As a true partnership of labor and management, the Southern California Partnership for Jobs (SCPFJ) advocates for sustained funding for transportation infrastructure in Southern California.

SCPFJ represents over 90,000 union workers and their families (totaling more than 350,000 persons) and over 2,750 companies engaged in engineering and construction. In light of the critical need to invest continuously in transportation infrastructure — which provides jobs to support families, the economy and the quality of life in Southern California — the coalition committed its support to ballot initiatives for transportation funding in four counties across the region including Los Angeles County’s Measure M.

Under California law, Measure M tax needed to clear a two-thirds threshold to pass. As of November 9th with 100% of precincts reporting, the ballot measure successfully passed with 70% of Angelenos saying “yes” to the Traffic Improvement Plan.

Measure M will add a half-cent sales tax and extend the existing Measure R half-cent increase passed by voters in 2008. Both increases will be permanent unless voters act to repeal them. The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority estimates the tax increase will generate $120 billion over 40 years, funding massive rail expansions, highway improvements, biking and walking infrastructure and local street repairs.

SCPFJ acknowledges that, by supporting this half-cent sales tax measure, the voters of Los Angeles have chosen to have a positive impact on the quality of life in the region — not only by reducing gridlock and increasing mobility but by adding jobs and boosting the economy. Economic forecasts estimate that more than 465,000 jobs and $79.3 billion in economic output would result from infrastructure projects funded by the Los Angeles Measure M.

Source: So Cal Works