullerton Boys and Girls Club in the City of Fullerton: $2.5 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Korean Federation Sprinkler System in City of Garden Grove: $100,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• City of Maywood Parks: $200,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance (Los Angeles County).
• City of Lakewood Parks: $700,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance (Los Angeles County).
• City of South Gate Park: $200,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance (Los Angeles County).
• City of Paramount Park: $500,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance (Los Angeles County).
• City of Hawaiian Gardens Park: $150,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance (Los Angeles County).
• Lower Los Angeles River: $3 million General Fund one-time for local assistance (Los Angeles County).
• Blue Mountain Trail and Wilderness in the City of Grand Terrace: $1.3 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Chinatown Planning Grant in the City and County of San Francisco: $250,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• Rebuild Camps: $2.5 million General Fund one-time for local assistance to restore Hess Kramer and Shalom Institute camps destroyed by fires.
• Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: $4 million General Fund for local assistance.
• Department of Parks actions, as follows:
• • Brook Street Park in the City of Lafayette: $300,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.”
  • Dublin Sports Grounds All-Abilities Playground in the City of Dublin: $1.4 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • McCosker Creek Restoration and Public Access in East Bay Regional Park District: $4 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Galt Walker Park Phase 2 in the City of Galt: $1.7 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Liberty Station Performing Arts Building in the City of San Diego: $5 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Rancho Bernardo Dog Park in the City of San Diego: $500,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Jerebek Neighborhood Park ADA Upgrades in the City of San Diego: $4 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Rhodes Park in City of Los Angeles: $500,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Costa Mesa Lions Park in the City of Costa Mesa: $1 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Huntington Beach Blufftop Path: $1.7 million General Fund one-time for local assitance.
  • Newport Beach Sculpture Garden: $500,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Crystal Cove Cottage Restoration in City of Newport Beach: $2.9 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Buena Park Historic Housing in City of Buena Park: $500,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • City of Rancho Cucamonga Community Dog Park: $3 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Colton Area Museum in the City of Colton: $900,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Grand Terrace Playground in the City of Grand Terrace: $20,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Colton Playground in the City of Colton: $500,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Discovery Cube LA Sustainable Park in the City of Los Angeles: $5 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Salinas Soccer Complex in the City of Salinas: $5 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • West Portal Playground in the City and County of San Francisco: $400,000 General Fund one-time for local assistance.
  • Merced Heights Park in the City and County of San Francisco: $1.37 million General Fund one-time for local assistance.
• $10.8 million for the dissolution of the North Coast Rail Authority
• $5 million for suicide prevention measures on the San Diego-Coronado Bridge.
• $5.5 million for sound wall construction along the Foothill freeway
• $1 million for AC Transit to provide bus service to Oakland Unified School District
• $1 million for the Impact Teen Drivers program.

TOTAL:  $230,650,000 million