more collamer

entire town Busted for Yard-Sign abusement

2008-11-20T14:32:00.001-08:00

The Judge declared the entire town "GUILTY!"
of election-time Campaign Yard Sign Abusement.
The Judge - clearly not amused.
It was precedent setting.
The charming, sleepy seaside village was the
first known city-wide civil-case brought against
abusers of a candidate's good name, in ink, stuck
in the ground for everyone to read. Libelous affronts.
Rampant and pervasive proliferated across the
village faster'n hot ashes during a Santa Ana.
How very nasty the sleepy town's pre-election
yard sign-habit / circus, had festered into.
According to eyewitness reports: sign-abusement
by folks both private...and surprisingly, some
Public Official'doms?, vaulted from childish
pranksterism, into full blown angry campaign
signage buffoonery.
Finally - 1 fed-up 'good' public official, wanting
to stem the evil tide of sign-slanderousness,
so lasciviously libelous in content, the 'good'
official yanked a particularly offensive cardboard
character assassinator from its improper rooting
i.e. placed illegally, and was promptly busted.
Busted for doing, "the right-thing."
This happens when strident subversives are
allowed to spew unchecked. Subverting good-laws
in their warped march towards righteous misbehavior.
Twisting truth to lies in the service of bad-natured
self interests. And innocent folks get battered.
On the Plus-side: had the arrest of the town's 'good'
public servant not happened, there'd been no public
Hearing, where it was revealed (on TV), certain
elected officials were witnessed running amuck
in trucks, committing all kind'a campaign-sign
skullduggery for who knows how many election
cycles (the sleepy seaside village's dirty little
secret...until now?).
So - dear tourist, should you visit that quaint and
charming, sleepy little seaside village, and notice
what looks to be upstanding citizens down on
hands and knees scrubbing curbs, sidewalks,
clearing debris (wearing bright orange safety
vests), stop and say "Hello!"
It may be a city councilperson. Or a local land
developer. Who knows who you'll meet.
Apparently the whole town was in on the fun.
Well, maybe not everyone.

LTE - LATimes - The Region - Nov. 17 08

2008-11-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

Susannah Rosenblatt's "behind OC's toll road issues"
was accurate if not wholly formed. How could it be?
TCA's (OC's toll road purveyor) have a 25-year head
start on spinning-out TCA's toll road illusion / yarns.
Their big electric road signs warn us: take a toll road,
or our lives won't last as long. What TCA never reports:
they're broke (no question). Upside-down. Like housing
and our economy - BROKE.

Difference is: TCA ain't ever gonna recover.

Their "Star" toll road, the 73 thru Laguna, never has been
right-side-up, since day-1. Now TCA's 241, the supposed
healthy one is worse off than Laguna's 73. How you say,
"in the tank?" Yet, TCA is adding lanes (???) to both the
73 and the 241 (as toll traffic plummets), while hobbling
freeway and arterial improvements via Non-Compete
agreements. That TCA would pave thru a state park for
no good traffic reason, in a direction I-5 traffic doesn't want
to go, at $15 one-way - predicted by OCTA MIS-07 Study:
the least traveled pavement in South County by 2030,
makes TCA scream, "Fixing I-5 thru San Clemente takes
100's of homes!" What they don't report: OCTA (grand pooh
bah of OC transportation) recommends adding the
necessary lanes to I-5 thru SC utilizing "Context Sensitive
Engineering" aka no "Takings," erasing TCA's bogus 241
extension entirely.

Sad fact: majority of OC-electeds pray daily at TCA's alter
of "failed" toll roads, at our expense: the majority of OC
commuters who never drive toll roads; makes one wonder -
who is steering OC?

We all know the direction. The question is, why go there?
And or, when is 25-years of a failed transportation model,
enough? In 2008? 2009?, or 2030?

public-litter versus the common-good

2008-11-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

This is the sign Brenda Miller removed (thank you Brenda) from
public property, where it was illegally placed.

Who would not call this slanderous material?
Placed illegally on public property, who would not call this the
worst kind of personal-attack-graffiti.

Post election: Mr. Baker was elected by over 8,000 SC voters
and Mr. Mann received over 7,000 SC votes of endorsements
placing him 4th in a field of 9.

2 percentage points from victory and 12 percentage points
ahead of 5th place.

Clearly, between 1st and 4th-place, in this council election,
it was neck and neck to the finish.
2%, the difference 1st to 4th.

It is my firm belief, Brenda did exactly what needed to be
done (by any thinking SC official) - removing this sign from
our pre-election public landscape.

For the Record, she did it in broad daylight, 1-block from
SC's Sheriff's office. Then turned the trash-talking signage
into SC's City-yard, receiving a receipt for same.

City-yard on Pico is where campaigners go to retrieve lost,
stolen, or in any way salvaged campaign signage.

In my humble opinion: anyone approving of this sign's
blasphemous character assassination message is as
confused and misguided as whoever funded its production.

Elections get heated.

08, on every level - was particularly heated. But it's over.

The economy remains terrible for everyone and getting worse.
Open Spacer's battle developers and visa versa.
Tempers are understandably on edge.

Regardless, our common sense goal must always be,
in dire times, and in good times, keep your wits about you
when others are losing there's. Don't stoop to base instincts.
It solves nothing.

This sign is blatantly slanderous.
Who in their right mind does this?
Anger, and paranoia, its only message.

Unwarranted character assignation on two of SC's selfless
valued public servants is both pathological and dangerous.

That Brenda would be sited for removing it from its place of
obvious illegal placement - reprimanded for doing it - ticketed
for doing it - publicly humiliated for doing "the right thing," is
wrong in every way imaginable in an orderly society.

Aren't we all encouraged to remove litter from our public landscape?

For those who know and work with Brenda: her neighbors,
friends and colleagues, Brenda only ever fights the good fight.
Conscientious to a fault, and law abiding. The Law is her
avocation and occupation. Brenda is a treasured value to
this city, both privately and publicly.

So - rather than being publicly harangued for "doing the
right thing" for all of us, Brenda needs an apology for the
unfair treatment she's been subjected to. Immediately.

Take a long hard look at the sign.
Study it.
Now imagine your name, or the name of your favored
candidate emblazoned in quotes across it.

Try and imagine how you'd feel reading it, if your most
valued-candidate - whoever that is, was labeled "Hypocrite."
How would you feel?

You know how you'd feel - Violated.

Now imagine, finding this slanderous signage placed
illegally on public property - not private property.

A twofer: Violated and Illegal.

City Sign Rule 1a: never plant yard-signs on public property.

If it was 'your' candidate being slandered, most likely you'd
thank whoever removed it.

One might assume, local law enforcement and or code
enforcement officers would have the same good sense to
remove it. That didn't happened.
It was allowed to stay, and slander.

If this brand of dangerous personal public slander, against
anyone - your candidate, you, or any candidate, in any election,
is allowed to fester, it will proliferate and spread.

Without strict civic oversight, local elections will spiral down
into nothing more than base hooliganism in the name of free
speech. Are we there now? This signs says yes.

That's not America. And it's not San Clemente.

Brenda Miller is not who's at fault here.

Let's hope SC's current leadership recognizes freedom
of speech is not freedom to slander. Otherwise the noun
"Hypocrite" will soon enough define us all.

The election is over. Times ahead are challenging beyond
compare without the negative efforts of an overambitious
mischievous few who apparently know no bounds in
employing antisocial tactics.

We suffer these fools equally.

Brenda Miller did the right thing, and is chastised for it,
while someone else does 'wrong' intentionally, for effect,
and there's no penalty? Hmm.

Question: what's lettered in Gold, in Council Chambers,
above our San Clemente Seal - "Who Do We Trust" - in?

Will we act accordingly?

One can hope.

ladling soup to power, on SC pier

2008-10-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

None of us need be reminded, the plus and minuses
of good political-power versus political-abuse.

Etched across our crowded landscape, daily reminders:
good planning versus "what were they thinking?"

We live in the future tense, too often hobbled by bad
planning from before. The results of self-interest
trumping the public-good.

On San Clemente Pier this past Sunday (Oct-5-08),
at SC's annual Chowderfest cook-off, the 5-Time
Individual-Best-on-Pier winningest chowder recipe
Won Again!

Ladled out by S.C.A.T. - SC'ians Against Toll-Roads.

S.C.A.T.'s message: a toll road thru SC is bad-soup
for SC - for the environment - and won't help traffic
a lick. Still TCA keeps its foul toll-stew boiling away
no matter toll road rider-ship's a thing of the past:
gas too high - no more Wall St. backstop - no more
local development fees pouring into TCA's tolling
house of mirrors. OC Toll roads are out of gas.
Their last-ditch ponzi hope: pave to San Onofre.
Scam a couple more Billion in construction-bucks.
Bulldoze hemorrhaging Bond-debt down the road
to the year 3000. Do the math. Who reading this
today will be here to protest?

S.C.A.T. says "STOP." Stop Now.
Bad road-recipe. Dump it.
Can't afford toll.
Tastes really yucky.

One visiting Boston lady (on her 3rd helping)
ran up to S.C.A.T's table exclaiming, "No Competition!
You're the Best Chowder Out Here. I Need More!"

So, Congratulations S.C.A.T. Your winning recipe for
San Onofre and San Clemente remains miles ahead
of the competition and will never leave a bad aftertaste
to our kid's future.

S.C.A.T wins #6
Toll Road - 0

(you are what you eat)

jer

Toll Road to Nowhere, we agree

2008-10-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the LATimes for the editorial headline
I've been waiting to read for 10-years,

"Toll Road to Nowhere" - Oct 8, 08.

The follow-up headline should ink:
"A Toll Road Agency to nowhere good."

OC's TCA/Transportation Corridor Agency aka
toll road purveyors, have met their larcenous match -
the economy and high fuel costs, causing TCA's
price-managed toll-traffic to vaporize, as panicky
Supervisors cut toll fares on the 91's vacant toll
lanes now that TCA's once lucrative development
fee stream, fed from OC home-building has gone
bone dry. TCA's mythical traffic-relief via toll roads
is hot on the heels of Wall St's dive into the abyss.

OC's Private Investor Highway model only ever
worked on Wall St spread-sheets, causing OC and
Riv-County commuters to stall-out on decades long
politico-mischief & mass transit prejudices - their
only commute choice: private-interest, quick-buck
car-commuting to lands further and further out with
no way home today, except on overtaxed freeways
at $60 to $100 a tank fill-ups.

Result: TCA's 51-mile toll-folly basks empty in So-Cal's
sunniest clime thanks to 30-years of shortsighted
development greed and political-gaming, driving
us nowhere fast, with no train in sight.

So, throw the bums out?

OC's harsh transportation reality leaves little choice,
because "They" - OC's brain trust (gone-bust) believe
everything's just fine. Going according to plan.

Ironically, TCA plans to widen their empty toll roads
to nowhere. So who pays? Who always pays.
Stop TCA before they pave again.
Stop TCA, period.
And let our traffic flow.

2008-09-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

OC Reg: Mimi Walters - a wave of misinformation,
Guest Column, Sunday, Sept. 14, 08
----------------------------------------------------------------------

a citizen response:

Used to be, mustachioed men in stripped suits
and tall hats sold Snake Oil. Now women can too.

Mimi Walters is credited with describing San Onfore
State Beach Park (our state's 5th most popular) - our
Yosemite of Surfing, as "nothing but dirt and weeds."

Mimi's open space ignorance is bliss - and convenient,
with her goal to pave a toll road thru San Onofre (if open
today, its toll fare would be $15 one-way). Even OCTA
knows no one's going to drive it. Same as no one's
driving TCA's 'busted' 73 now - or the suddenly
tanking 241.

Where did TCA's toll payers all go?
They're at the gas pump paying $4 a gallon.
A scary enough toll.

Here's what Mimi calls dirt & weeds: The Donna O'Neill
Land Conservancy, the San Mateo Watershed, San Mateo
Creek / the Panhe village site - the Acjachemen People's
sacred ground, dating back 10,000 years.

All totaled, they make up the last, intact, naturally perfect
coastal watershed (open space treasure) along southern
California's coastline - Tijuana to Ventura.
Lose that to a an unaffordable toll road and we lose SoCal's
last consistently healthy coastal waters / San Onofre.
Some leadership.

Mimi admits to loathing "Labor," then flies the Union label
when it suits her toll road pitch.

Truth to Power: With SoCal's sagging highway infrastructure
requiring a decade's worth of make-over, there's no shortage
of highway-work / construction jobs on OC freeways and
arterials going forward.

Ironically the state park Mimi would plow asunder is not even
in her Assembly District - or her County. Maybe it's Mimi's road
map that's clogged with dirt & weeds?, because blindly paving
away priceless State Park land and watershed for a toll road
no one would drive, rather than solving OC's real world
transportation issues: how to get OC commuters to work
'affordably' today, tomorrow, and when gas hits $9-bucks
a gallon, smacks of 100-Proof Mimi pitching TCA snake-oil.

Don't drink it OC.
It's bad medicine.

Smart Pizza

2008-08-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 23, 2008

If the toll road don't fit - go to Sonny's.

To: sunpostnews/ local SC-daily

In response to Sue Waltman's criticism:

Sonny's Pizza 'not being smart' opposing

the toll road. That widening I-5 would be

the result, stems from a lack of information

(or misinformation) on Ms Waltman's part.

Fact: toll road or no toll road, widening I-5

thru SC is a done deal. Currently I-5's

widening-plan calls for 3 1/2 new lanes.

Fact: there's plenty of room. No homes

need be taken. OCTA and Caltrans

implement 'Context Sensitive Engineering

Rules' in cases such as SC, where homes

and business sit close to freeways.

Note: all Caltrans Freeway projects,

(planned 25-30 years in advance) right of

way (roadway foot-print) exceeds amount

of actual paving - meaning: a close look

at I-5 here (available space) - additional

lane-width-requirements meet Caltrans

12ft-max standard so there's room to widen

I-5 without destroying SC. Rumors to the

contrary are TCA myth, designed to snare

SC'ers into TCA's superfluous toll road net.

Apparently Ms. Waltman swallowed TCA's

bait - hook, line and sinker (she's not alone).

OCTA's 07-MIS (Major Investment Study)

reveals a 241-south extension to I-5, by

2030, would be the least traveled pavement

in South County. At upwards of $15 a one

way toll, no wonder. That's why, OCTA -

OC's Transportation "Authority" says -

"toll road, or no toll road, know I-5 thru SC

must be widened to accommodate SoCal's

future North-South 'Free'way traffic."

Reality: A Trestles toll road would do

nothing to alleviate I-5's traffic.

What Ms Waltman's question should be,

"Well then, why pave the toll road?"

10's of 1000's of smart, pizza eating,

commuting SoCal citizens ask the same

question.

Sad Fact: governmental bodies can, do

and will make dumb policy (they're only

human). It's up to us - informed, voting

citizens to bring high flying politicians

down to earth where we live, breathe,

eat smart pizza, and commute.

Fact: 8 of the 9 SC City Council Hopefuls

running for council election today, oppose

the toll road in its current nonsensical,

destructive path to Trestles.

May I suggest: Sonny's is not only the

best pizza in town - it's the Smartest.

Remember - we are what we eat.

Jerry Collamer, SC resident, is an active

participant in OCTA's South County Major

Investment Study Stakeholders Working

Group representing Wild Heritage Planners.

SONGS gone for Good

2008-08-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

She Leaks, She Creaks, She sucks & blows billions of gallons of sea-water in & out 24-7.
How much sea-life goes with?
How much radio-activity (not KROK bubby) gets pumped
out too? How big 'are' 18ft-diameter suck & flush pipes (hmm) doing SONGS' binge & blow? Hugely Big.
SONGS' More Bad News: Patterns of internal problems.
SONGS is "doddering dysfunctional!" Swell.
Enough so Edison's hired new top-level lion-tamers to
keep her from going totally ballistic all over us.

Scary on a scale of 1 to 5: 1 being Best, SONGS is a high 3?, which is way closer to 5 than 1, and rhymes with RUN!!!

But the issue closest to San Clemente's sleepy village is:
We Take All The Risk, while Riverside splashes happy in backyard pools safely 50-miles away gulping 100 Proof
SONGS juice.

Depending who you read, SONGS' powers between 1.5 million to 2-million Riverside homes, keeping things cool
in Riv-city's sunny summer shine (92º today), while San Clemente sucks Riv's-risk.

Want to de-fang SC's dangerous suck & flush machine?

Here's how:

San Clemente's / SONGS No-Risk Riverside Option:
Begin decommissioning SONGS No. 2 Reactor now.
At the same time, begin covering Riverside's rooftops
(all of them) with solar panels.

Soon as Reactor No. 2 is taken down (just like we did
with SONGS old #1 reactor) begin decommissioning
No. 3 while keeping on with Riverside's solar and wind power-conversion until Riv-city is 100% self-sufficient.
And SONGS is sung.
And SC's safe (like it used to be).

No doubt, we're stuck with SONGS' bones: the stored
nuc-waste and polluted beach plant site. But we'll have
a sunny solution (happy ending) to Riverside's power
needs and San Clemente's next generation will be so
much better for it.

What shaky San Andreas Fault?
What lame TCA toll road evacuation excuse?
What leaky, creaky, rusty internal plant problems?
What scary plume / cloud.
What radiated ocean and nuke-tainted ground well-water?
What suck & flushing billions of gallons of sea-water (and marine-life) daily?
What Nuke-plant in the middle of California's 5th most popular State Beach Park?
What Nuke-plant on SoCal's Yosemite of Surfing beach?
What worry our kid's health issues?

Rather, SONGS becomes a glowing history lesson
if we dare imagine San Onofre without SONGS.
A sunny solution to SONGS' old timey power source.

Imagine SONGS' gone.
It's legal to imagine it.
We have the technology.
This is "Sunny" Southern California.
Let's just do it - now.

Because don't you really wish, SONGS wasn't here.

Why Sonny's is SC's best loved

2008-08-12T15:48:00.001-07:00

The lines outside Sonny's Pizza on El Camino
attests to its quality hometown product: excellent
food, service, and that good ol'SC vibe.
Ongoing successes such as Sonny's offer proof
to the good judgment of what SC'ers like.
On Sunday at Fiesta Day, the Save Trestles Tent
hosted over 700 State Park and San Onofre-Loving
'Save Trestler's,' putting face, name and words
to where their hearts are too: Saving Trestles
and San Onofre. Sonny's loves Trestles too.
700 polaroided Save Trestler's stapled their pic's
to handwritten postcards addressed to the Sec of
Commerce in DC, asking, "Help Us, The People,
Save Trestles and Sano" from TCA's hapless,
needless, pointless, dumb toll road idea, no matter
TCA's next weak excuse for paving thru SoCal's
last perfectly natural public space - for a nonsensical
private road no one will ever afford???, want?, or need?
So Sonny's gets it right again. That's why it's SC's #1
choice for great chow and that good'ol SC-vibe.
Same with Trestles and Sano - 3 perfectly natural
SC originals broadcasting SC's village spirit and
all-natural vibrancy out to the world: as in World-Class.
Call'em SC's Unique (3) Quality of Life Providers.
Sonny's, Trestles and Sano is why we all live here
(and not in those other places).
It's why the World lines up to come to San Clemente
on any given Sunday. "Hello City Council, GET IT?"
Pray SC's naturally good Spirit never changes.
It won't, long as we all work to make sure it doesn't.
So, it's "Yes" to Sonny's, Trestles and Sano.
And "NO" to TCA's nutty toll road idea - wrong time,
wrong place, wrong town, wrong idea.
We don't need TCA's funny (bad) business paving
its dubious way here. We're doing fine. Sunday's
25,000-plus Fiesta fun-in-SC's-sun revelers found
their way here, no problem. So TCA, stop serving
us your blah, rehashed menu. It's enough to make
a good town sick. Let's all go to Sonny's instead.

What Price Trestles

2008-08-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

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?

