‘The state’s too damn dirty.’ Gavin Newsom calls for $1.5 billion to beautify California

Sick of litter when you drive along California’s roads and highways? Gov. Gavin Newsom says he is, too.

“The state’s too damn dirty,” Newsom said Friday during his presentation of his state budget proposal. “You look under those Caltrans overpasses, you see mattresses and you see all kinds of things that have been dumped there illegally. We’ve seen a huge increase in the amount of illegal dumping over the course of the last year.”

To that end, the governor on Friday announced a proposal to spend $1.5 billion to fund the clean-up and beautification of the state.

The plan includes 15,500 jobs for at-risk youth, formerly homeless people, and those re-entering society from incarceration.

Newsom’s budget also calls for the removal of more than 1 million cubic yards — 17,000 tons — of litter. The budget also calls for several beautification and litter abatement projects, as well “hundreds of art installations that will have a lasting impact,” according to the budget.

“Local streets and roads, along with state highways and freeways, will be positively impacted by this proposal, from eliminating litter to engaging local communities, to quickly implementing sustainable and green beautification projects that incorporate installations by local artists and help transform dilapidated roadsides into unifying spaces,” Newsom’s revised budget document says.

Among the allocations included in the budget is $418 million for litter abatement, $430 million for state beautification projects, $444 million for local beautification projects, $75 million for art installations, $50 million for a public education campaign and $83 million over three years for “project design, construction, local support and engagement, and administration required to deliver this initiative.”

This story was originally published May 14, 2021 at 12:25 PM with the headline "‘The state’s too damn dirty.’ Gavin Newsom calls for $1.5 billion to beautify California."