What Price Trestles

Reported July 31-08: TCA (OC Toll Roads) paid a
Scripps institute scientist $6,000 to tell them (TCA)
what they want to hear - "Go ahead, ruin San Onofre."
No Surprise, TCA's been paying pollsters for 10-years
to tell'em what they want to hear - "Go ahead, pave
thru San Onofre."
TCA has an old ex-surfer on speed-dial, at the ready
(soon as TCA's check clears) to tell'em what they
want to hear, "Go ahead, ruin Trestles."
TCA tried bribing the Governor with $100million to
allow their toll route thru San Onofre State Beach Park.
Guv said, "You betcha."
State Parks said, "Not for Sale."
TCA offered a willing Native American (so-called
spokesguy) $350,000 to let'em plow-thru San Mateo
Creek's 10,000 year old ancestral site.
Tribal leaders said no way, "Hands off San Mateo."
TCA even has a Congressman invested to the tune
of $20,000 of his own dough. Same fellow who
ear-marked $8million from Congress straight into
TCA's one-way cash register (is that how TCA affords
to buy anyone buyable?).
TCA's generous Congressman happens to be
a local land developer. Good governance? Not.
Just easy money.
TCA couldn't buy CA's Coastal Commission,
or the 4.500 citizens who showed up in Del Mar on
Feb. 6th to politely request TCA not ruin San Onofre
State Beach Park with a toll road no one would ever
drive on at $15…one-way? Ouch.
Who Will TCA Buy Next?
Some wonder if TCA's Trestles toll road, unnecessary
to I-5 traffic relief - destructive to both land and sea
(as OC's toll road traffic numbers tank faster'n you can
shout "Icebergs Ahead!!!"). That just maybe, Federal
officials better start looking at TCA's "buying power"
in a time of deep recession? Especially with their toll
roads running on empty.
Scary Remembrance: OC - only county in America to
ever bankrupt (1994 and still carrying the debt load).
So, is TCA's failed toll-model OC-history repeating itself?
Is TCA, OC's next uber-Titanic, taking on water while
OC's leadership is up in the ballroom dancing?

Question: How, and with who's dough does TCA keep
buying influence, when they have no 'real' earnings?