TCA's moldy green

2008-07-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

TCA paints its ludicrous idea for a Trestles toll road Green?
TCA's warped vision of what's good for Nature is paving it over for a toll road that wouldn't relieve I-5 traffic, is routed in the wrong direction and unaffordable to drive. Only thing green about TCA's proposed fool's road is the moldy spin they've been spraying us with for two decades.

a bad road drives to no good end

2008-07-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

On Sat July 26th, in SC's local Sun Post
Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, 70th District
(Irvine) rebutted my visualizing exercise:
Imagine San Onofre without SONGS
(nuke plant). Mr. DeVore wants us not
to imagine it.
Mr. DeVore believes, without Nukes,
we can't fix greenhouse gas emissions
here. Mr. Devore has a distinguished
military background. He wrote a book
titled China Attacks. His views on Nukes
are fervent. He wants more Nukes
everywhere. Nukes are his thing.
But, have you ever not driven by SONGS
at San Onofre State Beach Park without
wondering,
"How dangerous is that thing?"
"What does melt-down really mean?"
"Is it true, kids living near Nuke facilities
have higher cancer rates globally, than
kids who don't?"
"What did happen to the so-called
survivors of Chernobyl? Did They?"
Because its first responders didn't.
Yet, pontificating politicians, doing
nuke's queasy business swear, hot
mystery juices leaking from old old
SONGS ride its flushing current of
billions of gallons of super-cooked
water daily back to sea, with no
effect on us?
Or marine life?
What do you believe?
Scary named stuff like Tritium absorb
into our body's are sold to us as,
"No more dangerous than the glowing
numbers on your wristwatch."
Then we think,
"3-Mile Island. Here?"
And what about SONGS' non-disposable
spent-fuel rods stored onsite waiting to cool?
5,000 years is a long wait.
Too Hot To Handle comes to mind.
Too hot for anytime, as visions of passive solar
panels atop every roof become our sane focus.
Sunshine beaming our ice cream frozen, while
wind turbines spin, keeping home-computers
powered up. Non-threatening. Not deadly. Safe.
SONGS is so potentially nasty, OC's toll road
pavers (TCA) claim, they MUST pave an
evacuation toll road to it.
In case of "Oops?"
Come on!, if SONGS is so creaking fallible
that it needs it's own Escape toll road east,
it's gotta go. And go now.
If we Imagine SONGS Gone, dismantled; like
what they did to SONGS' tired old #1 reactor,
it erases TCA's insatiable desire for an otherwise
nonsensical Toll Road to Trestles.
With ol'SONGS' scary, creaky, leaky, rusting
double boilers Gone, puts minds at ease and
protects our children's future.
And - not accidentally gone, as in Oops-Go-POOF!
In nuke-speak, going Oops is labeled a Plume.
Think large - lingering - scary cloud overhead
for who knows how long, or how sickly, or covering
how many of us?
Blathering Nuke-lobbying politician's go silent
at such occurrences.
Imagining SONGS-Gone is a Win-Win for the
mental and physical health of our precious
seaside community and the millions who visit.
With SONGS Gone there's absolutely no need
for TCA's Escape-From-SONGS toll road.
A road serving no other purpose.
Call it a twofer.
Call it a comforting image:
No SONGS at San Onofre, and no toll road.
The more you imagine SONGS Gone,
the better the idea looks.

Jerry Collamer - San Clemente resident surfed
Trestles before SONGS, left and came back to
SONGS being here. He's the founder of
Save Trestles, Stop The Toll Road.

2008-07-14T19:32:00.001-07:00

Good Neighbor SONGS versus Passive Power

Imagine San Onofre without SONGS (again)

In my July 10th Sun Post op-ed
"Imagine San Onofre without SONGS,"
my visual thesis suggested 'imaging something'
different than what is, is the first-step in the
direction of change.

I also suggested, employees of SONGS, and
or anyone deriving profit from Nukes would
argue No SONGS is an impossible vision.

Like the Horse and Buggy salesman
quipped when seeing the first motor car
rattle down his muddy rutted road,

"That's cute, and entertaining, but horse
and buggies are here to stay."

Encouraging words did come from one
pro-nuker, "I think we all would prefer a
solar-source of power, or a wind-source,
or a wave/tide source. Let's build those first."

But he also wrote I'd suggested herds of
weak bladdered cattle fouling streams was
equivalent to SONGS leaking Tritium into
San Onofre's ocean (I never once mentioned
bovine discharge. Only SONGS discharge).

He went on: Tritium is not absorbed into
the skin - can be ingested harmlessly.

I quickly got back to my Tritium sources.
They disagree with both his points.

They report: Tritium does, indeed, absorb
directly through the skin, the gut, the lungs, etc.
Tritium is a radioactive hydrogen atom. No
other radionuclide is capable of absorbing
through skin like tritium can.

Apparently in its tiniest dose, Tritium is a
real go-getter. Goes for the throat. Maybe that's
why a few years back when SONGS leaked,
us San Clemente residents received little
anti-nuke thyroid pills to swallow if the
Big-One ever happens. Yummy.

This is why WE (you, me) must imagine
SONGS all gone, because SONGS'
old-schoolers just can't.

Same as dinosaurs couldn't imagine their
own demise when they ruled the world.

Nukes in general are a Lose-Lose.
Their spent-rods, never spent.
Their hot-shelf-life living forever.
Scariest yet - the world has no safe place
to store the ever-radiating ol'hot stuff
stored at SONGS now.

So they stay at SONGS radiating,
incased in concrete and steel.
But steel rusts (by the sea) and concrete
is porous, and there's earthquakes and
terrorists and sleepy night watchmen,
and FOREVER is a longtime.

Remember SONGS' humongus 18ft diameter
pipes running out to sea, sucking & flushing
our Pacific Ocean in and out, in and out,
nonstop for 4-decades as SONGS' moving
parts rust, creak, leak, laboring to keep the
ol'girl's suck & flushers cooling (are you
imaging it all?).

Now imagine a solar panel basking in the sun.
Maybe on your roof. Maybe on everyone's roof.
Maybe anywhere and everywhere there's room
to make electricity passively, with No Moving Parts.

No more suck & flushing our Pacific Ocean in
and out, spewing stuff like Tritium to absorb into
fish and surfer's skin, and their guts.

But rather: a passive way to power homes silently
and safely, producing even more Power than
we need, so then we can share it.

Homemade power. What a concept.

Imagine that.

Now imagine SONGS gone.
It's getting easier, isn't it.

It's almost believable.
Like dinosaurs, horse and buggies,
78 records, cheap gasoline and
San Onofre without SONGS.

traffic reality

2008-07-10T08:27:00.001-07:00

Social Engineering.

As TCA continues its lie: their toll roads
were never about less freeway traffic here,
with high gas prices absolutely killing
their already minimal toll traffic, I recall
a conversation 6-months ago with a high
level Caltrans Planner (or maybe he's
OCTA?) - I was carping about how, the
toll lanes on the 91, traffic-wise, we're
counter productive. That, if our real
purpose on freeways, is moving the
greatest number, most efficiently, over
a given distance - the marginally used
two lanes, blocked from use by the majority,
keeping the other 4-freeway lanes jammed
to a halt made absolutely no sense, as
the cost of paving those two toll lanes
would never be reimbursed from the
few paying their $10 / 10-mile toll cruise.
He replied, "Opening the toll-lanes to
freeway traffic would only marginally
increase the freeway traffic (Caltrans
considers 45 mph for 15 miles as
adequate freeway flow), so I'm thinking,
45 is way better than dead-stopped;
then he said, "besides, we're trying to
socially engineer people out of their
cars..."

In my family we have a 55-mile door
to door commute each a.m. - 18-miles
north on I-5, 37-miles north on the 405.

10-years ago, it regularly took easily
70 minutes (no toll road, no HOV Lane,
pure freeway).

Today it's approaching 40-minutes
(no toll road, no HOV lane, pure freeway).

$4.50 a gallon makes for some pretty
effective social engineering.

Exxon's socially engineered what
Caltrans and OCTA never could -

TCA's worst nightmare.

The Cat's out of the Bag

2008-07-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

Pete Van Nuys, South County toll road observer and
transportation realist points out why OC toll roads will
always fail, regardless of how OC's transportation cabal
schemes to protect TCA's private investors, rather than
solving OC public transportation boondoggle.

As Pete points out; either way, it's our money.

Cat's out of the bag - SHADOW TOLLS CREEP OUT

Last month Orange County Transportation Authority staff began a series
of appearances before OC city councils presenting:
their "Locally Preferred Alternative for South County's Major Investment Study Area."

The major investment they're talking about is: upgrade to streets, arterials
and freeways in the area from the 55 freeway south to the San Diego County line.
Funding for upgrades will come primarily from the renewal of Measure M,
the extra half-cent sales tax we all pay in Orange County.

Included in the plan are tax subsidies for the TCA.

Like we told you last year, the political 'might' of the Transportation Corridors Agency (TCA)
knows no bounds, or shame around here.
So despite trumpeting, "We're a private entity using no Public Funding to construct our toll roads,"
blah, blah, blah, they've not only inserted themselves into our Measure M funding,
they've devised a new term, "Shadow Tolls," to help save their sorry financial butts.

What would we get if TCA's shadowy plan is adopted?

First, we'd get lower tolls;
50% is the discount currently tossed around.
To address the congestion these lower tolls would cause,
TCA will add lanes to their toll roads!
That's right.
Not only will your tax money subsidize a failing concept / agency,
TCA will be adding lanes to their Loser-toll-system (while freeways,

streets and public mass transit in its many forms continue playing
second fiddle to OC failed toll roads).

What are Shadow Tolls?

The implication is, every time you'd pay a toll, some generous entity would match it
with money from heaven. But where does the money really come from?
OCTA pretends it doesn't know.
What they're suggesting (at TCA's behest) is adoption of a plan with no stated funding source?
Though it's clear to any thinking citizen the source is your pocketbook.
More taxes with a sneaky name.

What's the claimed benefit?

Through a lengthy process of traffic modeling and cost/benefit analysis,
OCTA purports to show regional traffic will be reduced, and service levels
improved. Highway Science clearly jiggered.

OCTA is the agency steadfastly refusing to allow modeling of any plans
in south county without completion of the 241.
Even though, it is increasingly likely the road will never be built.
Still, OCTA's Board won't allow a No-Trestles-toll-road version modeled?

Who are these guys (and some gals)?

Through the years, OCTA and TCA boards have shared many members.
Their politics are clear. Their loyalties not surprising.
Chalk this
blatant bit of bad transportation management up to OC politics.

Why TCA needs money:

As detailed elsewhere on this site, OC toll roads have failed, practically and financially.

TCA roads comprise over half the superhighway-miles in South Orange County.
But even before the meteoric rise in gas prices, they attracted less than a 5th
of the drivers in the region.
Why?
Because the basic model-- toll-ways / toll roads surrounded by freeways,
is a ridiculous business model.

In 2008 there are nearly 1-million 'less' toll-way users than in 2007.

There are thousands of loyal TCA patrons, but five x times that number never use toll roads.
As a result, the 73 has never (and the 241 only rarely) met it's monthly bond debt obligations
through monthly toll revenues, since the day it opened.
TCA makes up the difference with interest-earned on their dwindling investment portfolio.
And, on the failed 73 toll road, from money borrowed from the 241.

TCA's road to financial ruin from Day-1.

So, more than just a shot in the arm, this blatant tax grab / Shadow Tolls, is designed to facilitate
yet another refinancing of their sinking operation.

Bloated bureaucracies don’t die easily.
Across the nation, boondoggles like TCA survive through shenanigans regular folks get locked up for.

TCA continues to talk about “freeing up the toll roads.”

But since they’ve never (far as we can tell), paid a dime on the principal to their bond debt,
the date of "freeing up" gets pushed ever farther into the future. Think 2065.

Historically, only a few toll facilities nationwide have ever been freed-up / paid-up.
Most are continually refinanced to support the agency, and the careers which built them.

Shadow Tolls are another scam to finance TCA’s failed enterprise and to perpetuate itself.

Shadow Tolls won’t fix South OC traffic.
But rather, will continue to confuse it, and us more.

Short term benefits versus long term reality.
Toll discounts will probably increase toll road use, temporarily.
But studies by UC’s Transportation Center confirm what drivers already know:
any restriction on one part of a system causes congestion on the rest.
Therefore 'any' toll required, to use TCA’s folly-roads will contribute to
more freeway congestion.
With half the highway miles in South County under Toll,
the other half (the freeways) will always carry a disproportionate
share of OC traffic.

OC freeways will grow increasingly congested as long as the 73 and 241 charge even nominal tolls.

But forget nominal.
There’s a limit to how much 'subsidy' from cities, county, or state,
will be willing to kick in.
So, toll discounts will be artificially low when introduced; reflecting
“congestion pricing” (highest tolls during peak commute hours);
subject to the ebb and flow of political-will for as long as they’re
in effect, as tolls slowly rise and rise and rise...again.

How 'they' pulled this off:

TCA is the tail that wags OCTA's dog.
With roots in Orange County’s Republican Central Committee, TCA founders
and board members are longtime county politicians, aspiring to higher office
and or continued employment.
The Toll Roads stand as this county’s symbol of independence from Sacramento:
a thumb in eye to state transportation planners and politicians who balked at funding
county freeways in the 70's, so local developers could grow fat / ever richer on OC's
profitable urban sprawl.
Rather than pay for the roads themselves, TCA encouraged bond sales to clueless
investors who believed, erroneously, OC drivers would pay any-price to live the
California Dream. Too bad they didn’t do their homework.

Now TCA faces the inevitable admission of their failure.
But not before one stupendous last blast public snow job - Shadow Tolls.

TCA's Shadow Toll Game Plan:

1) They’ve quashed studying any and all alternative no-toll-road plans.
Like the obvious: Freeing up OC-toll roads now, getting back 51-miles
of instant new freeways now, instead of 2065 or later.
2) Twisting arm of puppet agency, OCTA, to include Shadow Tolls
in its “preferred alternative” master plan.
3) OCTA floats idea (sans any reference to source of subsidies) before
their 'friends' on local city councils.
None of whom ask one pertinent question.
4) Launch low key PR effort to lubricate voting public (YOU) for the inevitable.
5) Then, if we squeal when the real thieving starts, they’ll buy the biggest media
blast ever. Bigger than before Del Mar, to convince us, Shadow Tolls are the
most generous thing TCA has ever done for the motoring public.

Stay tuned - it gets even better.
TCA's cooks are busy stirring.

Sign of the times

2008-07-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

Anyone looking 'here' knows the drill:

The TCA make wild-eyed OC Toll Road claims as those of us
with eyes to see, ears to hear, and voices to speak ask,

"Ahh, hold on pal, that's more TCA-BS you're spewing.
Ya'wanna hear some TRUTH!"

And we tell'em.

On Feb. 6 - 08, in Del Mar CA, California's Coastal
Commission spoke pure-sweet-Truth to TCA:

"A toll road to Trestles, thru conservancy land, thru
the San Mateo Watershed, thru Panhe Native American
land, thru San Onofre State Beach Park, will never happen.
There are solid traffic alternatives - go figure it out, because
a toll road to Trestles would have no positive effect on
1-5 traffic, period."

TCA did not want to hear that.

Typically, TCA slandered CCC's decision, calling all of us,
(the largest citizen-group in CCC's 25-year history ever to
attend a CCC Hearing), an out of control circus.

We were not surprised.
And we were not a circus.

4,500 surfers, campers, hikers - folks protecting what's
rightly ours, in 1-room, behaved magnificently. All the
while bombarded by TCA's typical avalanche of spin,
half-truths, and lies.

25-year old TCA lies - recooked, rehashed, regurgitated
adnauseam for 18-hours. We took it.

Then the CCC delivered.

Their omnipotent power, even greater than TCA's lies.
Trestles won the day.

But we didn't win the war.
We knew that.

A huge victory regardless.
It felt like a miracle.

CCC's perfect decision Feb 6th showed what happens
when very good people are well informed, make common
sense decisions, based on facts, backed by huge public support.

Now that same public support for Trestles, and for San'o,
our Yosemite of Surfing, is needed one more time.

That's what the sign's about.
We must save Trestles again.

Friday July 25th, on the UCI campus, in the Bren Center.

Let's hope it's a REALLY big room.
TCA is panicky.
Their back's to the wall.
Who knows how many paid-toll road shills they'll
bus-in this time.

TCA's entire 51-mile toll road system here is failing.
With gas heading to $7 a gallon, OC toll roads are the
wrong idea at the wrong time.

TCA lost nearly a million riders in the last 12 months.
They're literally, running on empty.
They are empty.

The upcoming July 25th Hearing, most likely will be
all day and into the night.
Del Mar began at dawn and went to 11:30p.m.
That was Big Wednesday.
This will be bigger - Big Friday

The Federal Commerce Dept wants to hear our/your
Public Opinion – State Park versus toll road.

Over 2000 signed up to speak in Del Mar for our side.
Obviously we didn't all speak.
Our Coastal Commission spoke for us.

So come on Citizen, let's do it one more time for Trestles.

Because, like it says on the website:
Save Trestles, and we save everything good.

The TCA is so looney, they predict taking 8-lanes worth
of capacity/traffic off I-5 at Trestles. But their road-plan only
calls for paving 2-lanes each way? At $15 a one-way toll
they won't be taking one-half of one lane off I-5 ever.

If we let it happen, the joke is on us, our kids, our grandkids
and our great, great grandkids.

Let's finish-off this hideous, destructive,
useless toll road idea July 25th.
Be there. It's gonna be huge.
You wouldn't want to miss it.

Save Trestles, and we save everything good.
Lose it, and it's gone forever.

The following 4-panels offer a brief visual summary
of what TCA's been up to since Feb 6th -

2008-06-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

OC's eyes wide shut, but the worm never sleeps
(Supe's snooze as Reality comes to OC)

If we are what we read, eat, hear and see,
then OC is in serious trouble of striking out.

With our World zooming to 'renewables'
(finally) - oil, a shrinking commodity, profiteers
hawk Nuke-power as the second coming.

But one must ask, "What about Nuke's
ever-lasting too-hot-to-handle by-product
Spent-Fuel-Rods? They never ever cool.
Incased in concrete prayers, we pass our
dangerous, deadly legacy on to our great,
great, great, great, great grandchildren.

Thanks a hot-heap grandpa.

But the worm has turned neighbor.
Future Shock is here.

In 1972 Alvin Toffler wrote,
"In the three short decades between now
and the twenty-first century, millions of
ordinary, psychologically normal people
will face an abrupt collision with the future."

Who knew it would be at our gas-pump?
Our light bulb?
Our commute?
Our addiction to oil, suddenly unaffordable.
OC's daily car commute - unaffordable.

Still OC's Supervisors crazily champion
more Toll Roads; unaffordable to ordinary,
psychologically normal people wondering
HOW we'll afford to get to work tomorrow,
as OC's development interests slither
under political backdoors, paving TCA's
way to ever more freeway congestion.

Gated highways to Gated communities.
Self serving private highways for the few,
as the-many sit stalled in freeway traffic.

When LA saw the light (rail), laying track in
every direction, OC Supervisors (here and now)
scoffed at rail commuting as not the OC way.

With eyes wide shut they rabidly endorse
TCA's failed toll road system - "Build More!!!"
cried the village idiot as the ground beneath
him caved from the weight of his own Reality.

Memo to OC Supes:
Can't see the future with your eyes wide shut -
WAKE UP!

Memo to OC Public: On July 24th or 25th (TBD)
at the Bren Center, UCI Irvine (exact day to be
announced) ordinary, psychologically normal
people like YOU will have the opportunity to
tell our Fed Commerce Department,
"NO Toll Road to Trestles.
A dumb transportation concept, out of step with
the times, with nature, and OC's REAL WORLD
everyday transportation needs. Just say no."

It will be an eye & ear popping experience.

Be there.
Or be asleep,

pass the word.

OCTA skims over SC...casting a shadow

2008-06-18T10:33:00.001-07:00

SC Smog Test, from sea

2008-06-16T12:58:00.001-07:00

Smog Test for Mr Alford of SC (SP-LTE-June 14-08), floating his boat off SC, determining our air quality -

1) At $15 a one-way toll (TCA's prediction), how many polluting vehicles would a Trestles toll road 'take' from I-5 at Cristianitos Rd. with gas at $5 a gallon heading to $8:
A. None.
B. Only Rock Star limos and the Pope's motorcade
C. Tons of Nuke-waste, transported thru Mission Viejo
D. High speed car-chases short-cutting to Corona

2) With gas soaring towards $8-bucks a gallon, every automaker in the World is dumping SUV production, making way for electric-hybrid production.

A hybrid's smog output is:
A. None
B. Smells like garlic (no that's a converted diesel)
C. No smog, just evaporating water drops
D. No smog. And no sound

3) How many car-commuters are high-tailing it into van-pools, buses, light-rail, car-pooling, generally driving less period:
A. All who can (with more onboard everyday)
B. Even more than "A" suggests
C. More than OC Supervisors admit to, as they death-grip TCA's failed, tanking toll road myth. D. All of the above and then some

4) At $5 to $8 a gallon "Border-traffic" / Caltrans' label for SC's typically heavy Weekend I-5 traffic, is:
A. Fast diminishing
B. Lightening up quicker'an you can say, "who needs a border fence?"
C. Here today. Gone tomorrow.
D. Being lessoned by OPEC as you read this.

Finally: To Mr. Alford (floating his boat off SC), contemplating the beige air-quality overland - turn your boat around and head for the horizon, or come to shore. Gas'ly events are transpiring here to do what TCA's toll roads never will do for OC freeways - lighten their load. It's absolutely electric!

Either way, Bon Voyage!

Dahl Daze

2008-06-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

Every town has one, some have two, some have a complete set of inexplicably confounding council folks, who regardless of common sense rulings and majority opinions, will always row their 'own' boat over-the-falls repeatedly. It's a given. Like in the scary movie, when you know bad things are behind the door, and the actor goes in anyway.

You're thinking "Don't Go In There!!!" but they go in and get slimmed, or eaten, or turn into a mummy. San Clemente has one of them.

He claims to be a surfer. But he would pave Trestles tomorrow, for a toll road absolutely no one would ever drive on?

A retired local fireman - grew up in SC's quiet village by the sea, yet approves every sprawling development idea that sneaks its way into Council Chambers. We gotta keep City Hall's backdoor locked.

