California voters trying to puzzle out Proposition 35 will no doubt wonder - before their eyes glaze over - just why they're being asked to decide on such a complicated, technical policy issue as public engineering services.

The reason for that lies in a long-running battle between public and private engineers over whether the the design and engineering of public works projects should be handled by government employees or contracted out to private companies.

But voters may still have trouble discerning just where their best interests lie in this obscure battle, since the claims and counterclaims made by the two campaigns can bewilder even the hardiest student of public policy.

So boil it down to this: If passed, Proposition 35 would enable public construction projects to proceed far more quickly than they do now and may even save taxpayers money. That's reason enough to vote yes.

This will be a big issue as the state increases its spending on infrastructure needs, especially transportation projects. Right now, there's a huge backlog of work that the public engineers can't get to. If private firms are allowed to pick up some of that work, transportation projects will be completed far more quickly. And remember, the longer such construction is delayed, the more expensive it becomes, so getting the work done sooner saves money for the public.

The state's ability to contract out engineering work has been limited by a series of lawsuits filed by the public engineers. Local governments, which already have a greater ability to contract out design work, worry that they may face similar suits in the future. Proposition 35 would protect that ability for local governments, while the giving the state greater leeway in deciding how to handle its engineering chores.

Opponents of this measure - mainly state engineers - argue it would actually delay public projects, which is an odd argument to make when the backlog at the state is already so large. They argue the measure would be held up by lawsuits, but fail to mention they're the main group with a reason to sue and a history of legal action against the state.

Given the amount of public works needs in California, the state will need the efforts of both public and private engineers. Better to maintain flexibility to handle those needs, rather than limiting California's options.

The Daily Bulletin urges a yes vote on Proposition 35.



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