PRO: HOW TO SAVE OUR CRUMBLING CALIFORNIA BONDS BEST WAY TO FIX PROBLEMS.

Byline: ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA and RICHARD RIORDAN 

ACROSS the aisle and up and down the state, Democrats and Republicans are putting partisanship aside this election year and rallying behind the idea that we need to start investing in California's future again.

We may represent different political parties, but we're all Californians first, and we're proud to be leading the effort to pass the One Plan to Rebuild California, which appears on the ballot as Propositions 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D and 1E.

Democrats and Republicans agree that our state's economy depends on good roads, good schools, safe housing and protecting our supply of clean drinking water -- and we need to invest in our infrastructure to keep our economy growing.

We also recognize that we live in a truly global economy. Our future success as a region and as a state will depend on our willingness to compete. But in order to compete in the future, we must invest today.

You don't have to spend much time in L.A. or the rest of California to know we are in desperate need of major improvements.

The vastness of our state makes our economy dependent upon a transportation system that works. But our freeways are the most congested in the nation and our public transportation system is woefully inadequate.

The Rebuild California plan would invest billions of dollars right here in the Los Angeles region, clearing freeway bottlenecks, improving highway safety and moving important public transportation projects forward.

Among the highlights:

New lanes on Interstate 5, the 405 Freeway, the Santa Monica, Pomona and Ventura freeways.

Truck lanes to move goods in and out of the ports in Long Beach and San Pedro, coupled with investments to reduce air pollution.

In addition, the plan closes the legal loophole that's been used to divert billions of dollars from the transportation budget -- providing a stable, long-term source of funding for road repairs and congestion relief.

The plan also provides funding to provide safe homes for victims of domestic violence and others in need, as well as funds to help our schools build new science and career centers to train our students for good-paying jobs.

Finally, the plan addresses the pressing need to make major repairs to prevent flooding, both locally and in California's Central Valley -- which also helps safeguard an important source of drinking water here in the Southland.

The plan was crafted to make these investments without raising taxes. Instead, it calls for rebuilding the things we need now, and paying for these improvements over time -- as we use them -- without a tax increase.

These projects will create thousands of well-paying jobs, and help sustain our economy for the long-run.

And the simple fact is, if we don't improve our highways and other infrastructure now, it'll only cost us much more later -- and traffic will get even worse.

We're not the only ones to reach this conclusion: Business groups like the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and labor organizations like the California Teachers Association support the Rebuild California plan, which represents the first comprehensive plan for California's infrastructure in 40 years.

The plan is supported by an array of Republicans and Democrats, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, as well as a host of other people who usually disagree about how to move California forward.

This may not be the usual time of the year for two leaders from different parties to stand together. But we've always agreed to put the future of Los Angeles and California first. That's why we're working together for the One Plan to Rebuild California.

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Photo:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger fields a phone call in Pleasanton on Saturday. The governor is among those supporting the One Plan to Rebuild California.

Noah Berger/Associated Press