Probably needs a guard there. Because several besides 'Him' (on

Council) are also suckers for the swooning temptations of the next pretty faced developer looking to intercourse the layers of protective governmental safe-guards cities keep in place to shield the town (any

town) from the slime-factor. The slime factor is readily visible 'after the fact' by anyone. It's when you look at, or experience something 'in-place'

anywhere, and think, "Who the hell approved that?" Spend time observing your Council or town's Planning Commission. It gets real clear, real fast who's 'back-rooming deals.' The panel above was inspired by SC's last council meeting when "He" stuck to his solo NO vote (rest of council voted YES) on a truly bizarre effort by a small number of bullying View Blockers wanting to build-up, in front of their neighbors, in a terraced section of town, where each house has an ocean view. He sided with the view-blockers. Even when his battle was clearly lost "voted down" by the entire city in a special election. Now come on, That's nuts aka "over the falls!!!"

toxic panderer paddles solo

2008-06-10T13:50:00.001-07:00

Kevin Kehoe ("Build The 241," LTE, Mon-June-9) surfs in a majority of one - as he would destroy Trestles / San Onofre State Beach Park thru personal slander and misinformation to achieve what end - another OC toll road serving too few at the cost of 'the many?' Mr. Kehoe's paddling upside down on his so called surfboard. No wonder he's all wet.

To the editor: Mr. Kehoe, labeling concerned OC citizens "eco-nazis?" is worrisome, but not unexpected - as the development community here 'tanks' in its self-created economic sub-prime disaster, dragging the county, the state, the nation, even foreign markets down in another OC-generated out-of-control greed-driven screw-up.

That you "ink" Mr. Kehoe's hate-filled rambling is certainly dangerous, but again, not unexpected. I subscribe to the OC Reg., and will continue to, monitoring OC's Daily dark-side of self interest you apparently relish. When lies no longer work to one's larcenous goals, what's left but the bully-tactics of slander and vicious personal attacks to achieve hateful, wrongheaded ends - by any means.

Eco-nazis? Hmm.

Obviously you realize the potential personal danger you put every environmentally concerned OC citizen in, by encouraging crazy-talk from the likes of Mr. Kehoe. Or do you?

When the county bankrupted - it was because no-one was watching the store.

When our Sheriff went off track - it was because no one was watching the sheriff.

When a Supervisor sleeps-it-off on the County Court House front lawn - with repeated rumors of bad-acting, who's watching the Supe's?

As admitted by Supervisor Campbell, our toll roads are tanking worse than ever. Considering the 73 toll road has failed since day-one, that's a scary admission. No one knows better than Mr. Campbell.

Quixotically, OC "Influential's" are pushing hard towards another unaffordable toll road snafu. When objective-observers point this out, he or she are labeled eco--nazi's?

TCA toll roads fail 'the majority' of OC commuters 24-7.

Not withstanding their environmental destruction, their private purpose runs counter to OC's transportation needs.

Mr. Kehoe is drunk with TCA koolaide. Many in the county are - but many in the county are not. As gas soars to $5 a gallon, a sober majority of OC commuters have woken to the fast & loose transportation / toll road chicanery OC's development community conjured to facilitate South County build-out when the State said no more freeways.

TCA is a scam, and a determent to OC's commute. Call us what you will, but we're not going away, as our numbers grow exponentially. Mr. Kehoe is a sad, clueless majority of one.

Spin does not equal Endorsement

2008-05-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

by Pete van Nuys

If U.S. Fish & Wildlife had their druthers, 241 South would not be built through San Onofre State Park. That tidbit is presented on page 173 of the Biological Opinion the agency issued May 2, which TCA touted as an endorsement of their 241 South project in a press release May 5.

In citing TCA’s press release toll way supporters shed no new light on environmental damage by the 241 South. The Federal agency conducted no new studies, reviewed no new data, took no new perspective on existing research of the proposed route. All USF&W did, basically, was take TCA's EIR at its word.

The Coastal Commission, however, examined TCA’s environmental claims carefully and found evidence of shoddy science and obfuscation and the commissioners said as much. It’s on the record. Toll way defenders may say otherwise, but thinking citizens don’t have to drink the Kool-Aid.

TCA rushed to post the entire 246 page document on their web site. What they omitted in their press release was the fact that on page 173 USF&W recommends “alignment alternatives that are further west than the proposed project as we believe that such alignments will have less impact on federally listed species, primarily arroyo toad and gnatcatcher.”

But problems with 241 South effect more than endangered species. People from throughout California attended the February hearing because the future of all State Parks was at stake. In a pathetic attempt to balance attendance in the hall TCA bused in hired union laborers-- no kidding, they did-- who all wore matching t-shirts and who all left promptly when their 8 hour shift was up. Thousands of genuinely concerned citizens stuck around, creating the lopsided atmosphere of opposition which has led to TCA’s recent paranoia, manifest in their attempt to prevent a public hearing before the US Commerce Department.

TCA is a closed, narrowly focused, ruthless agency driving a destructive project which, by design, will serve a small minority of motorists. 241 is not a “vital” transportation link. At most it’s an option, an accessory, a transportation bauble whose completion would gut a State Park. People who support it should be ashamed.

For more reasons to Abolish TCA, see my web site.

tca improves on god...again

2008-04-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

To TCA Hell and Back / another morning (April 10 - 08) at TCA Report:

Mike Metcalf stops trains

2008-04-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

4/11/08

To: sunpostnews@ocregister.com

This weekend, the entire length of SoCal's coastal-rail stops-dead for two days, as work on the walk-under tunnel at Mariposa Point gets configured.

4-years ago (maybe longer) when the Beach Trail Plan was getting worked-out, Mariposa Point local Mike Metcalf noticed something was missing - how to get to his 'break' via Mariposa???

In fact, what was planned was - a 6 ft high steel fence to keep folks off the tracks. Mike rightly thought, that sucks for us north SC-locals.
And Bada Bing!!!, this weekend - no train, as Mariposa gets it's walk-under.

Maybe it's true we can't stop Time, but Metcalf can stop Trains.

Think about it, next time you walk under the RR at Mariposa.

Mike says lots of folks helped his No-Fense 'act-up' cause, but I was there when he first brought the issue to City Council.
I'm chagrined to say, I thought he couldn't pull it off. But he did.

Hey, all it takes is shutting down SoCal's coastal-rail for 2-days?

Warning: Don't get between Mike Metcalf and his wave.
He gets it done.
Another example of what one surfer CAN do.
Stop trains.

Thanks Mike - nice work.

getting stupider out, by the day

2008-04-20T12:43:00.002-07:00

4/9/08

To: letters@latimes.com

After a day listening to our Lead General in Iraq and his
sidekick, our ambassador to Iraq tell us there's no good
way out - that our meager gains there skate on thin-ice...
back of me soggy brain repeats and repeats the phrase,

"Protecting National Security Interests"

(code for Oil) brings me back to this county's tolling infliction -
our own TCA, aka toll-road conundrum.

No comparison really, except for this gnawing reality:
A Lie, glossily candy-coated by true-believers, spinning
fact-into-fiction until The-Lie becomes 'Virtuous Endeavor'
orchestrated by pomp and fanfare doth always mask
a darker purpose.

In Iraq, Truth is Oil.
The-Lie was WMD's.

In OC, Truth is Housing.
The-Lie: TCA's Catch-22 specious toll road promise:

"Toll Roads Always Empty - Come Play!"

Boots-on-Ground-Reality: OCFreeway's are packed-to-the-gills
and we can't fix, if TCA Toll-revenues are in anyway threatened
(Catch-22). Which can't happen. Because TCA keeps toll fares
purposely sky-high insuring toll-venues remain mostly empty
as local population swells, suckered by TCA promise, and gas
prices soar out of sight.

Result: OC Freeways helplessly clog to a stop.

Fact: All Bubbles Burst

In Iraq, The-Lie (not the war) is over.
By now everyone knows the ugly, miserable, horrible, oily Truth.
Just not how to leave...and still keep their oil flowing (here).

Back here at the ol'rancho, Our-Lie hasn't yet reached Truefullness.
But our bubble has indeed burst - KAAAWAMMO!!!
What Housing?
1994 - OC over invests scarily - bankrupts self.
2008 - OC's subprime brainchild submarines entire nation and
parts of World in exceedingly wild housing greedfest as OC Toll
roads remain blissfully priced out of mass-traffic's reach, but:
TCA suddenly in dire financial straits?, as goes OC Housing -
goes TCA (re: Development Fees).

Not to worry: according to OC's Highway Generals we have a way OUT!
TCA's new post-bubble-busting-sub-prime Splurge-Traffic-Strategy:

a. Widen Toll Roads! (what freeways, what mass-transit?)
b. Then artificially lower Tolls (genius).
c. Make up so-called lost Toll-revenues via 'Shadow Tolls' aka our
tax-dollars sucked (subsidized, subtracted, scammed, schamozzled)
outta Measure M money voted-in by us (you-me) specifically to fix
freeway-clog-spots and mass-transit, etc., but never toll roads.

TCA Rationale: "Protect TCA Investors 1st." - before commuters.
Plan: Finagle with OCTA and Caltrans to implement - Bada Bing!

Don't look for major freeway / mass transit fixes until 2030 - 2046.
About the time we have Iraq figured out.

Recommendation for Joe & Jane OC-Commuters: dust off bicycles,
because OC's transportation General's are sitting somewhere on
an empty OC toll road, divvying up our freeway/ transit Measure M
fix-it-money to bolster TCA's 'Loser' private investors.

And maybe a smidgen for themselves?

Ya'think?
In OC?
Well, if no one's looking...

News from Sac regarding Parks

2008-04-20T12:43:00.001-07:00

4/8/08

Volunteers and State Parks, and the closing of same -
Yesterday in Sac:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger played politics with parks Monday,
using Sacramento County's treasured jewel of the American
River Parkway as a backdrop to boost a bill to make it easier
for volunteers to keep them clean and green.

Barely an hour after his appearance underneath the budding oaks
by the banks of the river, 200 protesters descended on the Capitol
to implore Schwarzenegger to recant on his proposed budget cuts
that would close 48 parks in the state system.

Schwarzenegger's support for volunteerism in the parks, at the same
time he is seeking to close four dozen of the state's finest came as
a curiosity to west-steps protesters.

Elizabeth Goldstein, president of the California State Parks Foundation,
said in an interview she was in favor of the Schwarzenegger-backed
legislation to reduce the restrictions on people who want to volunteer.

BUT, she also wants to make sure they have a place to do their thing,

"I would hope, since he respects the contributions volunteers make,
he would respect them by keeping the parks open they've been
working so hard to support for so long," Goldstein said.

note: there were surfboards visible in the Capitol / parks-protest,

Save Trestles

TCA - is OC's Circus Act

2008-04-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

4/7/08

To: letters@latimes.com

Response to LATimes (Cal-section), Sat., Ap-5-08
LAT Headline: Toll Agency appeals for calm.

TCA complains, us State-Park-Loving citizens
do protest too much TCA's skewed misinformation
as TCA finagles to pave thru world renowned San Onofre
State Beach Park for a private toll-road to nowhere
few would ever afford at $15 one-way. As gas soars
past $4. This is TCA's answer to relieving OC traffic?
So what's not to scream about?
TCA lawyer Thorton claims booing ensued at Feb. 6th's
Del Mar Coastal Commission's Public Hearing while
TCA's MacLean complains "meeting was chaotic."
Yet it was TCA who bused-in 100's of orange-shirted,
placard-waving "laborers" chanting "Toll Road!,"
clueless to why they were there except for TCA's
free lunch and 8-hour stipend.
MacLean complains the Hearing took place in Del Mar?
In North San Diego County? In a room large enough
to house 3,500 park-loving citizens comfortably (with
a 1000 more outside) for 18-long hours?
But San Onofre State Beach Park sits solely in North
San Diego County - Not OC. Does TCA's wrong-way
MacLean deny geographic reality too?
After 21 traffic boondoggling years, TCA still doesn't
know where it's going. It could make ya'scream.

Our confusing economy - explained

2008-04-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

4/4/08

If you're like me, deeply troubled by what's happening with our national economy - specifically our 'burst' housing bubble - the Whys and Hows, but not quite "getting it?"

I read, listen and watch (and wince) trying to decipher Spin from Reality.
Who's selling baloney.
Who's talking truth.

Consistently, over the past 20 years, the two broadcast voices I've grown to trust in their in-depth interview styles - separating truth from fiction are:

Charlie Rose and Terry Gross.

Charlie's 5-nights a week on everyone's PBS affiliate, at 11:30 PCT.

Charlie's a southern Republican: lives in, and loves NYC. A sophisticated, savvy intellectual, who, if our Administration had been watching prior to the Iraq invasion, would not have gone.

Back then, Charlie interviewed, night after night, Iraqi intellectuals, living and teaching here (exiled), predicting what has come to pass. In detail.

When Colin Powell made his now infamous
speech to the UN, with George 'Slam Dunk'
Tenant sitting behind him, my heart sank.

I knew it was a lie, because of Charlie Rose's Iraqi interviews.

Powell still claims he didn't know.

My dark-humor reply,

"Powell doesn't watch Charlie Rose."

(the thought of Powell "knowing" and
lying us into war, is too much to bear)

My other Truth-interviewer, is NPR's
National Public Radio host Terry Gross
(Philadelphia) - Terry locally, on KPCC -
89.5 FM, 4 nights a week at 7p.m.

Terry is not a Republican. In fact, has
had more than a few far-righters get up
and leave her microphone for what they
perceive unfair questions.

Terry, disarmingly soft in her interview style, tosses hardball questions when only hardballs will do.

A famous Terry dust-up - Lynn Cheney.
VIP's wife on a book-tour. Terry being
every author's must-stop-by. A hot one.
Mrs. Cheney's a tough cookie, didn't
leave. But she didn't answer every
Terry question either.

Last night, Terry Interviewed college
professor and Washington economic
insider Michael Greenberger.
The Show's title:

"Our Confusing Economy Explained"

I recommend everyone go to NPR's
website - click Programming, then
Click "Fresh Air" (Terry's show),
go to 'Archives' - click on yesterday's
show (Ap-3-08) and listen.

As the ol'saying goes, "it's an earful"

of turth.

You will understand.

jer

OC Supe's and Guv join Flat Earth Society.

2008-04-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

3/28/08

To: letters@latimes.com

Response to LATimes - Cal-Section, 3-28-01
"OCTA keeps tollway in its plans"

OC Supe's and Guv join Flat Earth Society.

Last TCA Director's meeting Supe Bates exclaimed,
"8 new freeway lanes thru SJC and SC will destroy
those towns!" But, there is no 8-new-lane Plan.
Same meeting - Supe Norby, "flip Sanchez on her
anti 241 toll road stance, or we're dead in the water!"
But Defense Dept's anti-241 extension amendment
was penned by Davis of San Diego...with Sanchez's
support - not her authorship, as gymnastic Guv flips,
firing bro-in-law and Clint too? For supporting what
Guv supported (no toll road) before he chomped
TCA's bait: $100-million cool ones across Navy's
State Park plate (USN holds lease on San Onofre).
Bribing a Toll Way thru CA's 5th most popular State
Park offers zip-relief to I-5's burgeoning mass: is
OC-Supe's curious solution to our mass-transit snarl?
Luckily, CA's Coastal Commission didn't swallow
TCA's koolaide 'con'coction, or dance lock-step to
Guv's looney tune, soberly denying TCA's bribe
and Guv's nudge.
As for OC's Supes, who knows what they drink.
One was found sleeping it-off on the court house
lawn. One imagines freeway lanes that aren't.
As for Guv's (aka Mr. Universe) past sticky-habit -
rumored to shrink brain.

Your next Guv is...

2008-04-20T12:39:00.003-07:00

3/26/08

1. Jerry Brown - AG Moonbeam (among other things he attended a Jesuit Seminary towards priesthood)
Few years back heard him speak about how he wished he'd served in the military?
2. Tony V - La'mayor (since divorced - name TBD) 3. Bill Lockyer - Treasurer (Yea! Save Trestles!!!) 4. Jack O'Connell - School Supe (teacher and career politician) 5. John Garamundi - Lt. Guv (snubbed Bush, best Elvis interpretation) 6. *Steve Westly - ex Controller (big bucks, a founder in ebay - tried a Guv-run in 06, co chairs Cal's Obama run) 7. Gavin Newsom - SF Mayor (why not, he got married - divorced, sobered up, stopped cohabiting with best friend's
wife and got married again! All in first 2-years as SF's Mayor.
Ever get the feeling, politicking's not a full-time job, but its perks sure are)

------------------

Silly-Valley wannabe-Guvs:

8. Carly Fiorina - ex (fired) CEO of HP(walked away loaded. HP was
very happy...she left)
9. Steve Poizner - ex CEO (sold his silly-valley start-up for
$1-Billion in 2000)
10. Meg Whitman - ex CEO of lots of things, (last-up ebay. She's worth
$1.4 Billion)

11b. *Steve Westly (yes, him again. After making your Billions in SV - next stop Sac)

4,000

2008-04-20T12:39:00.001-07:00

3/25/08

PBS Frontline's 2-night Bush's War revelations
(last night and tonight) all of the manipulated
run-up: a staggering revelation of total manipulation
and dishonesty by Cheney - specifically.

Bush gets credit, but Cheney's the evil brain.
Not a shred of truth or evidence by either party.
Full-court Administration manipulation.
No one supporting the war, pre-Powell UN's
Sell-Job gets a pass. No one.
Everybody knew and, were compliant.
Cheney's unprecedented manipulation of the CIA,
the State Department, his total influence over Bush
and Blaire, with his best bud and confidant and
coconspirator Rumsfeld - and Wolfowitz, phew.
It was, and is, a total lie.
Whenever we hear the phrase, "We're staying
for National Security Interests is Cheney-speak
for Oil. Period.

No idea what Cheney's 'lie' compares to historically.
But in our US History? Nothing compares.

Ironically, a war-commentator said yesterday,
"the only party benefiting from this mess - is Iran."

Locally:

A Monday LATimes 'editorial' whacks the
Guv for terminating Shriver and Clint, while
fully endorsing the defeat of TCA's 241-extension:

"the toll road project is dead, and that's enough
to make the California public's day."

Go LATimes!

In other GOOD local eco-news: LATimes Thurs-20th:
a plan to protect 69 wildlife corridors / routes from
Santa Barbara to the Mexican border including
portions of OC's Cleveland National Forest has
been announced. Goal: have habitat corridors
enjoy same status as national parks and forests.

Tidbits: Arnie's Economy (or: Oh why can't my
government run more like a business? In OC it
does - that's why we went bankrupt in 94).
CA's economy: over $1.5 Trillion annually, ranks
8th on the planet (among the 195 other nations).
Arnie says: "my first minute in office I rescinded
the car tax = $6 Billion a year, amounts now to
around $20 Billion (and why the state's budget
is all red ink) - as Guv runs up twice that amount
in accumulated budget deficits including $15 Billion
in direct borrowing from Wall St.

Is that like TCA borrowing from its Security investments:
money accumulated from Bonds sales, then adding-in
development fees (from OC homes sales), then using all
of that to pay down toll road debt - BUT, when home sales
tank, and Wall St implodes, and gas prices soar so freak'n
high finally no one can afford any toll - is that like Arnie's
Economy, or Bush's War economy? Take your pick.

Smile, summer's almost here -

jc

in San Clemente's Sun Post today

2008-04-20T12:38:00.003-07:00

3/20/08

full page color Ad - back-page

Huge Headline:

CCC says "NO" to toll road through State Park

with photo from Del Mar's (Feb 6th) Big Weds.

Ad-copy spells out all the details,

sponsored by SaveSanOnofre.com

Way To Go!

guess who's NOT coming to dinner...

2008-04-20T12:38:00.001-07:00

3/19/08

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's staff notified brother-in-law Bobby Shriver and actor Clint Eastwood they were no longer needed as state park commissioners, reports Terry Rodgers in the Union-Tribune.
Shriver, a Democrat and brother of first lady Maria Shriver, and Eastwood a Republican - former mayor of Carmel, were appointed to the advisory commission by Gov. Gray Davis in 2001.
Three years later, Schwarzenegger reappointed them to four-year terms.
Yesterday, Shriver and Eastwood requested to serve four more.
Not going to happen.

All because they opposed a superfluous Trestles Toll Road? Seems so.

Thoughts:
State Park Commissioner's - fired for preserving a State Park???
Who's next, Maria?
Then who - Guv's kids, because they wanna surf...in healthy water?
How'bout firing Chula Vista Senator (Dem) Denise Ducheny for trying to cut the legs off California's Coastal Commission.

Script:
1st Act - Mr. Universe becomes Terminator.
2nd Act - Terminator becomes Governor.
3rd Act - Governor Terminates California.

No sequel.

Re: TCA Today (Thursday) Mar 13 - 08

2008-04-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

3/15/08

At today's TCA meeting (Thursday) we learned many new things -

(having written this immediately following the meeting, new thoughts
regarding OCTA, Chaired by Norby with Supervisor Bates at his side,
regarding a rational, commonsense transportation plan for this county
going forward, have come to mind.
Read the following and mull.
No need to respond. Because there's more to come as we digest TCA's
manipulation of OC's transportation future compromised by the fact -
all the same-bad-players, sit both Boards.
Talking Heads - Talking to the same Talking Heads?
No wonder they agree)

Notes from TCA meeting:

1. Supervisor Norby commanded all Directors (24) to lobby
OC Congresswoman Sanchez hard, for her to reintroduce
a counter-amendment to the one, she and Congresswoman
Davis (SD) injected into the last military appropriations bill
enacted by Congress and signed by the Pres.
According to Supe Norby - unless this happens, the 241-south
will never happen.
Norby suggested, Sanchez is open to toll road discussions.
(Norby is the same Top Dog OC elected, rousted by Anaheim
police recently for sleeping all night on the front lawn of the
Old OC Court House. They thought he was a vagrant. He
said, he had nowhere else to sleep. I'm not making this up).

