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Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislators on Wednesday announced a 10-year, $52.4 billion freeway repair and construction deal, and business and labor leaders have been quick to applaud, rightly.

Major public investment in our roads and transportation infrastructure has been a key to California’s growth into a global economic superpower. But in recent years, many of the roads, highways and transit systems that connect our economy and our communities have fallen into disrepair – threatening our state’s economic growth and the safety and health of our residents.

When the state Legislature did what it had to do to find a solution to start fixing California’s battered highways, bridges and roads, it did so on a mostly partisan manner that revealed a) Gov. Jerry Brown successfully pushed an unpopular tax and fee increase because $52 billion will not appear from out of thin air over the next 10 years; and, b) Republicans continue to mistrust Democrats whenever there is a tax increase, no matter what the cause is.