California math: 1 vote = $500 million in road, rail work

(AP) — How much is one vote worth in the California state Senate? A half-billion dollars, if it's linked to a big tax hike to pay for overdue road repairs.

The key vote to raise gas taxes and vehicle fees came late Thursday from Sen. Anthony Cannella, a little-known Republican and the only GOP member of the heavily Democratic Legislature to vote for the bill.

In a joint statement they claimed credit for delivering "Riverside County's fair share" to their constituents.

The deal negotiated by Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders passed without a vote to spare and will raise gas taxes by 43 percent, or 12 cents a gallon, while also increasing diesel taxes.

Cannella narrowly won his open Senate seat in 2010 with help from about $1.4 million in spending by an independent expenditure committee funded by the California Chamber of Commerce, which supported the gas tax and vehicle fee hikes.

Cannella is vice president of NorthStar Engineering Group, which does engineering, design and survey work for public and private projects including a high school, police station and medical facility.