2. Shadow Tolls
A whole new category / concept in 'toll'ing' OC commuters.
Because of the argument: "tolls are too high, commuters can't
afford them." To increase future toll-traffic, tolls would be lowered
substantially.
BUT - to not lose revenue, Measure M dollars would be raided
to make up the difference.
Measure M: our tax dollars voted-for, by us, to improve freeways,
arterials and mass transit.
The astute TCA watcher should ask, "but if TCA lowers tolls,
allowing more commuters to take toll roads, won't the toll roads
become instantly overcrowded?"
No.
Because - money would become 'magically' available to widen
the toll roads - to accept the hordes!
But what about widening freeways?
Why do that?

3. At one point, Supervisor Bates (in near hysterics) blasted the idea
of widening I-5 by 8-lanes here (where 8-lanes??? Who's map is
she reading? Not the MIS Study maps).
That, the ONLY possible solution is - widen the toll roads and charge
Shadow Tolls (if the cracked-logic of OC's Supervisors doesn't scare
you - come to a toll road meeting and witness it Live).

4. I believe it was Director Hack (his real name / from Laguna Woods)
who questioned the wisdom of widening toll roads and charging
Shadow Tolls. That the very idea tears at the essential goal of OC
toll roads: a few, very happy commuters, paying big-bucks, to enjoy
a clear, speedy commute. Not afforded by the majority.
In "Hack's" view, a perfect transportation model - working perfectly.

5. Several Directors went into long, confused monologues on how
Shadow Tolls and widening toll roads would create a quicker-end
to toll roads becoming Freeways. Instead of the possible end-date
suggested by an OCTA consultant of 2100.
Here we're making REAL TCA PROGRESS, as it was suggested just
2-years ago by Supe Campbell & crew, a toll road-to-Freeway Reality
could come as soon as 2045...or, ahh, maybe 2065?

Welcome to 2100.

For the record - the original lie was - the 73: freeway by 2015.

6. A big favorite of mine - Director Herzog (Lake Forest) summarized:
if the the 241 is not paved by 2030 (in 22 years?), that the 2-year
long OCTA MIS Study (overall long term transportation model
for South County Study Area: from the 55, south to Pendleton -
Pacific Ocean to Cleveland Nat, Forest), is flawed.
Sounds like: a veiled threat to the folks Modeling the extremely
complicated, multi-modeled (politicized) study area in its 5 different
versions, to somehow, magically pave the 241-south?
You get the feeling, for the Directors most invested (in whatever way)
in a 241 completion: Herzog, Bates, Norby, MacLean - the CCC's
decision has driven them bonkers.
They're facing a reality, they can't fathom.
They're panicky. And nervous.
And, talking more-nonsense than ever before.
Except for one - Supervisor Campbell.
He made one procedural comment, but said nothing in either Board
(73 & 241) meeting. He sits both boards.
And, is their undeclared lead-thinker.
Maybe he was mute because our-side had a camera rolling
throughout.

7. OCTA has instructed the MIS Study Group (a TCA tactic)
"NOT" to model an alternative without the 241 toll road.

Even tho, TCA Director Harkey, in public, has stated, the road's
a dead-issue, "To move on."
With Norby stating, "if Sanchez doesn't do a 180, and reintroduce
a military amendment to the Feds., the road will never get built,"
(as the pondering, silent, Bill Campbell sits mute)
As Supervisor Bates screams "without the 241 finished to I-5,
widening I-5 will destroy San Clemente and SJC!!!
As another Director blabbed on about the emissions SCAG-claim
(long story) - that SCAG's Executive Director has already seated
publicly, is not true.

You begin to wonder, who are these people preaching to?

Because, except for the few of 'us' there - they are the only other
ones ever in the room?

This isn't about a 241 toll extension anymore.
It goes much deeper.

This is about spoiled children not getting their way -
in their sand box (OC).
Where up until now - it's always been Recess.

And - the housing economy is tanking -
and that's TCA's financial motor.

Stay tuned and stay alert.

Who knows what they might pull next.

They tried to buy the State Park.

They're collectively crazy.
And they drive this county.

jer

Harkey says, "Toll Road is Dead"

2008-04-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

3/7/08

e-Memo from deep inside TCA's horse's mouth:

A colleague, who's on the inside of local SC politics,
(and now apparently So-County politics) sent me
this eye-opening a.m. e-memo today.

But, before you read it - know that, Diane Harkey, Mayor of Dana Point /
TCA Director - and staunch supporter of all toll roads - a lady who likes lots
and lots of development - someone our side's been battling FOREVER - and
now she's running for Assembly (gulp) - here's what Harkey said last night
(I've deleted who's house and the sender) as Harkey preps her troops
for her Assembly run (this is amazing) - here goes:

e-memo to jerry -
Jerry , last nite I went to a Diane Harkey-for-Assembly meeting at (delete's) house.

She told all of them, "even Jim Dahl" - the Toll Road is DEAD!!!

"The Coastal Commission voted NO once, and they will do it again next time.
So Get Over it!!! - and move on to another solution..."

Go figure.

Smiling,

j

p.s. - please, still attend the Dana Point, OCTA Open House Tuesday
to ask OCTA Director Charley Larwood,

"Why the heck, did you delete the No Toll Road Option???"
(now you can add)
Even TCA Director Harkey says it's a dead issue.
So Model it!!!"

The Further misAdventurers of TCA

2008-04-20T12:33:00.001-07:00

3/5/08

Remember how, right after Coastal Commission dropped kicked TCA back to their Irvine headquarters (to regroup), TCA packed their kit-bag of Spin catching the first flight out of John Wayne for DC, to cry foul to our Fed Commerce Dept.

The Dept., that if it could, would greenlight any cockamamie development notion anywhere.

TCA's Idea being: leap frog Cal eco-laws quick, and pave San Onofre.

Well, according to TCA's Man in San Clemente, councilman Jim Dahl (he went) - here's what happened (reported last night to SC council): they all went. And saw a lot of important people.
Like our local pro-toll-road-Congressman Ken Calvert (and others.
Sorry, no names).

And - they went by Senator Feinstein's DC office.
She being key to their quickie-DC junk-it.
Actually, Senator Feinstein was their sole reason for junk-it'ing.
But, it seems Mrs. Feinstein wasn't in. Oops.
But they did see her office.

So, was TCA's Trestles toll road junk-it just-more-wasted-tax-dollars down TCA's black-toll-hole (our tax dollars) - no way.
Councilman Dahl reports many successes:
They talked to important Fed-folks about water reclamation (is TCA expanding into water use too?) - they talked to the head Corp of Engineer fella about beach-sand replenishment (hmm, beach tolls?).

Oh, and our Supervisor Bates happened to be in DC giving a terrific speech on something. To who? Not sure. About what?
Not sure about that either. Jim's notes are always a tad sketchy.
He's a big-picture guy. Not so much for details.

All in all, Councilman Dahl was impressed.
The Corp-engineer fella has heard of San Clemente.

That's the report.

Gives you confidence in OC's/TCA leadership don't it?
Jim Dahl lobbying in DC.
It's times like this, my mind wanders back to 1994...
the only county in the history of America to eeeever bankrupt.

That's the TCA News, for now.

jer

Senator Feinstein replies

2008-04-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

2/25/08

scroll down to the Senator's reply:
---------------------------------

She is listening.

Her reminder of existing obstacles placed in front of TCA
to stop their road to nowhere, is reassuring? We can hope.

Make sure you write her.
Encourage others to do the same:

Google: http://feinstein.senate.gov
scroll to: contact me
click: e mail me

Some suggested text, but -
one's own words are always best -

Honorable Senator,

Just Say No to a superfluous TCA's Toll Road paving thru San Onofre State Beach Park.
California's 5th most popular SP / our Yosemite of Surfing / cherished Native American
home to California's Acjachemen people dating back 10,000 years, settled along San Mateo
Creek and it's pristine mentor, the vast, coastal San Mateo Watershed - only 1 of 10 eco-habitats
on the planet of such native, unspoiled natural, diversity.
Pave that over for a private toll road few would ever afford to drive on? And won't help I-5 traffic?
Please, just say NO.
There are superior traffic alternatives available.
California's Coastal Commission understands this.
They got it exactly right Feb. 6th, in Del Mar CA.

Thank you for your continuing leadership and valued support,

your name and address

---------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Collamer:

Thank you for writing to me to share your thoughts about the proposed Highway 241 toll road extension. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this matter and welcome this opportunity to respond.

The fiscal year 2003 Defense Authorization bill included a provision exempting the Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA), the agency planning to build the Highway 241 toll road extension, from some California State environmental laws. On February 23, 2006, the TCA board voted to approve the environmental impact statements and construction of the toll road. However, on January 28, 2008, President Bush signed into law the fiscal year 2008 Defense Authorization bill (H.R. 4986), which included the amendment offered by Representative Susan Davis (D-CA) to repeal the federal exemption and require TCA to comply with California State environmental laws.

As you may know, TCA submitted a coastal development permit application for the Highway 241 toll road extension to the California Coastal Commission. The Commission reviewed the permit application, and on February 6, 2008, the Commission found that the Highway 241 toll road extension was inconsistent with the California Coastal Act and voted 8 to 2 to deny the permit.

Again, thank you for your letter. If you have any further questions or comments, please contact my Washington, D.C. staff at (202) 224-3841. Best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

TCA goes to DC

2008-04-20T12:29:00.001-07:00

2/21/08

FYI: This past Tuesday night - San Clemente City Council, councilman (and TCA-Chair of the 73 toll road) Jim Dahl announced he was leaving in a few days on a junket to DC to lobby Senator Feinstien and others against CCC's San Onofre ruling Feb-6.

frank-mangled habitat'uals

2008-04-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

2/19/08

To: fmickadeit@ocregister.com

Frank - mustabeen a slow newsday to cause'ya
to cuisinart your Tues. feb-19 column out of yee
ol'op-ed blender. Or maybe it's - how many
responses can I get from this pot-luck-yuck (and
never mind your no-party-Party. Ink-worthy? - not).

But, that you can rationalize / morph, Elkhorn Slough's
pic-exhibit into 200 train-trestle-words crossing San
Mateo Creek's river mouth, is a stretch equal too
or greater-than the distance between Santa Cruz
and San Onofre State Beach Park, and or - the
open-space (coastal wilderness) between your ears.

Frank, remember all them wake-up-call-moments
back in school, when you'd get caught napping in
History and your teacher'd holler,

"MICKADEIT!!! Listen up!"

Obviously you were napping again during Del Mar's
CCC Hearing. Try and pay better attention Frank.

We'll check back with your column in a couple'a months
to see if your attention span's increased, or decreased
(even further).

serving up History

2008-04-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

2/14/08

To: sunpostnews@ocregister.com

Councilman's Dahl and Knoblock sit consistently
on the wrong side of SC's recent History.
History: the thing that happens, when we catch up
with, then pass our Future.
As the saying goes "The rest is history."
We speculate on the Future, but boy we all know
'our' History.
In SC's recent-history there's not a single local
development issue Mr. Dahl and Mr. Knoblock
haven't eventually endorsed.
With the two biggies - Pacific Golf Course and
TCA's Trestles toll road culling their on-going
(failed) fervor.
Not surprisingly, Mr. Dahl Chair's TCA's 73 toll
road (yes, the failed one).
Some interrupt that as employment. A 2nd job?
But now that Mr. Dahl's retired from his 1st job,
doesn't his TCA (2nd) job become his 1st job?
Mr. Dahl considers working for TCA - public service.
Like being a council person. But when the public
you serve, refuses to buy what you're serving-up,
then who is Mr. Dahl, and for that matter Mr, Knoblock
actually serving? Because we all serve someone.
History tells us so.

OC's brain asleep at switch - or switched off?

2008-04-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

2/12/08

To: sunpostnews@ocregister.com

In Tuesday's Feb. 12th Sun Post you report Trestles toll
road 'protesters' - forced to remain outside the 1,800
seat Wyland Hall (Del Mar fairgrounds Wed., Feb. 6).

Wrong on 3-counts:
1. No one was refused entry into the great hall during
the 18-hour long session. Coastal Commission's
decision coming at 11 p.m.
2. Security officers estimated the crowd between
3000 to 3500, with another 1000 milling about outside,
coming and going at will in the filled-to-capacity hall.
3. There were no protesters. Only 'opponents.'

No harm no foul as California's Coastal Commission
sided with 'the opponents,' denying TCA's appeal.
Effectively stopping TCA from paving thru our State's
5th most popular state park - San Onofre.

In an 8 to 2 voice-vote, CCC clearly articulated what
opponents have been saying for 10-years - "the road's
negative's out weigh any positive's." That the concept,
on whole - "is inconceivable."

As the political 'brains' of OC continue to seek approval
for their 'road to nowhere,' speaks volumes to their total
lack of situational awareness - begging the question,

"What else are they getting wrong?" everyday.

And who do we call for help, about that?

Saving Trestles according to KDOC

2008-04-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

2/4/08

To: Brad Pomerance

Brad - a weak report brother.

And, you have some basic TCA facts wrong - with key info left out:

1. TCA's 'paved' toll roads are now 51 miles - not 67 miles.
Add in the 241-extension's proposed 16-miles, and you get 67-miles.
The debated 16-mile extension would begin at Oso Pkwy, not Rancho
Santa Margarita, The 241 is already at RSM. County approved RSM's
development (back-when, 20 years ago?) was based on the 241 being
paved there.
Go ask toll-burdened RSM'ers how they like living with only a toll-road
to get home on - and how they creatively avoid it.
2. TCA's spokes-gal neglects to inform OC's commuting public, a 241 from
Trestles to the 91, would (today) cost "$15" one-way (according to TCA).
Make that $25 by the time the loser road would ever be paved (which it won't be).
3. Precisely because of TCA's huge projected toll, OCTA deems the
Trestles-leg superfluous to reducing I-5 traffic - and by 2025 would
be the least traveled pavement in South County.

In simple language: "No One Will Afford To Drive It!!!!" Get It?

4. TCA's Jeff Bott's 'win-win' is just more bogus TCA-spin.
Last time TCA talked about toll roads here going-Freeway,
was 2-tears ago. The date they projected was 2045, heading
to 2065, with an open door - as in NEVER.
Dude, it's the Golden Gate Bridge Promise.
A fat, failing, bloated, tax-payer-sucking bureaucracy looking
for more of the same, while stalling our freeways, where 90%
of us drive, at the peril of TCA's Non-Compete-Agreements
and TCA's clearly discriminative Congestion-Pricing model.

I told you all of this.
You have it on tape.
Where the hell was it?
You stooged us bro - big-time.
Your report was typically status quo biased TCA BS.

Jack and me got up early, to meet you on Del Mar - for our 2-seconds of Truth?

Next time - just ask TCA - they seem to have the answers KDOC likes.

FACT: TCA is a failed financial plan masquerading as a transportation model.

You set me up.

And now, you're setting-up the County.

TCA - a failed investment plan, masquerading as a traffic model

2008-04-20T12:20:00.002-07:00

1/31/08

To: letters@ocregister.com

Anyone close to TCA's OC toll road Plan / Model
knows, OC's toll roads were never about less-traffic.
Exactly the opposite.

OC toll roads were configured into South County's
once-open-spaces to fill it with housing. They did.
Job done.

Today: 18% of OC commuters (300,000) take toll roads,
versus 82% driving OC freeways = 1,812,000 commuters,
priced-off toll roads by TCA's Congestion-Pricing model.

Jamming us (82%) onto ailing freeway's we can't "fix"
thanks to TCA/Caltrans Non-Compete-Agreements.
Hobbling Caltrans and OCTA and "us," while we pay
for everything road-related thru highway taxes.

Toll-fare on the embattled 214-ext. thru San Onofre
State Park is estimated at $15 one-way (TCA numbers).
Gasoline, by end of summer, will reach $4.
In 5 years, experts suggest $10 a gallon.

In 5 years, the 241 toll could easily be $25 one-way.

Example: the 10-mile 91 toll lanes cost $10 one-way now.
"$1 a mile" (by those numbers, 241 would actually cost
$35 one-way).

In "real" hard-numbers TCA is failing financially
(worse than we know). The 73's been in financial
free-fall from Day-1.

It's private investment Bonds - junk.

TCA's 241 looks better on-paper, because its
revenue-requirement is set much lower than the 73's.

Note: If a toll road runs empty, it's losing - propped
up by OC real estate "Development Fees."

BUT Housing is Flat. Meaning - diminished
Development Fees 'not' coming in, while soaring gas
prices makes everyone rethink where and how
we'll commute tomorrow.

TCA toll roads are 'constructed' on dollars gleaned
from Private Bond sales. But today, Wall St. Bond
"Insurers" teeter on bankruptcy.

No Bond insurers, means no Bond sales, means
no TCA 'construction-bucks.'

Meanwhile, projected 241-extension construction
costs have ballooned to over a Billion Dollars and
heading higher.

With a $15-to-$25 toll fare, and gas soaring upwards
of $5, which road would you drive to Yorba Linda?
The 241, or the FREE-way?

For the sake of South County traffic, we MUST Fix-5-First.
Then - fix all of our local arterials. Because Toll Roads
are not where OC traffic is. And never will be.

TCA Toll Roads are the cause, not the solution to our
growing traffic tsunami.

As Groucho said, "Who ya'gonna believe - them, or
your own lying eyes?"

OC's the only County to ever bankrupt. We're also
the only County with a bankrupt (TCA) transportation
model.

Paving a 241 extension thru San Onofre solves nothing.

Trestles polling rigged

2008-04-20T12:20:00.001-07:00

1/30/08

To: letters@ocregister.com

I suggest you take down your Trestles toll road poll - it's rigged.

In today's real-world opinion gathering, on-line polling numbers
are bogus. Any high schooler can hack the system - and obviously
there are millions of computer savvy techie's ready and available
to do just that, at a high degree of undetectable expertise.

Under close observation by professional computer experts,
watching your polling numbers 'batch' in - from either side, it's
determined your polling data is contaminated aka 'you've been hacked.'

Dump it into Trash - hit Delete.

Sun Post's grumpy old man, gets even grumpier

2008-04-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

1/29/08

To: sunpostnews@ocregister.com

John Hall, editor'n chief of Grumpy'R me (here in SC,
@ Hall Around Town) just set a new grump-record for
Grim & Grimmer Sun Post prose - all in the name of
local entertainment???

Dear John (aka, I'm Grumpy, how'bout you) lives longingly
in 1952 Hollywood, and or 1928 SC - whichever. But from
where ever UnHappy Hall hibernates, he serves up angry
platefuls of ol'John's Grumpy Gumbo, Spurious Slights and
Cheap Shot Delights if you happen to be one of "us" evil
kind local's concerned with open-space, common sense
traffic solutions, or maybe preserving a State Park?

Here's some of today's UnHappy Hall servings-
(excerpted - Jan. 29 - 08 SPN):

"war, war, war, war, war, war, war, protesting, talking tough,
gloom, doom, snake pit, grumpiest, meanest, angriest,
bitterest, worst, selfish, most combative, clods, lost, quit living,
nolonger works, never did, can't stop growth, assorted bugs,
weeds and rodents, NIMBY, stupid yelling, rabid "No" costly
shame, shame, blasted crooks, stupid bums, dirty rats, shame,
snakes, snake pit, too late...have a nice day."

Someone better check what Grumpy John's putting in his
a.m. coffee, because whatever GJ's goop'du'jour, or any jour -
I'll pass.

winning, takes believing you can

2008-04-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

1/29/08

Brenda Miller, one of SC's blessed Cristianitos soldiers
reports: as of 9:30 p.m. last eve, Save Trestles led TCA
(toll road) proponents by 545 votes in the OCReg on'line
'click and vote' your toll road opinion.

Way to go State Parks & Trestles lovers!
(for the record - over 70% of OC'ers think a toll road thru
a State Park is dumb. So you're not alone State Park lover)

To Win - we just gotta believe we can.
Obviously we believe.
As the song says, "Don't Stop Believe'n"

Some folks report not being able to click-on the vote-link.
And of course, OCReg wants the toll road to pave thru
San Onofre ("nothing more than dirt and weeds"), but
we prevailed. No mention in this a.m.'s Reg I could find.
Anyone with a tally, let me know (or maybe the poll is
still on?)

More good news: word came last night during Friends
of the Foothill's 300-plus Save San Onofre's get-folks-to
Del Mar's Feb 6th Coastal Commission Hearing turn-out:
the Davis / Sanchez amendment was penned into law
yesterday - telling TCA: to pave thru Pendleton (aka San Onofre),
TCA must adhere to existing state road-building-law.
TCA's worked 21 years to bypass state laws regarding
paving thru San Onofre.

Onward to Feb 6 at Del Mar.
Lets make it the Turn-Outs of all Turn-Outs.
CCC's booked a room for 3000.
That's big.
Let's flood it.

Spreeeeeeeead the word,

jer

more toll road half-truths and spin from it's new CEO

2008-04-20T12:08:00.002-07:00

1/25/08

To: Roger@rogerhedgecock.com

Roger,

thanks for broadcasting the Trestles toll road
debate between Surfrider and TCA's new CEO.

I was the "caller" asking the question of Mr. CEO,
"Do you know the proposed toll fare for a Trestles
toll road is $15 one-way?"

He didn't know.

I was shocked at what he doesn't know.
We're you?

Matt McClain from Surfrider seems to know lots more.
Maybe that's no surprise.

After all, surfers here in deepest South OC have been
battling the idiocy of "this" toll-project for decades,
and Mr. CEO's been at his TCA desk less than a year.

