rick hutchenson, their principle, and melody lassiter, are here as well. chairperson campos: colleagues. any questions? vice chairperson mirkarimi: what do you think that the net effect of the study actually helps us with? is it answering the question about interest in the long-term condition placed on our competitive or not competitive bidding process or is it on stipulating conditions on those exact contract before us now? >> i think that two things answer to that. we are looking at a comparison. we're not prejudging any kind of policy issue or anything like. that we're simply looking at a comparison of how this election process occurs in other jurisdictions as compared to others. and then there will be a section on barging and then there will be a history of how san francisco developed its process and out of that there will be some recommendations, i believe, from the consultant, we're requesting that, as to are there areas that you might want to consider as policymakers for further analysis or for discussion on a particular condition with the current c

rick hutchenson, their principle, and melody lassiter, are here as well. chairperson campos: colleagues. any questions? vice chairperson mirkarimi: what do you think that the net effect of the study actually helps us

ranking member hutchenson and i worked with senator bill nelson on a new authorization bill, and i'd like to complement the gentlelady from texas and what she and chairman nelson achieved. we believe that is the framework that we could achieve that meets the president's priorities, but understanding the priefties of the space coalition here in the senate for a very balanced based program. we need investments in science and aeronautics, but we have to remember we move human space flight and that to be sustainable, being able to go to the international space station until 2010 and also broadening our human reach beyond low earth orbit with the o'rien capsule and now we are seeing if we have the wallets to match the ambitions. i will work to implement a balanced space program. last year we agreed to $19 billion. well, it's not going to come out that way, and so for this year we're an anticipating an appropriations if we stick to the president's request, at $18.7. we know that the science request is at $5 billion, and we also need to make sure important projects like that don't get from

little bit incoming the bipartisan bill from senator warner and kay bailey hitchenson from texas -- hutchenson. i wondered how that increases jobs in a time 6 of fiscal responsibility and keep budgets under control. >> good question, scott. we looked at other states doing that, and secretary of transportation actually developed that idea, and i think it's nosm. -- novel. we set the framework for investment and transportation and those of you who live in northern virginia, you'll complain about construction, not congestion. that's the good news for you. we did it through a combination of advancing debt, which is a great time to borrow. we got aaa rating, great contracts, interest rates are tremendously low. the infrastructure bank was the way to take -- we took money from our surplus and an audit that found a million and four lying around that we thought should be put to work building roads and put that in a capital of $300 million, lomently a billion and we can balance the money better. with some of our money and maybe some matches from the local governments or because the loan guarantees, we