CCC Ready to Sacrifice Homes and Businesses to Ease Freeway Congestion

10/10/07

Send our Man in Congress,
"Wrong Way Calvert"
a message.

I just did.

I Invited our portly-poli-TCA-schill
to walk with me along I-5 to witness traffic Reality
and to learn (hoohaw).

Voice your opinon here.

He will get it.

Calvert offers bogus choices based on TCA lies.

We're doing amazing - obviously.

Let's all keep doing it,
because ONE of our letters is
worth 100 from the other side.

Because the "other side" is them.

jer

Dear Friends,> > As you may know, last week the California Coastal Commission issued a > staff report recommending that commissioners deny certifying the > Foothill-South Toll Road Project. At a future meeting, the Commission > will consider Foothill-South’s certification which is required to > secure state and federal development permits.> > The Foothill-South Toll Road will complete Orange County’s 67-mile > toll road system. Currently, the Foothill Toll Road, State Route > 241, ends at Oso Parkway. The Foothill-South will allow drivers to > continue further south to Interstate 5 near the Orange and San Diego > County line. The general route of the project has been on Orange > County’s Master Plan of Arterial Highways since 1981 and has > undergone an extensive 20-year planning and environmental process.> > Amazingly, the Commission report contends that adding capacity to our > freeway system will lead to more congestion. Think about that for a > moment – the Commission actually believes that adding more freeway > lanes will result in more congestion! Following that line of logic, > reducing freeway lanes would reduce congestion. Rest assured, I > strongly disagree with this recommendation and won’t be proposing to > reduce the number of lanes on Interstate 5 or the 91 Freeway anytime > soon. (FYI: This is the same commission who rejected building the > U.S.-Mexico border fence because, according to them, the harm to the > habitat outweighed security benefits.)> > The Commission report goes on to suggest that a better alternative to > the Foothill-South is a proposal to expand Interstate 5 in San > Clemente despite the fact it would require significant use of eminent > domain to condemn long existing houses and businesses. The report > casually dismisses any concern about the broad use of eminent domain > by stating it is a “more easily quantifiable social and economic > mitigation.” Once again, I strongly disagree and feel that most > families don’t view the notion of their home being bulldozed as > something that is “easily quantifiable.”> > While most south Orange County residents recognize the need to reduce > traffic congestion, some understandably have concerns about the > potential negative impacts associated with constructing a new > highway. > > I strongly believe that the Foothill-South Toll Road can > and should be built in a manner that eases congestion while > mitigating impacts to the environment. In doing so, I am convinced > we can improve the lives of residents by reducing traffic without > sacrificing the wonderful environment along the south Orange County > foothills and coastlines.> > I welcome your input as I understand this is an issue that is > important to the constituents of the 44th Congressional District of > California. > > >

Sincerely,> > KEN CALVERT> Member of Congress