Even OC Supervisor Chris Norby knows more about
"this" issue than Mr. TCA-CEO.

At the last TCA Board meeting Supe-Norby stated publicly ,
"If it weren't for the surfriders and the indians (direct quote)
down there, this problem would be over."

Hmm, guess us braindead surfers are 'more-brain' and
'less-dead' than TCA planned for.

We certainly know more "reality" details of TCA's
superfluous toll-road-plan thru San Onofre than
their "new" CEO. He needs homework.

Two more things Mr. TCA-CEO doesn't know:

1. The 73 toll road (the one you drive) is in fact
bankrupt. On-the-road-to-BK since Day-1, the 73
survives today, because of a $1Billion Dollar
Bail-Out loan from the 73's sister toll road (last year),
the 241. The same one salivating to pave its
useless way thru San Onofre.

The Billion Dollar Bail-Out came under threat of
lawsuit from Laguna's 73 (San Joaquin Corridor)
toll board. FYI - check-out the 73's Wall St. Bond
Status - it's Junk. Mr. TCA-CEO apparently doesn't
know that either. He said his roads are healthy,
and a good investment (do you mell snake-oil?).

Another plain-fact not mentioned: TCA's OC 241 toll
road extension would pave-over "a San Diego State Park,"
not an OC State Park. San Onofre is SD - not OC.
All for a toll road no one will drive (OCTA's 07 MIS
Study)? Wow - talk about brain-dead.

I'm preparing a "Letter To The Editor " newspaper
submission based on your debate. I'll forward you
a copy.

Remember - next time you pay your $4.25 one-way
toll on the 73: 80% of OC thru-commuters are intentionally
Priced-Off OC toll roads and onto over burdened OC
freeways, hobbled by TCA Non-Compete Agreements -
all to protect TCA Bond Holder Investors?

Some mass transit model.

What does Ted Turner say,
"Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way."

We want TCA "OUT" of our traffic way.
And out of our State Parks.

They're clogging our commute and polluting our
creeks and oceans. Enough already.

They ain't smart - or honest.

caller - Jerry Collamer

Terminator logic

2008-04-20T12:08:00.001-07:00

1/16/08

"'I have concluded
that this project is
essential to protect
our environment
and the quality of life
for everyone in California,'
Schwarzenegger said in
a letter to Patrick Kruer,
chairman of the Coastal Commission.

"'The project can be built
in a manner that will enhance
and foster use of the coast
and protect coastal resources.'"

aka - pave over a State Park
and sacred Native American
history - destroy the last
healthy coastal water's
in 600-miles of SoCal
coastline - all for a private
toll road less than 20% of
the public will ever travel -
and not help I-5 traffic a lick?

Obviously, prolonged steroid
use by males shrink organs
other than just the testes.

Save Trestles
Save San Onofre
Save Panhe

Save us

from Sac today

2008-04-20T12:06:00.001-07:00

1/14/08

What the Governor's really up to:

"Some pundits are questioning whether the governor really wants deep cuts
approved 'or is instead' laying the political groundwork for a potential tax hike,
or an agreement on a proposed spending cap.
"'I think this is something he's done carefully,' said Barbara O'Connor,
a political science professor at Cal State Sacramento.
I suspect this is the hard-line position you start from.'
"'I think what he is doing is painting a picture of the nature of the problem
and what the solution would be without any tax increase,' she said."

Capital news

2008-04-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

1/8/08

Every morning I receive an Online News blast from Sac (The Roundup) incapsulating the daily goings-on in Sac.

I was delighted this a.m. to see a reoccurring Ad / Alert from SaveSanOnofre.com "Save the Park - Stop the Toll Road."

Way to go!

From Calvert's lips (today) to...

2008-04-20T12:01:00.002-07:00

1/7/08

4:51 p.m. today-Mon., Jan. 7 - 08, SC Community Center -

Congressman Calvert presented his State-of-the-State
(on shaky-ground) and his Capital POV (goes back to
DC aka work - next week), then he listened to SC's
village input = money for the Beach Trial, and parks, etc.

According to our porkly Congressman, anything "beach$$$"
is an easier "get" than parks$$$.
Great for "the Trail," but little or no DC-bacon for city parks.
Has all to do with Corp of Engineers and on-going beach
loss / coastal priority.

Lyn Hicks spoke to closer monitoring of SONGS disaster potential.

Another citizen (Talega res) spoke to the need for a more
comprehensive kid's-in-school evac-mechanism incase
SONGS ever plumes.

The concerned Talega-dad has actually read SONGS
evac-plan: brings evac-buses and drivers from MV - to here
for rescue when the big-boiler's alarms sound.

Calvert said he'd look into it, but thinks it's been recently
reviewed (It has. The SONGS folks think it's fine as is).

Councilman Noblock asked about water-desal here (hmm,
he asks about that a lot). Calvert said too expensive still.
Exactly double the cost of what our water is now per acre foot.
But the price is dropping as cheaper ways to de-salt ocean
water are researched.
Conservation, conservation, conservation - and holding on
to what we've got is the good congressman's recommend.

Then Noblock asked for a toll road update.

Calvert said it looks bleak, now with the Davis-Sanchez
amendment in-place (having passed) - and, that the
upcoming Feb Coastal Commission Hearing (SD) doesn't
look promising for TCA either - BUT,
like good soldiers the city shouldn't give up.

At that point I thought I was having a 6-years ago flashback
when "the don't give up" line was only coming from our side.
The worm turns.

Calvert said he'd go back to DC and keep the pressure on.

Ironical statement, early in the session:
Calvert applauded his sterling local eco-record in preserving
open-space. Mostly in Riverside and the Inland Empire
(San Onofre ain't open space?).

Really, he said that.

He also said, without the 241-ext, SC is screwed,
and that 80% of SC'ers want the road.
Both lies.

Proving - we don't have to watch TV political debates
to hear politicians leak their methane.

We can hear it here live.

Summation: Calvert's 08 outlook - bleak -
but with high hopes for 09.

Footnote: the fella sitting next to me whispered,
"Calvert sure doesn't look to be missing any meals."

I couldn't argue the point.

Onward to San Diego -

jc

Bush Vetoes Military Bill

2008-04-20T12:01:00.001-07:00

12/29/07

At the last second, in a surprise move from his Texas Ranch, Bush vetoed the massive Military spending Bill that (I believe) had you-know-what buried in it.

Last night, in an unrelated TV interview, stanch Conservative-mind William F Buckley Jr. inferred, if this was a Parliamentary Government ala Britain - Bush would have been ousted long ago.
That's from America's leading Conservative "thinker."

This last year of Bush-Cheney's gonna be a beaut.

Supposedly, after some changes, the Bill will be signed around Jan 15.
Obviously there are no guarantees.

Words escape me,

j

TCA & Rancho reach an agreement

2008-04-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

12/13/07

Attended today's TCA meeting: they went immediately
into Closed Session - came out and announced the
Rancho's suit against TCA, over the route of the
214-extension thru 'the Donna O'Neill Conservancy'
is resolved.

Must have cost TCA a real-chunk - but we know
money's no object for TCA.

No details were given, except for 241's Chair -
MV's Lance MacLean's comment,

and I quote,

"That's very good news folks."

That's all I know about that.
Check tomorrow's paper for details.

On another TCA issue - TCA went to key Bondholders
and asked their approval for TCA to fiddle with their
Bond Investment opportunity, so TCA can continue
"Merger" discussions (join 73 and 241 Boards into one
Board), thus giving them the financial whatevers to
re-fi their flagging investment picture.

Those "Key" Bondholder gave TCA until Sept 08
to figure it out.
Sentiment on TCA's Board - this is also good news.

Now they can merge and re-fi - and life at TCA will once
again be perfect.
TCA's last failed attempt at this took 4-years and achieved
nothing.
Solving TCA's Bond re-fi will be, once again, a TCA slight
of hand trick - refinancing a failed financial policy in a
nervous economy? Only in OC.

Speaking of OC's shaky investment ground:

OC's Treasurer Steel, is on the hot seat because of a
threat to OC's $6Billion county investment portfolio.
Seems OC didn't learn much from its 1994 bankruptcy.

Although no other County in the State (but not Florida)
dares to invest "Public Benefits and Retirement money
in controversial (risky) security's - we still do.

$460 million are at stake.

Peanuts really, compared to our multi-Billion 94-BK,
that we pay $90million annually towards the debt.
Until when? Good question.

If it'll make you rest easier this holiday season,
the same folks keeping an eye on OC's investment
picture, plan our transportation.

By TCA's jovial mood today - they're happy with
their work - with the possible exception of TCA
Director Valle Cave (Aliso Viego) complaining
US Postal trucks are using the 73 (clogging up).

Dana Point's (councilwoman / 73-boardmember)
Harkey joined in Ms. Cave's opposition to US mail
trucks slowing down 73 traffic (what traffic?).

Guess they haven't noticed the long line of UPS
trucks jamming 73's right lane, heading up to UPS's
"campus" located on the 73 for the past 6 years.
Maybe Ms. Cave doesn't recognize 'Brown.'

Sitting thru TCA's board meetings you're assured
of two things - at the beginning of each session:
2-Pledge of Allegiances - and 2-Prayers.

If they ever merge, does that mean TCA will only
be half as blessed?

amen

happy holidays everybody,

jc

Orange, is the new Blonde

2008-04-20T11:52:00.002-07:00

11/5/07
To: letters@ocregister.com

According to Sunday Reg's Green-man:
To Sprawl is Freedom, and Mass Transit is "Trendy."
And offering folks (OC's work force) a way out of
gouging gas prices and mind-numbing (counter
productive, death-defying) car-commuting is
"Social Engineering."
Wellllllll Welcome Aboard Neighbor - Toot-Toot!
BTW - didn't trains predate motor vehicles, even
here in Blonde County?
FYI Mr. G-speak - It's Caltrans who's pleading
"We Can't Pave Our Way Out Of Congestion"
because population growth always outpaces
pavement-pouring anywhere on the planet.
Even here in Blonde County.
Let's take a "Government" school (aka Public School)
Blonde-math test. It's Subtraction:
If 1-train-car hauls 100-commuters on their way to
and from work -
how many single-passenger-vehicles (aka autos)
does 1-commuter-train-car 'subtract' from OC
freeways, streets (or toll roads) - during rush hour?
Granted, this is a very Blonde test.
But hey, this is Blonde County.
Our new season premiers Tuesday at 10 p.m.
on Bravo.

is North OC waking up to scary traffic options too, aka trains?

2008-04-20T11:52:00.001-07:00

11/3/07

In OCReg's Wed. Oct 31-07 'North' county section pg 4,
a teeny-tiny inking towards the bottom of the page,
under the heading Almanac, read this:

Improving Transportation

It stated - Brea, La Habra, Fullerton, Placentia and Yorba
Linda are looking to find ways to encourage residents
to TAKE THE TRAIN or bus and leave their cars at HOME
(my thought - cars at home? In the OC?, isn't that a
criminal offense? An anti-Red State notion. Commuter
trains are so BLUE state. Oh, that's right, we live in
a Blue-state. Hmm)?

Survey topics include: executive shuttles, wireless
internet, buses and providing MORE TRAIN SERVICE.
(my thought - but what about toll roads? Aren't they OC's
ultimate transit weapon?, not Trains. Besides, where
in North County does one catch a train - Disneyland?)

It went on to encourage residents (those in the survey area)
to go to their city's website and fill out a survey.

There was not one mention of toll roads or toll lanes -
or OCTA's rumored use of HOT lanes, aka freeway
HOV lanes requiring a toll-fare to enter.

What's most disturbing - the Survey area: the very same
OC region housing the likes of Supervisor's Campbell
and Norby - OC toll road's most supportive pals.

What's this Orange county going to - the Train?
Whodathunkit.

To Sun Post's editor...

2008-04-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

10/23/07

In the interest of editorial disclosure as it relates specifically
to San Clemente, may I be so bold to suggest a subtle but
necessary (as in - long overdue) editorial (Truth in Disclosure)
one-word deletion to your regularly published 'Hall Around Town'
qualifier - which appears regularly at the end of each John Hall
social-rant-adnauseam's,

"...Halls opinions are his own and {not} necessarily those of this paper."

My wife and I moved to SC 10 years ago.
Most of that time (3-SP editors worth) we've subscribed to the OCReg / SP.

You will conclude from the tone and direction of my 'in-the-public-interest'
request, an advocacy for Open Space Protection as it relates to SC's
ongoing Quality of Life issues, i.e. traffic - healthy ocean - clean air -
respect for SC's on-going Historical Legacy: Ole's original dream,
"A Spanish Village by the Sea," albeit ersatz in conception (as was
Santa Barbara), Ole's magic perseveres today.

But ironically, not in the wordy intentions of John Hall.

Curiously, one would think (hope) the oldest among us
would care the most about preservation of Ole's Legacy.
Why destroy that?
Makes no sense economically, environmentally, historically,
or civically as the greatest reward is always in Preservation.

But Hall's SP pontifications would quickly plow ol'Ole under.

How much Hall must SC suffer.

10-years of Hall's biased opinion's, masked in fluffy, over-stuffed
social chit-chat, as he blasts negative-salvo after negative-salvo
at all things Preservationist - as if Saving is a bad thing?, a tiring
read and counter productive to any vibrant civic dialogue.

"Mean-spirited" is the phrase I most often hear describe Hall.
His reasons are his own.
I wish Mr. Hall no ill will.
But I do wish him less ink - or at least, a regular SP competing voice,
on the side of SC's Quality of Life issues. Its supportive audience
at least as large as Hall's Chamber of Commerce cronies,
and growing exponentially.

I offer two either-or Hall suggestions:

1. The one-word deletion:

From Hall's Hall Around Town' wrap-up-qualifier - Delete the word 'not.'

SP, long ago cemented Mr. Hall's angry-social-philosophy as its "own."
Possession is 9/10 of the law.
In Time-of-Possession and amounts of ink dispensed you own Hall's
social-angst exclusively.
If that is untended - it is the public perception on all sides.

Regarding your claim: San Clemente's Hometown Newspaper?
Come on.
I doubt any columnist, in any Daily, in this county or the next
are allowed the absolute free and over abundant one-sided ink
to bash at will its town's "Legacy" constituency with no competing
voice allowed - to the degree Hall is allowed.

Many here claim, Sun Post serves as Hall's private bully pulpit.
That Hall is the Post.
Or, the Post is Hall, where in between restaurant tidbits and
Hollywood show-biz nostalgia, over-spiced with college football
(ex-sports writer's unite in SC!) minutia Hall regularly dices and
slices anyone concerned with the actual physical health of this
city as it relates to Real-World Quality of Life issues versus Hall's
Quality of Night-life issues woven disproportionately into his weekly
barrage (fueled as a youngster, sitting grandpappy's knee, as SC
struggled to take hold, burdened by The Great Depression?).

SC is awash in Hall's negative ink.

2. Give Voice to Hall's loyal-opposition in equal volumes of ink.
Turn the Sun Post into SC's True hometown rag.
As in hearing Both Sides?
What a Concept.

Because, as it reads now, Sun Post is Hall's Chamber of Commerce
pedal-to-the-metal vehicle with the occasional wink and a nod
to those in SC who care-most about SC's overall civic-health.

Must we suffer Hall to the point of cancellation?

In Hall's Friday, Oct. 19th 2007 SP-utterance he aptly scribed,

"These are tough times for everybody, especially newspapers."

Hall missed a word - "relevant."
As in, "relevant newspapers."

Relevant opinions.
Relevant public dialogue.
Relevant to both sides in San Clemente's on-going development,
and or, over-development debate.

If we all agree, San Clemente is a treasure - how will we treat our treasure?

Because, whether we choose to leave SC under our own power,
or we're carried out - sooner or later we all leave.

In affect - we're all renters here.

So, what will we leave behind?
That is finally, the only relevant question.

The winds of change are blowing in SC.
With eyes wide open, some choose to preserve and protect our
special treasure of a village with its many natural gifts not yet lost
to private-interest so-called progress.

Is the Preservationist side given equal time in the Sun Post?
I don't see it.

If you are - our relevant SP Hometown Paper - it need be.
As painful as that might be to John Hall and his build
like there's no tomorrow fan-club.

Hmm, maybe they believe, there is no tomorrow?

I hadn't thought of that.

Thank You,

Jerry Collamer
A concerned SC resident -
concerned for the future of the Sun Post
and the future of SC.

from Sac today - "Mimi's run"

2008-04-20T11:49:00.001-07:00

10/11/07

Looking ahead to June,
where Mimi Walters is facing a well-funded challenger in her run for state Senate.

"Harry Sidhu said the major event that pushed him to the Republican Party came in 1974,
when he was 17 years old and making $2.65 an hour cleaning a Holiday Inn.
About a third of his first meager paycheck went to taxes,
cementing the matter for the lifelong conservative.
Many other Indians have gone through similar experiences, he said.

"When they arrive in this country, they're Democrats," said Sidhu,
who came to the United States from India.

But over time, Sidhu says, many hardworking Indians migrate toward the GOP.
Now Sidhu is tapping into this community. An Anaheim city councilman for the last four years,
Sidhu is challenging Assemblywoman Mimi Walters, R-Laguna, for the 33rd Senate District seat next June.
The seat is currently occupied by none other than Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman, R-Fullerton,
who is scheduled to be termed out next year, pending the results of the term-limits change on the ballot. The district is considered safely Republican

superfluous road begets superfluous words

2008-04-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

To: sunpostnews@ocregister.com

In response to: SP's LTE - Oct. 11-07 - toll road makes sense

Ladera Ranch resident Chuck Gibson's TCA-toll road
missive aka TCA-script extolling the virtues of a disastrous
8-lane toll road fully compromising San Onofre State Park -
SoCal's last pristine coastal wilderness - polluting So-Cal's
last healthy coastal waters (and not do diddly for I-5 traffic)
is blasphemous-moronic in scope and unctuous in content.
Mr. Gibson's carefully parsed TCA-blather is just more foul
smelling, over-cooked TCA drivel emanating from TCA's
kitchen of contaminated toll road hype & half-baked media
concoctions served up daily by paid-to-play OC elected's
hardwired to development self-interests.
Which of those Mr. Gibson is, we can only wonder.
But clearly, his TCA-Team Membership dues are paid in full.
If the soup stinks - don't take a drink. A toll road to Trestles
is one bad road no one will ever travel. Not even Mr. Gibson.
Because for good-reason, it will never be paved.

TCA 'inside' moves paves way to nowhere good

2008-04-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

10/10/07

This was forwarded to me by a trusted friend.

Still I wonder who, and how many e-mails back wrote it?

It fits the mode and style of Dana Point's Mayor Harkey - a TCA Director and rabid supporter of Paving San Mateo.
So it's probably real. What's the ol'line regarding e-mail,

"You can be anyone you want to be online."

But it's at least as real as a fellow who showed up at Trestles parking lot Saturday, while we were setting up for the hike and the Paddle-out.

I was standing at the map when he began asking questions.

Questions about the 'Trestles alignment' we've answered soooo many times to so-called interested citizens.

He was tall, pale, about 45. Clean cut. Wore sun glasses.

So pale - my first thought was - he's no hiker.
Certainly not a surfer, and clearly nervous in his questioning. As if he stood on unfamiliar ground.

He asked about the Pendleton farm acreage - south-side of the creek,

"Doesn't THAT pollute?"

I replied,

"It's been shut down for 2-years.
Prior to that, it had no negative effect on the creek."

Then, he nervously pointed to the landfill (dump / Prima
Deshecha) on the map - east-end of Los Rambles,

"That pollutes the creek. It has to."

I said no. That's an entirely different watershed.
All the run-off heads due west, exiting Poche Beach at Capo. And, according to the County, the landfill doesn't leak run-off.
An apples-and-oranges debate.
A mute point.

Frustrated, he disappeared in the crowd.
What was his mission?
TCA plant?
Probably.

Just as Harkey's (supposed) words here - illustrate how pale-guy got his walking orders to Trestles Saturday.

Inside-TCA orchestrated politics is sleazy.

Makes me think of Calvert's congressional e-mail to us, his constituency.

jer

-------------------------------------how it
works-------------------------------------------------------------------
---------
>>
>> Roberto –

>> we (the TCA) are scheduled to appear before the Coastal Commission on
>> the date above.
>> The Hearing will be held in San Pedro. Staff is recommending denial
>> of the completion of the 241 (no surprise).
>> However, we offered $100M in goodies to State Parks and that is not
>> presently being considered by Coastal Staff.
>> They have refused to postpone the hearing, so far. I need you to
>> round up bodies to appear at the hearing.
>> This will affect the quality of life in SJC as you know.
>> It is important for the entire region that this road be completed.
>> The Surfriders will be in force at the hearing – we need some of
>> those residents truly affected to show up as well.
>> We cannot have just elected officials in the room taking the darts.
>> Get you neighbors involved…and any NIMBY groups you know. The I-5
>> widening that the Coastal Staff is referring to as the alternative
>> takes out huge portions of SJC.
>> We have asked your city council to help round up troops as well.
>> Above is some information but the Coastal Commission website should
>> have the rest.
>> If the hearing gets postponed, I’ll let you know. I’ll be out most of
>> the day so please help and don’t delay.
>>
>> Diane L. Harkey, Mayor
>> City of Dana Point
>> Home Office: (949) 240-6959
>>

CCC Ready to Sacrifice Homes and Businesses to Ease Freeway Congestion

2008-04-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

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

TCA blinks - Cancels Coastal Commission Hearing.

2008-04-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

Today - Saturday - Oct. 8-07 - pix-10:30 a.m. Trestles

You heard it here - cancel the buses,stop the presses - don't order pizza,cancel your reservations at San Pedro's4-Seasons for Oct. 11th -
because TCA bonked today.

They pulled their Oct 11th request / application off CCC's table.
We won't be going to San Pedro.

TCA said they have too much environmental stuff to review.Maybe their lobbyists are slow readers?Anyway it's off.For now.But stayed tuned, and stay alert, because like the fluTCA shall return.

We can wonder, but we can't know why they canceled.But know this - if TCA thought they had a winning hand,they would not have canceled.

Public opinion is with us.More everyday.70% of OC's public give a resounding "No!!!" to a toll roaddissecting San Onofre State Park.Our state's 5th most popular.The last healthy coastal water in 600-miles of SoCal's coastline.

Lose that to a private toll road with a $15 to $20 one-way toll?No wonder OCTA deemed it superfluous to easing traffic anywhere in OC.

Today (Sat) began with breakfast at San Mateo Campground(hosted by Rebecca Robles and her Acjachemen tribal members) -then a hike, finishing with a 10:30 Paddle-Out at Trestles.

The over 300-participants attending the breakfast,the hike and the paddle-out are proof San Onofre State Beach Parkis a place to be revered and protected - forever.

TCA balked today.

The Spirit of SaveTrestles is Great, and growing.

Remember this - everyday there's no toll roadto Trestles - we've Saved Trestles -and everything good.

Onward Cristianitos Soldiers -
our path is straight and true.

SaveTrestles

We did it again today.

Spread the word,
jer

OCReg Headlines design to confuse on toll road

2008-04-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

10/3/07

Buzz, Hype, Jive, Spin, Secret Code Words,
come at us fast and furious.

Glossed over facts - hiding the facts.
All in a day's work for those paid to mislead.

In fact, the fact is - learning to read between
the lines is where we uncover today's OC truths.

To get to the toll road Truth today - ya'gotta dig for it.

Ironically, buried in today's OCReg Obit-page,
bottom left hand corner, right under Nearly Nude
Man found in Nic Cage's home - is a Toll Road blurb!

Headline:

Poll finds OC residents generally favor toll roads

Read no further, and you'd believe, against your
better judgment - folks in OC really like toll roads.

"So keep on paving'em TCA!!!"

But, if you read the text, here's what "it" says:

70% polled OPPOSE a toll road thru Sate Parks.

66% OPPOSE a 241-south extension (to Trestles)
being paved - Oso Prkwy to Pendleton.

Out of 800 OC-folks polled - 70% OPPOSE a
toll road thru San Onofre State Park.

A clear OC majority.

So where's the truth?
Not in the Headline.

Keep digging Truth-Seekers, and you shall find.

Re: OCReg - Local Section
Obit/OC Wed.
Oct. 3rd-07
page Local 7

Greed's a needy mistress. TCA its reckless suitor

2008-04-20T11:30:00.001-07:00

9/29/07

Greed's a hard habit to break.
Maybe the most difficult.
Impossible for some.

It knows no age range,
sex or border -
infecting at will
our pliable
manipulated psyches.

False promising satisfaction
as Greed woes us,

"take more - you deserve it."

But more just leads to more
and more and more and more

until there is no more.

Then what?

Then Greed introduces Bribe.

Headline:

TCA offers State Parks $100-million
to devour its soul - and more and
more and more...

jc

$100 million buys'ya a state park?

2008-04-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

9/29/07

If you haven't already read, you're gonna read:

TCA's offered a $100-million,
to in effect, buy-off State Parks.

This comes hot on the heals of San Diego saying NO
to a toll road thru Sano - as Coastal Commission Staff
recommend the same -

NO to a toll road wrecking San Onofre.

Never let it be said TCA (failing toll roads and all)
doesn't have a bucket of money stashed away
from 22-years of collecting 'Development Fees'
on every new house sold in OC since 1985.
Gotta be gazillions.

Supe Campbell, two years ago stated publicly,

"We don't need no stinking Bond money to pave
the 241-extension. We can pay cash for it right now.
Out of pocket!"

Boy, wouldn't ya'want to be a fly on the wall of TCA's
emergency closed-session meeting room yesterday,
with all them panicky Directors squealing their tires
to get there - to figure out,

"Whaadowedonow Chief?"

Chief,

"Simple, we buy the damn state park.
What county is it anyway?"

(remember, he's a new Chief)

Directors,

"buut, ahh, ca,ca,can we do that???"

Chief,

"Here! - that's a $100-mill (ker-plunk). Watch
all'em little surfy-dudes paddle for the horizon
when they get a load of what TCA-green buys..."

Now let's imagine how they decided on $100-million?

Did they check Comps:

There's a 2,500 sg. ft. house in Laguna, on the
water, asking $45-million - on a regular sized lot.

In Bev Hills, the ol'grand Hearst estate - maybe
14-acres - asking a cool $164-mill
(nowhere near the water).

With the proposed toll road's projected cost
close to a $Billion - and we know that's low,
as projects that size are essentially blank-check
projects - so double it and it's still probably not
enough. So, ahh, $100 mill buys a $2Billion
construction contract? That's a steal.

Obviously TCA doesn't think Sano's worth much.
But we've always known that.
Which OC assembly gal referred to Sano as,

"a bunch of dirt and weeds"

So. Sorry Chief. Not enough.

Not even close.

Let's suggest they deposit their $100-mill back
in TCA's secret spot - where the sun don't shine.

Save Trestles, and we save everything good.

Onward

1st time in recorded history - happened in SC last night

2008-04-20T11:28:00.001-07:00

8/22/07

"Money Talks, and B_ ll Sh_t Walks"
happened last night at SC city council
(Tues., Aug. 21- 07, mark your calendars)
as a balls-out, $bucks-up$ LA-developer,
against the better-judgment, hard work
and wishes of a clear majority of SC's
citizenry, and a minority (2 out of 5) of
SC's council - with a cashiers-check,
bought an election.

Before the CC meeting began - the LA
developer's boy-robin, 'mini-me-Mcquire'
hand delivered - in clear public view of
the entire (packed) room, a cashiers-check
for $65,000, to literally buy - the election.
And it's legal.

One of the council scoured every known
info-source to see if this precedent setting
bald-face buying of a city 'referendum'
election has ever happened before.
It has not.
SC leads the way.

Our public-vote is the first to be bought
and traded on the open-market, in full view
of the council, it's staff, and the electorate
seated in the audience (and at home on TV).

3 of our 5 council-folks saw it as - "business as usual."

Being bought.

Maybe to them, it is.

For the rest of us, seeing it happen Live
before our very eyes (and on TV),

is the new part.

Word on "The Street" at SC's Fiesta Day - Saving Trestles is a mighty good thing

2008-04-20T11:27:00.001-07:00

8/13/07

Huge POSITIVE public response to our Save Trestles 'Friends of the Foothill' Tent at San Clemente's annual Fiesta Day, yesterday - Sunday, August 12th.

All of South County coming here, to enjoy a spectacular SC summer-beach town Sunday - jamming our FOF Tent / Tables - signing everything we had - writing postcards to the Coastal Commission, getting Polaroided (stapled to their cards) - wearing Save Trestles T's , taking bumper stickers and whatever else we provided - is and was, a delight to behold (dream come true dept.)

Most heard phrases:

"I thought that road was dead"

"Is that stupid idea still going"

"Where do I sign"

"Thanks for doing this"

"Keep up the good work"

"How can this city government endorse a toll road - here???"

All the nonsense we hear from OC's bully pulpit - and the spin pouring from too many OC city halls pumped-out adnauseam via TCA spin (lie)...

to all of that - "The Street" says -

"No Toll Road!"

Loud and Clear.

Sierra Club and Surfrider's non-stop dedication to erasing TCA's superfluous road - in the hearts and minds of 99% of "The Street," is working. Absolutely.

Every year, the "The Street's" response to our continuing message 'No Toll Road' grows exponentially.

Visible proof? TCA's Fiesta Day Tent - once again, folded early. "The Street" is not polite to them.

My sense is - all of OC is trapped in traffic and everyone now knows, TCA toll roads are not the answer - obviously.

And - we're 'the voice' talking honestly to south county's "Street" about what needs be.

Clearly, we've earned credibility.
We haven't gone away - and TCA's toll roads have not proved an advantage to "The Street."

"The Street" knows, a 241 south extension is bogus.

Not a solution.

What "The Street" doesn't know - they're learning fast.

That's our job - on "The Street."

Robin Everett - our new Brittany, was fabulous yesterday.
Welcome Robin.
You're a wonderful addition.

Matt Kolysko stood at 'the map' explaining, teaching, informing, in the sun - 8-straight hours - amazing.
Jack Eidt, Mark Peltier did too.
Everyone did amazing.

Robin and her volunteer crew Polaroided a nonstop "Street"
flow until we literally had no printed material left - as "The Street"
kept coming until the last bell was rung and we had to stop.

I'm convinced - if a south county 'Street poll' was taken today, a 241 south extension would fail.

I also know - South County's powers-that-be, are not the pulse of "The Street."

Our message is.

Thanks to Elizabeth Lambe, and Brit, and Bill Corcoran and Robin now, and the 100's (and or 1000's) - who came before, and keep coming from "The Street" and Sierra Club - and Surfrider (Brian Alpers, Mark Peltier, Mike Metcalf - Street Heros) in what has become a true Joint Powers Coalition of The Willing - facing down TCA lies - winning the hearts and minds of "The Street"
with truth.

I so wish, every single person ever involved in this "Street"
effort to Save Trestles was there yesterday to feel it.

In "The Street" we win - as TCA folds tent and runs.

I'm so very proud to be a part of this valiant, worthy, and necessary effort.

Save Trestles, and we save everything good.

I hope everyone's Sunday was as rewarding as mine - hearing south county's public-voice endorse what so many have labored 24-7-365, for so many years now -

"No Toll Road."

Woody Allen's right - "90% of winning is showing up."

What a great day it was for our side.

We'll keep showing up.
We all must.
It ain't over till it's over.

Stay tuned,

jer

p.s, if you don't have a Save Trestles yard sign, e-me back and we'll hand-deliver as many as you want, to your door (free). Bumper-stickers too.

a fool's words drive a fool's road nowhere fast

2008-04-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

8/9/07

To: letters@ocregister.com

Responding to: OCReg, Local Sec - 8-9-07 -
MV's David Steenblock
How to traffic in greater job growth
--------------------------------------------------------------------

HOV lanes, HOT (toll) lanes and Toll Roads
- wispy daydreams of highway theorists penning
Ivory Tower, old-school commute solutions for 'the'
fewer-and-fewer (hello congestion-pricing) - as we,
'the' more-and-more swarm onto over-promised,
no-space-available free(?)way pavement we so
willing support thru optimistic-road-taxation, as our
real-world lane-space-availability shrinks (and skids)
to bumper-on-bumper lame lane-games = equals
no-gain / just more road pain, as said theorists
computer-model us into fantasy freeway spaces
that don't exist. Question: What IS their game?

Regardless, ego-driven elitist-lane pontificator's
aka MV's Mr. Steedblock ('block' indeed) wants his
own private lane to LA at any price regardless of
cost to MV's Lordly Highwayness. Dare he host a
perked-TCA transponder neath his royal cloak?
Maybe.

As S-Block states it, "I'm the Boss! Let the peons suck
my super-deluxe exhaust!" When all Boss-Roadblock
need do (to further this absurdly myopic discussion) is,

"Speedblock, just stay home!
Do not create your 'new-fantasy' biz in LA.
Do It Here.
Where you (block-head), and your suffering OC labor
force bed down - ya'think?"

Better yet.
Don't do anything Blocky.
Stay retired.
AND OFF THE ROADS!
We need your endangered freeway lane-space.
It's been bought and paid for - by 'us.'

Less is more
Less is more
Less is more

Repeat 1000 times. Maybe you'll get it.

what's a 'kucklehead'

2008-04-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

8/1/07

kucklehead:

according to Webster -

is a knucklehead-opinionist,
blurred by his own over-wordiness.

Apologies for misspelling - the Title???
(and a couple'a other 'kucklehead' gaffs)

Who brought it to my attention -

my (kucklehead) brother Dino - of course.

over-cooked-kucklehead wants toll road

2008-04-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

7/31/07

Save Trestlers -

I'm forwarding you a comment that came to me
via my website, from an SC-res wanting the toll road.
I deleted his name. It doesn't matter.
And I've answered him.
99% of comment-submissions are 100% positive regarding our efforts.
But there's always the knucklehead.
You can count on it.
This guy's having a bad traffic day.
That, we can all sympathize with.

(thought - after we Save Trestles,
I'm starting a restaurant here called,
'We Saved It' - on the menu:
Pickled-knucklehead
Fried-knucklehead
Stewed-kucklehead
Diced-knucklehead
Over-done-knucklehead
Well-done-knucklehead
and Knucklehead in a Jar - for Take-Out.

Enjoy the read.
Feel free to share.
name: M___ MC___________k

location: San Clemente

comments/questions: I am sick and tired of the traffic and all these Save Tresltes stickers. If you have to go anywhere north of San Clemente on a Saturday during the summer it takes forever to get back home because of all the traffic. It backs up every weekend to Avery, Oso, or even the 405. It really made me mad when I was stuck in the backup and there was a Hummer in front of me with a Save Trestles sticker on it. I don't understand all these people in south county fighting the Toll Road. How can they stand all the traffic. The traffic is out of control, and Trestles is already a dump as it is. These Save Trestles people crack me up. Its the dirtiest of all the SC beaches. Every sign covered in SURFING stickers, obscene things written in SURF wax on the pavement, graffiti everywhere, and trash all over the place.It seems to me that the SURFERS destroyed trestles a long time ago, not the motorist heading south. I say SAVE SAN CLEMENTE, BUILD THE TOLL ROAD!!!!

Dear Sick and Tired,

Everyone agrees - traffic sucks pretty much everywhere.
In OC, in LA, in SD - even in Maryland.
(even in San Francisco)

Cal is America's most populated state, with the majority living
south of Bakersfield - with our fastest-growth happening on
OC's eastern border in Riverside and the Inland Empire.

No wonder our roads overflow.

Too many people for the available road space.

As Caltrans confesses,

"We can't pave our way out of congestion."

Reason being - populations grow fast - while road and rail
infrastructure improvements grow at a snail's pace.

So - by the time new roads are in - they're already obsolete.

Since 1985, 51-miles of new super highways have been
built here in OC.
You'd think that would lighten our freeway load.
51-miles of new super highways here?
Where?
And why haven't those 51-miles of new OC super highways
lightened our freeway load?

Because, to drive those 51-miles of new OC super highway
requires paying a hefty, hair-rising Toll.

In fact - the more traffic there is everywhere in OUR county,
the more expensive OC toll roads become.

Welcome to Congestion Pricing.

This keeps commuters OFF the 51-miles of OC toll roads,
jamming everyone (you and me) back onto Freeways we can't fix (huh?)

because of Non-Compete-Clauses enforced by TCA (OC's toll road folks).

Fact is - those 51-miles of unaffordable (for most folks) toll-ways
are supposed to be Freeways.

Really. That was the promise.

Instead, they keep raising toll prices, to keep most folks off.

So where does everyone end up? In front of you - stopped
on the freeway. And guess what - if you pay taxes, you pay
for both - the empty Toll Roads and the jammed-Freeways.

Point being - if the Toll Road Promise of Smoother Traffic Flow
throughout OC is why we have 51-miles of toll roads - why
is traffic continually getting worse?

Think about it.

And, if 51-miles of toll roads haven't helped ease OC freeway
traffic - why would an additional 16-miles of toll road from
Trestles north, help I-5 at $12 to $20 a one-way toll?
The predicted toll fare if a Trestles toll road was up and running today.

$12 to $20 bucks one-way? Ouch.

Would you pay a $12 to $20 toll to drive it to Rancho Santa Margarita?
Very few would. Most won't and never will.

That's the point.
Toll Roads here, are Price-Managed, to keep most folks off
(maybe you too) and back onto our over-stuffed freeways - BUT
we can't fix our freeways...?

Yep, because of TCA Non-Compete-Agreements.

Them's the hard-to-stomach facts.

A major OC-Highway study was done this last year by OCTA -
to determine how effective a Trestles toll road would be in
helping to alleviate OC freeway traffic.

What they determined is:

a toll road to Trestles, in 25 years would be the least traveled
stretch of OC highway in the entire county. Surfers didn't
do that Study. OC's Transportation Experts did it.

The problem here is, not that we don't have enough pavement
to drive on - we do. It's just that 51-miles of OC super highway
pavement is purposely kept from us by ever-higher toll fares.

So we all sit, stalled on the freeway, pissed-off - when not a mile
away, a toll road (your taxes pay for) - sits pretty much dead-empty
20 hours a day - and then, is only lightly traveled the other 4 -
during rush hour. That's TCA's plan.

As for Trestles being already ruined? Not.

In fact - according to the San Diego Regional Water Board
(the folks who monitor coastal waters from the Mex-border
to 600-miles north) - San Onofre State Beach Park, which
includes Trestles is SoCal's LAST consistently Healthy surf.

As for surf-stickers on metal signs down at Trestles,
that doesn't effect the ocean quality - nor does the graffiti
chalked and painted on the paved trail down to Trestles.

It might be no fun to look at - but by winter it will be
worn off - to be graffitied again next summer.

It don't affect the beach - or the water, or the break.
Just the funky old trail asphalt.

If you don't like the way Trestles Beach looks, or Cottons,
or Church, or Sano, or Trails - well...to each his own.

As one of 12 globally renowned surfing beaches on the planet,
the World sure likes it.

As for Hummer's flying Save Trestles stickers, hey, it's
a free country - at least that Hummer driver knows a good
healthy surf spot when he sees it. And wants to save it.

Works for me.

What I've learned in speaking-out to Save Trestles
from TCA's needless toll road thru our State's 5th
most popular State Park is -

a private toll-road there would destroy 60% of the Park -
and not help I-5 traffic a lick (would in fact make it worse),
while polluting San Mateo Creek, which feeds Trestles
it's healthy water, its sand and its rock-bottom necessary
to keep reforming Trestles perfect break -

that when folks want the toll road - regardless of consequence,
I find they fall into several categories:

1. Naive - don't know the facts
2. TCA employees - defending their jobs
3. OC Realtors - thinking not having that road
will effect home sales (their job). Wrong.
The San Mateo Watershed, what the toll route would dissect -
is 34,000 acres of set-aside open-space.
Never to be developed. Ever.
4. Engineer types - who like building big-stuff anywhere,
or have a vested interest in OC highway construction
5, Homeowner's from other cities, thinking a Trestles toll road
will either get them to Sano, and or SD 5-minutes faster.
What most don't know is - the exorbitant toll fare that-road
would extract. Once they know that, they don't want it either.
6. The majority of OC politicians who's political careers depend
on them supporting any counter-productive traffic idea TCA
dreams up.

But now I know - Thanks to You - even OC-Hummer-owners
don't want that superfluous, needless toll road to Trestles.

That's encouraging.

Thanks for the heads-up.

Have a good day. I hope you find a beach you like.
When and if you do - work to keep it healthy.

Like how we're Saving Trestles - for the next generation
and the next, and so on.

It's worth it.

As for toll roads here - they're why OC freeway traffic sucks.

Good luck and drive carefully.
OC Toll Roads often cause road-rage in Freeway drivers

Now you know why.
Not everyone does.

Thanks for your comments.

Mon a.m. toll road tally - Wildlife - 1, Commuter - 0

2008-04-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

7/16/07

Apparently, while dodging a deer-in-the-headlights late
Sunday night on Laguna's 73-toll road, the deer won
and the SUV driver lost.

Reminding me of the too many times, green-concerns
have been voiced to the TCA regarding appropriately
sized animal under-crossings and proper toll road-side
fencing.

But that's not in their budget, as they raise fares to keep
toll-attendance low, and wildlife find their way onto empty,
wee-hour, pitch-black toll roads dissecting South County's
wilderness, where a pay-to-speed reward through seemingly
empty toll-darkness exercises the pedal-to-metal urge.

A sad, ironic result to TCA's Ad-promise,

"Drive Less, Live Longer"

Maybe TCA's Ad-slogan should read,

"Pay More and Drive at Your Own Risk Neighbor -
cuz the Toll Might Kill'ya - in more ways than one."

SC's Peanuts Gallery's roar - a fluke, or seachange?

2008-04-20T11:15:00.001-07:00

7/14/07

Publish at will, or at the very least share.
Remember - 90% of winning is showing up.

Toot-Toot! fellow SC peanut-heads.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

9-years ago, the Dorey De'Rail Train pulled into town.

I know, because Carol and I walked Del Mar for the
first time that typically picture-perfect SC Saturday and
were swept on board. Who knew the wild ride those on
Steph and John's Truth & Freedon train were in for.

Well neighbor, their brave train's still chugging strong,
as recognized last Council Meeting when Charles Mann's
relentless army of citizen-signature-gathers pulled off
what Development-Interests here paid mightily to defeat.

A 5-0 vote in favor of SC's endangered legacy -

our Open Space.

If you weren't there, or didn't watch it on channel 30,
what you missed was SC's public voice - 8,400 strong,
delivering a knock-out punch to those on council on
the wrong side of this village's Open Space pendulum.

Frustrated in defeat, our pave-happy-mayor labeled the
enthusiastic chamber audience "The Peanut Gallery!!!"
(Gourmet peanuts to be sure. Fresh and crackling)

Councilman Eggleston reminded Mayor-Jim (no doubt
groggy from his KO-knockdown), we peanut gallery'ists
we're also THE CITIZENS of Ole's dream come true.

After the 5-0 majority vote (with our flummoxed mayor,
recognizing a wave too high to paddle over, mumbled
a disgruntled 'aye' as he rolled his board under the surging
swell) Councilwoman Donchak noted a changing tide
in the village, towards things green, and blue, and clean,
and healthy - and Open.

As this village must remain.

So Steph Dorey's Truth & Freedom Train rolls on with
SC's new "Peanut Gallery Express" - Engineer Mann at
the controls. Making sure its direction remains straight
and true.

Get on board neighbor. It's the ride of a lifetime.

peanutty collamer

SoCal Surfers Unite - over Trestles

2008-04-20T11:14:00.001-07:00

7/2/07

To: letters@NYTimes.com

Trestles -

Point of Clarification: Mayor Jim Don't Surf - San Clemente
Mayor Jim Dahl (supports destroying Trestles) - a surfer? Ha!

JD hasn't waxed his board in 45 years. Recently retired from
SC's Fire Dept - cause: Bad Back, is Chairperson of the 73
(failed) toll road here - also sits the 241 toll road board.

JD's a paid, perked, 10-year employee of the TCA aka OC's
toll road pavers.

Fact: OCTA - OC's grand pooh-bah of OC-transportation
deems a Trestles toll road 'superfluous' to all OC traffic:
OCTA MIS 07 Study.

Locally referred to as 'the road to nowhere good' with
a potential $12 to $20 one-way toll no one will ever drive
would destroy 60% of Cal's 5th most popular State Park
while polluting the LAST 'heathy wave' in 600-miles of
SoCal coastline from the Tijuana border north, and do
zip for traffic here.

A grossly unaffordable toll.

Jerry Collamer

is it worth knowing about?

2008-04-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

6/28/07

Does saving the last healthy surfbreak in 600-miles of SoCal coastline -
(from the Tijuana border north) aka Trestles/San Onofre State Beach Park
from a superfluous 'private' toll road that would destroy 60% of Cal's 5th
most popular state park (already once mitigated) - destroy a preserved
land conservancy (also already once mitigated) - pave over 10,000 years
of native-american ancestry, deeply compromising SoCal's LAST untouched
(17,000 acre) coastal watershed, considered only 1 of 10 on-the-planet
of such untouched-by-man eco-diversity - all for a 16-mile, private toll road
NO ONE will ever drive at $12 - $20 a one-way toll: OCTA 2007-MIS
Document - predicts, a Trestles toll road - would be THE LEAST used
piece of OC pavement by 2030 if it was built today.

Is this worth being concerned about?

Saving Trestles - is a global concern because the World surfs here.
It belongs to everyone, and it ain't sick.
SoCal's last heathy one.

SoCal's LAST ONE people.

Spreading the Word - Sat., June 23-07, San Mateo Camp-over. SD and SoCoSurfrider Chapter's combine efforts in the ongoing battle to Save Trestles from a superfluous 'private' OC toll road to nowhere.

what can one person do?

2008-04-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

6/28/07

stand up and make a fool of yourself,

and don't stop.

Trestles Event - San Mateo Campground aka San Onofre State Beach Park aka Trestles, SD & SoCo Surfrider - 6-23-07

SC Open Space gets real dirty

2008-04-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

6/23/07

This e-mail was sent to me, today Sat by an
understandably upset SC resident.

Read what he writes.
Is this how electoral activism here is resolved,
by hired-gun goon squads intimidating law
abiding citizens?

Remember, the PGC project was originally
rejected by our city council. The mistake our
council made, was, in an act of fair play, giving
the bullying developer 60-days for a 2nd act.

In those 60-days, 1-councilman was persuaded
to change his vote - and now this -

goon-squads verbally harassing 'us' as we work
to further our right to a democratic process.

This is America - right? Or isn't it.

Read what follows. This is your town too.
Here's your chance to prove it.

Get serious neighbor - we don't need developer
hired goon squads intimidating our right to vote
on what is already ours - SC Open Space.

Please forward this memo to all concerned...

The Letter:

I know you have all heard that there is a petition being circulated around town to ask that a referendum be placed on the ballot to reverse the City Council's decision
to allow houses to be built on land that was designated as open space at Pacific golf. What you may not know is that the developer has hired goon squads to follow
those circulating the petition and to intimidate people from signing. They are SCREAMING at people as they approach the tables set up at local grocery stores
and people are now afraid to even come up and read the information on the petition. THIS IS UN-AMERICAN AND HAS NEVER BEEN DONE HERE IN SAN CLEMENTE.
YOU NEED TO IMMEDIATELY SEND AN E-MAIL TO ALL THE COUNCILMEMBERS PROTESTING THE GESTAPO TACTICS OF THE PACIFIC GOLF DEVELOPER.
ALSO PLEASE, PLEASE COME TO MY HOUSE TOMORROW BETWEEN 6 AND 8 PM TO SIGN THE PETITION. Meeting in private homes has
now become the only way that we can express our constitutional right of free speech on this issue! Please bring neighbors, friends and anyone else you can
think of to sign. They must be residents of San Clemente and registered to vote.

I live at 182 West Avenida Junipero (the corner of W. Junipero and South Ola Vista in Southwest San Clemente). Please respond by E-mail to let me know
if you can come or not.

Don Prime
A citizen concerned about this attack on our right of free speech

The SC City Council can be reached at the following E-mail address: citycouncil@san-clemente.org

signaturing-in SC's Open Space, at home

2008-04-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

6/21/07

Charles Mann, SC res - and SC open space advocate has
organized a voter initiative signature gathering effort to put
the decision, "who has jurisdiction over SC's remaining
open space," our city council - or us?

With a 3 to 2 majority council willing to sell SC's remaining
open space - actually rewriting our city's General Plan to
accommodate developer-wishes - as Urban-crush threatens
SC's Quality of Life, I for one would love the opportunity to
vote on who controls our vanishing open space.

I think you would too.

Also - with 3 or our 5 council members drooling over the
opportunity to wrap us up in 6-lanes of toll road pavement,
while not fixing (foot-dragging) our necessary inside the
city road 'fixes' as our toll-happy mayor advocates "just
don't drive Pico at rush-hour," and or - "why anyone drives
major arteries is a mystery to me" - actual words of
traffic-wisdom from our (recently retired) mayor - a 10-year
toll road dais-sitter, now Chair of TCA's 73 Laguna toll road
board. A curious appointment, when SC's toll-nightmare
is the 241. Oh that's right, our mayor sits that TCA dais too.
Keeping SC politically in TCA's bag, long as Mayor Dahl
carries 'their' water. Not ours.

So, in a way, a vote for SC open space sends a signal
to our council's 3-pave-crazy members i.e. a check and
balance action against what they (3) see as progress
aka turning SC into one big traffic jam on and off the freeway.

If you'd like to sign the Open-Space initiative, and haven't yet,
here's how, in the comfort of your own home -
and or your neighbor's home -

Reply to me by e-mail, or phone - 366-9876, and I will
personally drop inititive sign-up sheets at your doorstep.
You must be a San Clemente registered voter.

Then - after you (and your friends and neighbors) have
signed, e-me, or call me - and I will pick them up.

All you'll need do is leave the envelope at your front door,
and whoosh it will be picked up. No fuss, no muss.

The deadline is the 1st week in July, so we must hurry.

1-signature, or 5, or 10. We'll take all we can get.

Let me know - and an envelope will magically appear
at your open-space-loving front door.

If you've already signed - but maybe there's a neighbor
who would, but hasn't? This is the way.

As they say, "the envelope please" and it shall be.

Thanks for caring about 'our space.'

jer

styro-mayor fears snowy seas

2008-04-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

6/20/07

SC Council Meeting - Tues. June 19 - 07
Around 10:30 p.m., during 'council-comments'
Mayor Jim, recounting a recent boating outing
warned us of styrofoam cups at sea...
"sometimes so thick, it looks like snow out there,"
suggesting the city take the next year to think
about banning the non-degradable stryomenace.
Next up - Council member Eggleston suggested
the PGC developer kick-in an extra million bucks
to help finish La Pata. SC's longest running no-fix
north-south traffic corridor. If finished today, eliminates
TCA's superfluous logic of a toll road within our
city limits. Mayor Jim, councilmen Anderson and
Knoblock kabashed finishing La Pata quicker'n
you can say "241-extension." Then Mayor Jim
announced he's been anointed Chair of the 73!
(Laguna toll road) with this comment,
"After 10-years of sitting there (TCA dais), guess
now I'll have to do something."
Killing La Pata is Mayor Jim doing something
for TCA as he worries sea-going styrofoam and
SC's real-world traffic solutions sink further into
TCA's blathering traffic-soup of really how to
screw up SC traffic (and everything else here).
Let's hope Councilwoman Donchak's honest
traffic concerns, combined with councilman
Eggleston's long running quality of life
stewardship casts a continuing bright light on
SC's much needed real-world traffic fixes.
As for styrafoam cups at sea?
Let's all take a year and think about it.
And remember Mayor Jim's traffic advice,
"Don't commute on Pico at rush-hour."

our two footed mayor

2008-04-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

6/11/07

Charles:

When our mayor puts his foot in his mouth (as he all to
frequently does), we can always count on him leaving room
for his other foot.

As our City's self appointed resident-elect-expert on definitions
of pristine 'open space' not being part & parcel of golf course
land does make me wonder where mayor-jim draws "his" line
between pristine open-space anywhere (?) as he's spent the
majority of his past 8-years in our (supposed) public-service
as a bought-and-paid for toll road shill who would gladly
volunteer to drive the first concrete truck into our internationally
recognized "pristine" coastal San Mateo Watershed -
1 of only 10 on the planet of such unrivaled bio-diversity i.e.
untouched by man i.e. natural perfection i.e. pristine.

Our sacred San Mateo Watershed open space - even that,
mayor-jim Lobby's on a daily basis. Traveling as far away
as Wash DC - to pave "it" over.

mayor-him, lecturing Congress?
Boggles the mind.

Apparently, if it's not Federally Protected Wilderness Land,
mayor-him views any open space, as fair game to be paved.

In the 9-years I've observed our dahl-influenced City Council,
I can't recall a development matter he hasn't said YES to.

Never be fooled by mayor-him's aloha-spirit shirts, shorts,
ball cap, trademark sneakers - and golly-gosh demeanor.
He's as lethal a dose of whiteman-bad-medicine for this
village by the sea as is the 8-lane toll road he craves to pave.

Only way to stop mayor-him (and Norblock) - get'em the hell
out of Dodge, or at the very least - off our council, forever - and
away from all the goodness here they feel obliged, in the name
of their twisted concrete view of progress, to destroy.

The sooner the better for San Clemente.
And boy do I mean "sooner."

jer

-------Original Message-------

From: Dahl, Jim
Date: 06/08/07 08:08:28
To: Michael Zaldivar
Subject: RE: Don't ruin San Clemente!

This was not pristine open space but a privately owned golf course!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spend some time and look into the facts

TCA gets CEO

2008-04-11T15:15:00.003-07:00

6/7/07

TCA's got itself a new CEO,
ex Bay Area Rapid Transit head,
Tom Margro - 62 @ $225K annually.

Tom's task - you guessed it.
Get that pesky Trestles Toll Road paved - State Parks be damned!

It's been 4-years since Wally K left TCA's CEO thorny throne. Wally couldn't get the $4Billion merger thingy done - he's working for the Great Park - rumored to be piloting the G-Park's 1st tangible accomplishment - it's hot-air balloon ride (we kid Wally).

Willy Woollett Jr (102 years old, not kidding) held down Wally's ex-hot seat for the past many years as TCA's CEO talent search continued. Woollett was a past tough-task- master of the TCA - brought-up (dug-up?) from TCA's retirement home of ex CEO's to fill Wally's smoldering seat cushion.

That ol'Will Woollett is mostly deaf with failing eyesight and spotty memory seemed a perfect fit for TCA's last 3 or so years of leadership.

Let's all wish new CEO Tom just as much luck as his 2 predecessors had in completing TCA's superfluous toll road to nowhere.

New CEO Tom once worked for New Jersey's Turnpike Authority.

Bada Bing!

FYI - or more details on CEO Tom - google him.
Seems he's employed by BART until June 29th.
Reason given for leaving BART - to spend more time with family? TCA's truth-train rolls on.

Mayor Dahl Solves traffic here!

2008-04-11T15:15:00.001-07:00

6/7/07

At the end of SC's Tues. June 5th
marathon city council meeting, where
the Pacific Golf Club, on a reversal of
mind by Councilman Norblock won the
right to take SC open-space for more
housing aka more traffic on Pico, Mayor
Dahl explained to the city - on TV and to
the seated council-audience, his simple
remedy for Pico's traffic snarl. Don't drive
there. Do what our 'retired' fireman / mayor
does at 7:30 a.m. when poor Pico is packed
with commuters - sleep in.
And at 3 p.m. (mayor's nap time?) when
Pico is again packed. Just don't go there.
Do what our savvy retired Mayor does -
drive Pico, only at off-hours. He went on
to wonder out loud, "Why anyone takes
major arteries is a mystery." I assume
he means freeways and ironically his
favorite traffic venue - OC toll roads?
As SC's TCA-rep Mayor Jim is perked
a TCA free-pass, so maybe he doesn't
mean Toll Roads. Otherwise his TCA
bosses are going to be livid. It's probably
all those "other" major traffic arteries he's
advising us to - Don't Drive At Rush-Hour.
Problem solved. Bring on the houses!
No more Pico traffic jams. Heck, no
more traffic anywhere. Now we know
why he's Mayor. He's smart.

toll road lies pave roads to nowhere

2008-04-11T15:14:00.001-07:00

6/2/07

If south county toll roads 'worked' our
freeway's here would flow. 51-miles of
freeway-size highways (toll roads) running
mostly empty, adjacent to stalled freeways?
And we pay for both. What's wrong with
this picture? Our elected politicians, as
far away as Corona write feverish pros,
"we need more toll roads" to feed their
fever-pitch-wish to sprawl-develop more
and more and more with zero regard of
where to put the cars that go with all the
houses. The easy-solution they preach,
"more toll roads!" And that's the big-lie.
Because, if it was the truth, our freeways
would flow heavenly now - not like the
traffic-hell south county sits mired in.
So, who ya'gonna believe, your own eyes
or more traffic-flow-lies espoused by
bought-and-paid-for-politicans who would
pave over all of us on their greed driven
toll roads to nowhere good.
Hey, we're all sitting in the same jam-up
as our toll roads run empty, mere yards
away. So where's the truth?
The truth is, OC's stalled - and our
toll roads are causing it. We all pay,
for the freeway quagmire we sit in
as toll roads sit empty. Just a few
feet away. Hello?

thanks to the Mayor.

2008-04-11T15:01:00.001-07:00

6/1/07

this is a true story - I wrote it immediately after the event
took place. Was going to send it to the SP, then thought why?
Didn't send it. Then today, word came regarding your Dahl-SJC
Mayor emergency road (TCA ruse # 514) excuse.
Ask Mayor Dahl why he wouldn't approve widening too-narrow
SC residential streets to accommodate fire trucks?
Jim is a man of many road-safety contradictions.
Anyway, when I heard you published more TCA / Dahl Koolaid
nector I knew where to send this.

jer

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sat May 26th - SC's annual Hawaiian Surf Club Festival
at the Community Center I was busy advocating NO Toll Road
thru San Onofre State Beach Park (our state's 5th most popular).

For 10 years here, I've studied closely TCA's proposed destruction
of 60% of San Onofre State Beach Park - San Mateo Watershed,
San Mateo Creek, Donna O'Neill Land Conservancy and Panhe
Native American ancestral village-site, resulting in the loss of
SoCal's LAST HEALTHY surfing beach extending from Cotton's
Pt. 7-miles south to San Onofre Surfing Beach and Trails.

Globally recognized as SoCal's Yosemite of Surfing.
This includes our globally revered Trestles surf break.

In dispute: an elevated 8-lane-wide, private toll road paralleling
San Mateo Creek miles up into it's pristine mentor San Mateo
Watershed sounding a virtual death-knoll environmentally to
everything the superfluous toll road would pave-over.

This is why I owe Mayor Dahl a thank-you for a detail clarification
of the toll road's presumed height - as TCA's Plans call for their
elevated roadway to fly-over I-5 at the nexus of San Mateo Creek
and I-5, merging into 1-5 somewhere south around SONGS
nuclear facility.

At Saturday's aloha event Mayor Jim informed me, TCA's fly-over
estimation is 18ft over I-5's traffic at Trestles.
I thanked our mayor for the correction. I estimated it higher.

Then I said, "but Jim, 18 ft, or 100ft up, what's the diff, because

by then everything good is gone - forever."

And traffic on I-5 will be worse.

Mayor Dahl was wearing his trademark aloha shirt at an event
dedicated to the 'aloha spirit,' making me wonder - where does
destroying SoCal's last pristine coastal waters, a perfect watershed,
protected conservancies and sacred native american history, to
pave a private toll road no one will drive on - where does that
needless destruction of everything good fit into anyone's 'aloha spirit?
I suggest Mayor Jim change his aloha wardrobe, or stop pitching
TCA's 21-year old dinosaur of a destructive road to nowhere.

misguided Corona Pro-Tem drives blindly on

2008-04-11T15:00:00.002-07:00

5/29/07

241-Ext (LTE) Sun. May, 27-07
OCReg Commentary - Pg3
Toll Road Block Misdirected
------------------------------------------
To read Corona's Pro Temp Jeff Miller
lambaste OC's Rep Sanchez' bold effort
along with San Diego's Rep Davis, as
the 2-brave ladies do the people's work
(not developer shills) to bring common
sense to a totally illogical OC toll road-ext
thru our state's 5th most popular State Park,
a toll road-ext no one will drive (???), one
would believe Corona-Councilman Miller
and his development-spawned cohorts have
our transit interest's under complete control
as our freeways languish and highway
mayhem reigns supreme mired in joint-powers
red tape specifically designed to throttle
public transportation needs in favor of
Private-Interest greed at the cost of OC's
and Riv's daily commute. To know the
traffic facts, and the solutions required
to fix what Mr. Miller and his mentors have
wrought upon our morning and evening
commute with no intention of fixing as
they band-aid over scratches and bypass
gaping open wounds is to know why 91-traffic
(on Mr. Miller's Watch) is unimaginably bad -
and getting worse.
For OC's sake, keep Jeff Miller's highway
tactics bottled-up in Corona.
He's dangerous to OC driving.
He's dangerous to anyone's driving.

A more thorough OCTA workshop report

2008-04-11T15:00:00.001-07:00

5/25/07

Jack Eidt's report from yesterday's OCTA workshop.
Jack is an Urban Planner - founding member
of Wild Heritage Planners, The Beltway Plan,
Fix-5-Working Group. Jack's a Sierra Club member
and a non-stop participant in the battle to
Stop the Trestles toll road.

His report:

Wild Heritage Planners and Fix the 5 First attended the South Orange County Major Investment Study Stakeholders Meeting yesterday. What has become painfully clear now to even individuals who are not part of the Save Trestles-San Onofre coalition is that OCTA refuses to model any alternative that does not include the SR 241 extension south of Oso Parkway.

241 Sensitivity Analysis
Numerous commenters from both sides of the tollway debate requested that a sensitivity analysis on the 2030 baseline conditions should be modeled to illustrate conditions without the 241 extension. Supporters advocated that it would "show Sanchez" what a disaster traffic would become. And we asserted that it would be important for OCTA to have a backup plan considering the significant opposition and environmental and regulatory hurdles that the proposal faces. All commenters agreed that such a sensitivity analysis would be an important tool in the long range planning for South OC transportation.

Tami Warren stated the obvious -- that she heard our comments but was under the mandate from the OCTA Board to shield their eyes to any option without the extension, case closed.

What is needed is to have a more concerted discussion with the OCTA players to at least consider an option without the extension, which may include Monte Ward and we should consider whether any OCTA Board members might support our position. I guess this discussion might be easier should the Davis amendment pass...

Alternatives
WHP has argued from the start that the east-west connection between the 241 and 73 tollways that would complete the system in a generally circular beltway would be instrumental toward dealing with proposed and existing traffic in foothill SOC. This option will necessitate tunneling to protect properties in SJC and should blend into the I-5 south of the 73 offramps. OCTA is now modeling this alternative.

We also contend that extending the Antonio-Avenida La Pata "Smart Street" not only between San Clemente and San Juan Cap, but south to the I-5 along Cristianitos would provide an alternative to the I-5 for local traffic and in case of emergencies that could be integrated into the 241-73 beltway at Rancho Mission Viejo. OCTA has refused to consider this option.

And finally, Interstate 5 must be widened with a community sensitive design south of Avenida Pico to the County line, two lanes in each direction. No viable alternative has been presented within a timeline of any of our existences on this planet.

In addition, OCTA is looking into double-tracking the LOS-SAN on an inland corridor through RMV, which may be sited along the proposed 241 extension corridor. We will be producing an alternative that would more likely follow the La Pata corridor as an alternative to tunneling under the I-5. Once again, we need to fight the contention that putting a rail corridor through a state park and wilderness is the cheapest option...

Your comments are welcome.

Jack Eidt
Wild Heritage Planners
714 501 8262

TCA writes letters

2008-04-11T14:58:00.003-07:00

5/25/07

TCA is squirming.

To know how much the OC power structure
has riding on the 241 going all the way to San Onofre, you have to attend OCTA's, what they call - SoOCTraffic reDesign Workshop's. These are meetings held at Mission Viejo City Hall, attended by a 100 or so interested party's - From Mimi Walters office, Pat Bates office, TCA, SJC School District, Rancho Mission Viejo Corp, various home owners groups, the CHP and Sheriff's, Irvine Co, various engineering concerns from around the county (road builders etc), water district interests - it's a long list of Toll Road interested party's. And Caltrans.
And a handful of NGO's (aka real people).

Their 3rd Road Workshop was yesterday.

The reason I highlight Toll Road (with all of the other traffic snafus here in south county), TCA's 241- south extension wags our countywide traffic dog.

How do I know?

Guess what OCTA, in their computer modeling
(theoretical) 'Traffic' picture for 2030 towards 2041 doesn't include?

An alternative to the 241-ext - if NOT built?

In other words - OCTA - and whoever really is pulling OC's TCA toll-roads-strings, currently have nothing-on-the-books - "NOTHING," as a Master OC Road Plan Alternative should the Trestles Toll Road die. Nothing.

OC's County Road Planning is in serious Denial.
(from the 'only' US county to ever bankrupt - from the same county-leaders that "KNEW" El Toro International was a done-deal).

Most of the players at the Table are invested business-as-usually status quo OC as OCTA buries us in Highway Computer Models R'us adnauseam 2030-2041.

Dangling the Toll Roads "go free" somewhere between 2030 / 2041.

We pointed out, a 2030 Model ain't something half of the participants at-the-table will see and that the problem / solution needs to be now.

Long story short - now the concept of the Trestles Toll Road NOT being completed is at least on the table -

Can't wait until the next Workshop - July 18.

jer

toll road geeks sense failure - act out

2008-04-11T14:58:00.001-07:00

5/24/07

Read this -

the toll boys, who would pave their needless
road thru your living room if it served their
greedy purposes are busy bees -

guess we're doing good...

From: Bott, Jeff [mailto:Bott@sjhtca.com]

Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 5:15 PM

Subject: Calling all Foothill-South supporters!

Hello,

We are currently in the process of creating a page on The Toll Roads and Foothill-South Web sites that will include the names of individuals who support completing the 241 Toll Road to San Clemente. We are also planning a publication in the near future that will also include names of Foothill-South supporters.

As you know, opponents have stepped up their efforts to stop the project at all costs, even though there is incredible public support and tremendous need to complete Orange County's 67-mile toll road system. When Foothill-South is completed, South County residents will finally have an alternative to the 5 Freeway.

You have been extremely supportive of the project in the past, but I need your permission to include your name on our Web sites and publications as a supporter. Please e-mail me back as soon as possible that states you agree to the use of your name.

As always, thank you for your continued support!

Jeff Bott

Senior Public Affairs Representative

Transportation Corridor Agencies

949-754-3458

jbott@thetollroads.com

Jerry Scary Highway Dream #683

2008-04-11T14:54:00.001-07:00

5/18/07

The last highway nightmare I shared publicly was
a few years back. That scary scenario: Midnight.
Stopped at the 241's Oso Pkwy exit toll-box minus
an extra quarter to let me off. Stuck on the 241, phew.

This time, my highway dream-scream is worse.

Myself and my (real life) Fix-5 Working Group crew
(wearing protective Orange) command a paramedic
emergency I-5 rescue station.

Jaws-of-Life R'us. Kiosked at the south I-5 off-ramp
to SC's yet to be finished Outlet Mall.

But in my dream, the Mall is finished - and flourishing.

That's why we're stationed there, road flares in hand.
Waiting for the next I-5 calamity as commuters race
south, cresting Ave. Estrella, gunning in down I-5's
XXX black diamond hell-on-wheels deep-drive
smack into the waiting line of taillights at Vista Hermosa.

Stalled Mall traffic - backed-up into freeway lanes.
Because?

Well you know. Who can pass up an Outlet Mall?

Mix retail "SALE" with 80-plus mph car traffic, a steep
downhill-poorly planned freeway exit strategy and you
realize why I woke up in a cold sweat.

Just then (in the dream) our Jaws-of-Life alert buzzer
screams its warning. We check our GPS Locater.

Ohmygawd, the worst has happened.
It's a deeper-south I-5 replay of Oakland's recent freeway
overpass gas truck holocaust.

NO!!! It can't be - At SONGS???

Where I-5 and the long battled toll road converge into
a multi level freeway behemoth.

Where San Onofre and Trestles used to be.
Replaced by the toll road's concrete and steel forever.

Sirens blaring we race there.
The multi-level freeway-to-toll road structure - fully engulfed.

Worse - the hellish conflagration has spread to the adjacent
nuke-plant, housing tons of stored nuke-waste ready to blow -
and like every bad dream, we can't slow our approach into
Dante's I-5, toll road nuclear inferno.

We speed closer.

But wait. I recognize a person. Now several people.
Standing by the road - silhouetted by the unearthly wall of fire.

We race by them, but in dreamy slow motion.

The first is a woman. I know her. It's Supervisor Pat Bates.
It's all of the Supervisors. Campbell, Norbey, the rest.

Supervisor Bates' lips slowly articulate these words as I pass,

"I h...a...d n...o i...d...e...a."

I woke up.

TCA Scare Tactics backfire

2008-04-11T14:52:00.002-07:00

5/17/07

To: Supe Pat Bates

Honorable Supervisor,

your endorsement of TCA's Trestles toll road plan
is contradictory in substance. The fear you project:
a double-decker 1-5 south-county highway debacle
on a par with Oakland's recent overpass incineration
is inexplicably, exactly what you endorse - with a far
worse potential for highway-holocaust consequences
compounding your ill-timed (OCReg) endorsement
of a doubly-dangerous, double-decked Trestles toll
road north/south I-5 convergence, ramped-up (and
or down) directly in front of - and mere steps from
SONGS(???) nuclear facility gate!, aka spent N-rods
storage facility and known potential terrorist target.

What a concept.

Honorable Supervisor, I suggest, before you infuse
OC with more TCA scare tactic rhetoric purposely
clouding the public debate (toll road / no toll road),
you and your honorable elected cohorts need scout
the very-location / epicenter you're so willing to
sacrifice to a fate worse than Oakland's highway
holocaust - a fate quite frankly unimaginable in
consequence with no regard for life or public-limb.

To end, and or begin your over-the-I-5 toll road exactly
at California's epicenter of potential coastal human
catastrophe - SONGS nuke-plant, is crazy.

Let me remind you of a similar ill fated plan - NYC,
911. Then Mayor Guillioni made a similar catastrophic
decision, placing the Twin Towers emergency response
center - directly below the Towers.

He had been advised not to. Rather, he was advised,
place them miles away in Long Island (where they
are now being reconstructed) out of harms way.

Those of us opposing a Trestles toll road do it
for good reason. Many good reasons. But your new
Oakland-highway holocaust scare tactic opens yet
another critical door to why a double-decked toll
convergence with I-5 at SONGS is egregiously
fool hearty to a degree of national importance.

As to the destruction of the San Mateo Watershed and
San Mateo Creek - you say, a toll road would improve
them from their present Gold Standard status of LAST
healthy mountains-to-ocean coastal tributary in 600-miles
of SoCal coastline. Your claim is frankly laughable.
Another TCA impossibility in anyone's lifetime.
No amount of TCA Director's preaching otherwise
will ever change that reality.

You and the TCA can continue to verbally denigrate
San Onofre State Beach Park's natural beauty - its
environmental necessity and or public-value as a
public place of perfectly natural recreation (5th most
popular in the state), but a toll road through it would
destroy it. That's Reality.

And not help our traffic.
That's South OC's I-5 traffic Reality.

During this long public-campaign to Preseve and Protect
San Onofre State Beach Park from TCA's needless
toll there - we're often asked, "What's your alternative?"

We have them.
Yes "We."
An extended group of South OC concerned citizens.
Concerned enough to have school ourselves on 'our' traffic
Realty's, and what it will take to REALLY fix things.

Doable, buildable, labor intensive, local highway construction
alternatives. If anyone cares to listen - and learn.

In my humble opinion, you of all people need to hear them.

We can ignore the facts, we can distort the facts,
but the facts always remain the facts.

And the big fat fact here is - a toll road to Trestles is superfluous
to our traffic while it paves over paradise in a potentially
very explosive way.

Your pointed-danger-zone: precisely where I-5, the fly-over
Trestles toll road and the nuke plant converge.
I repeat - in a worst case scenario: crazy.

Thank you for reminding us of a Trestles toll road's too dangerous toll,
in so many ways.

something's going on here, but I don't know what it is...

2008-04-11T14:52:00.001-07:00

5/16/07

Re: The Orange Grove - May 16, 07

as the ol'song lyric goes,

"something's going on here,
but I don't know what it is..."

as Supe'Bates pulls out TCA's oldest reboiled foul stew
from TCA's toll road kitchen of recooked books and stale
south county traffic projections claiming her Trestles toll
road is needed, when and if one of the 1000's of combustible
18-wheeler's 'loses it' on SoCounty's I-5 and melts an overpass
(a major overpass south of El Toro?), sorry Supe, that would
be LA or Riverside, and or the even older TCA disaster myth -
SONG's nuke-plant implodes, explodes, or leaks (shhh, it
already did) and there's no great escape?

Here's Supe'Bates' Reality Toll Road Disaster script:
she would build an 8-lane, 100 feet-high fly-over (the 5)
double-decker toll road / freeway convergence,
WHERE???
Smack In Front of SONGS' nuke plant's front door!!!
Literally yards away from SONGS' armed gate.
True (look at TCA's approved Trestles toll road-plan).

The Big What if - Supe'Bate's scare tactic freeway
holocaust / toll road "fly-over" tanker-disaster- melt-down
blow-up scenario happens at the NUKE PLANT???

The very thing she decries, she would build at Point Horrible?

A double decked-freeway-to-toll-road All-Go-Kaaboom!
50-yards from the nuke-plant at San Onofre.
Absolutely freak'n politically OC-peeeeerfect..."Remember 94!"

The same nuke-plant where we store our sizzling for 5,000-years
(sleeping but not dead yet) 'spent' fuel rods?
So who's playing toll road bad-politics here but our own
OC Politicians (and Krazie-Ken, our Kongressional Calvert)
and their scripted TCA-Kool-Aid chugging minions.

Want a killer highway disaster?
Let OC-politicians plan it.
Look at the mess we sit in as "their" toll roads run easy-breezy
and we pay for everything.

Want a real-fast (safe and affordable) OC freeway fix?,
send the TCA back to Jersey now - and let our freeways flow.

And for OC's-sake don't ever produce Supe'Bates' disaster script.

Why write?

2008-04-11T14:51:00.002-07:00

5/16/07

Here's Pete Van Nuys' latest commonsense rebuttal
to more TCA encouraged noise, inked today in the Reg,
opposite Supe'Bates 500-word pro toll road op-ed opportunity.

We take what we can get, when we get it at all.

Because for every 10 we write, maybe 1 gets inked.

Still it serves a greater purpose.
It lets the Reg know "we're" all out here, looking, listening -
and thinking, and talking amongst ourselves -

and it's terrific therapy.

So once gain Pete knocks it out of the park.

I encourage us all, when the notion strikes - SWING!,
Write your feelings.
Send them to The Reg, The Sun Post, or the LATimes,
wherever, whenever - do it often.

It matters.

And, as always, pass it on,

jer
________________________________________________

Here's Pete,

From: pete van nuys
Date: May 16, 2007 10:12:59 AM PDT

If Dick Hirsch had made a valid point by citing the tragic death of the Cobel children I could let it slide. But not only was his reference tasteless, it was wrong.

That accident happened on a freeway that runs parallel to the 73 toll-way. If the life saving traffic relief he implies could have been provided by “infrastructure in the 5 corridor,” the 73 should have provided it. But the 73 will never pull semitruck traffic off the 5. It can’t even attract enough cars off the 5 to reduce freeway congestion. Why? The tolls discourage its use.

If we continue to buy TCA’s lie that toll-ways reduce freeway traffic, we’re doomed to gridlock. The 5 should have been widened through South Orange County years ago. But by law OCTA and Caltrans must kowtow to the toll-ways. The accident that killed those kids occurred in the overlap of three toll-way Non-Compete zones, and that’s a fact.

--
Pete

boondoogled road plan heads to shredder

2008-04-11T14:51:00.001-07:00

5/11/07

Like the ill-fated, nonsensical El Toro
International 20-odd year OC dust-up,
the longest running boondoggled Road
to Nowhere Plan (241-south ext toll road)
hopefully has met it's maker and SoCounty's
freeway jam-ups will finally get the attention
they (we) deserve. At $12 to $20 bucks a
one-way toll who among us would drive a
Trestles extension? Only Mayor Dahl, who
gets his toll perked by TCA anyway.
Lose our State Park to a literally "useless"
road to nowhere? Not.
Whatever koolaide flavor TCA serves its
toll road minions, let's thank our lucky stars
not everyone in OC, or SD, or DC is gulping
it down.
New Rules - soon as the Trestles toll road
plan is dead and buried - for good - let's
bury the TCA completely, and turn every
OC toll road to Free-ways...and let our
traffic flow. We pay for OC's toll roads,
why shouldn't we be able to drive them?
As for the scare tactic: toll-road-down Pico,
that will happen about the time Mayor
Dahl becomes SC's first elected to land
on Mars, and or La Pata gets paved.
If TCA offers you koolaide, don't drink it.

toll road, more "maybe" than ever

2008-04-11T14:50:00.003-07:00

5/10/07

Reported in this a.m.'s Reg, Rep Davis (SD) and Rep Sanchez (OC) succeeded in hammering a huge chink into TCA's toll road bulldozer, but as reported the details are missing.
The LATimes is still reporting yesterdays events.

One thing for sure, Porker (Rep) Calvert - TCA's pawn(broker) is more red faced than ever running backdoor to backdoor through congressional chambers applying CPR to his expiring pave-paradise plan.

Stay tuned.

oblivious South County resident responds

2008-04-11T14:50:00.001-07:00

5/9/07

LTE: Roots of a family tragedy - Reg., 5-9-07
--------------------------------------------------------------

Responding to Ms. Steinhauser's
critical opinion of deep South County
resident's from her Mission Viejo
homestead (isn't MV SoCounty too,
with it's own pockets of tranquility?)
implying a 241 toll road ext. will save
freeway lives is like saying the 73
toll road, and or the 241 in it's entirety
are in anyway beneficial to overall
SoCounty freeway traffic - when exactly
the opposite is true. OC toll roads exasperate
freeway traffic - not help it, as everyone's
heart goes out to the Coble family.
If the 51-miles of OC toll roads (tax
payer supported) were Freeways now,
allowing the broader dispersal of rush
hour traffic instead of holding OC freeway
traffic hostage through Non-Compete
Zones, Congestion-Pricing and endless
Bond refinancing schemes boondoggling
any real-world OC traffic relief as our
County Supervisors remain locked in
Wall St servitude - not traffic flow, OC
Freeway disasters will escalate from
pressures put upon them by toll roads
who lock the majority out. Free the toll
roads and our freeways flow safer.
A 241 ext. is superfluous to OC traffic.
Ask the OCTA.
Private-interest misinformation only
ever makes matters worse.

News Today - Toll Road on the brink

2008-04-11T14:49:00.001-07:00

5/9/07

from the Reg today - front page
-------------------------------------------

A big Maybe - but...

Today in Congress: San Diego Representative Susan Davis has introduced an amendment attached to the annual defense authorization bill heading to the "floor' today for a vote.

Ms. Davis amendment revokes congressional authorization for the military to convey building rights to the toll road agency.

This has all to do with the Navy who controls Camp Pendleton - also the amendment erases previous legislation insulating the toll road from state and federal laws that could prevent it's construction.

If her amendment survives the congressional vote today this could, according to TCA lawyers - Kill The Road.

The Little Amendment That Could...

Stay tuned,

jer

free the tolls - Pete gets Reg ink

2008-04-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

5/7/07

Go PVN,

excellent ink in today's (Mon) Reg.

As the TCA begin new multi-Billion Toll Road merger rumblings, guess what they never mention - SoOC's throttled, deadly, freeway traffic that would be instantly relieved by the addition of 51-new SoCounty freeway miles - how?

Send the toll booths back to New Jersey.
It's more than possible - or do we wait until 2044, or 2067, or the 12th of never?

After all, the Golden Gate Bridge is still waiting to be free.
That failed promise is only 73 years old and counting.

Our toll roads are a Demonstration Project aka 'Test.'

Why not face the OC Traffic truth - declare Test over, buy back "our" 51-miles of taxpayer supported toll roads (Measure M$) NOW and "let our Freeway traffic flow."

It's doable.

Freeway flow - and adjacent empty toll roads, and or toll lanes (91) that we all pay for but can't afford to use, never seem to be mentioned in the same sentence.

Time for that to change,

Pete's done it, and the Reg printed it.

That's a start,

jer

Cal Dem's endorse Saving Trestles - statewide

2008-04-11T14:47:00.001-07:00

4/30/07

At the California State Democratic Party Convention
this past weekend in San Diego, where all the Prez-hopefuls spoke,
the Cal Dem's 'as a whole' - voted to support No Toll Roads Thru
State Parks, thus endorsing our efforts to Save Trestles!!!,

which translates to Saving San Onofre State Park and the
San Mateo Watershed and the creek and everything good.

Saving Trestles aka San Onofre and the mighty San Mateo is NOW
clearly of statewide concern, from San Diego to Crescent City,
at least amongst Democrats -

What does this mean to TCA?

Means they hire more Sacramento lobbyist.
(if they haven't already hired them all).

This is more good news for red-blooded Blue-Stater's fighting
to Preserve our locally natural heritage / legacy, regardless of party
affiliation because here in the OC, Dems fight alongside Greens,
Independents and Republicans to save, preserve and protect all
that's good and natural from those who would pave over our
protected public spaces for their personal gain.

Saving Trestles is the tip of our green and blue state's iceberg
statewide. San Onofre is Cal-State Parks "canary in the mine shaft"
with 37 other Cal-State Park's threatened by more wrong-headed
private-interest-encroachments.

Please share this Trestles good-news update.

Behind the political-scene hard-work like this caused TCA to push
their 21-year old Trestles toll road plan start-date further down the road
to 2011 - as we-all work to keep the Pavers of Paradise in check -
from their blind ambitions.

Pass the word,

it's good,

jer

TCA 'runs dry' 365-24-7

2008-04-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

4/17/07

re: LAT - April 17, 07 Cal-section, pg. B3
National Group fears for SoOC creek
Kudos to national conservation group
American Rivers for recognizing SoOC's
San Mateo Creek - endangered / threatened
by a proposed private toll road that would
literally pave-over SoCal's LAST healthy
'Gold Standard' of mountain-to-coastal
tributaries in 600-miles of SoCal coastline.

Typical of TCA's ignorance (or lies) their
spokesperson claims San Mateo is 'dry' most
of the year? Clearly this person has never seen
the San Mateo. IT'S NEVER DRY, demonstrated
in LATimes' photo - its river mouth-estuary at
Trestles surf beach / San Onofre State Beach Park.

As for TCA improving the San Mateo?
Improve on natural-perfection?
Only God does that.

What TCA needs to improve is their bogus, private
interest, traffic-stalling rhetoric choking SoCounty
freeways to a halt. God forbid TCA ever pollutes
another OC creek, stream or ocean - or freeway
with their unaffordable toll road scam.

Would some one please explain - why we have a City Council?

2008-04-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

4/6/07
Sun Post - April 5-07, front-page...
'Deed found / Come together'

Reported in Friday's SunPost: Councilman Joe
Anderson says Council can't legislate from the
dais to support the original 2004 Marblehead
developer / city agreement on how homes there
SHALL be built. Lot sizes, heights - etc.
A done-deal in 2004. Right?
Wrong neighbor.
It's New Deal time.
Huh?
It's New Deal Time-Anytime (Open-House in SC People!)
in this our New Order - 'Dealing for Developer Dollars'
because Old Deals here aren't worth the parchment they're
scrawled on as Council instructs us to "Go-Deal-Directly
with the developer." It's just gotten too darn complicated
for Council to Legislate on what was Singed-Off-On
3-years ago. Or maybe ever.

Same-Deal-Different-Day Dept: some on Council vote
a hearty YES to by-pass Past developer / city agreements
regarding Pacific Golf Course's / SC's open-space
protectorate-claus, dating back to even before PGC
existed as our City allows PGC's developer-owner
3 1/2 years and 1000-hours (according to the developer)
to coerce City-Staffers into creating "Brand New Plans"
nullifying existing open-space city-charters.

Obviously the 007 game in town is,
"Who Do We Trust - Today,"
because yesterday's city-contracts are null & void,
subject to Developer-whim's today.

Why even have a city council if they don't support
"our old deals" - then tell us - "Go work it out with the
developer. This new deal is too complicated for us."

But our "old deals" - were "their deals" too - back when.

Just not now.

So - New Rules - city council's Job #1 is:
Play developer go-between - depending on what the next
developer wants today. Regardless of what was signed
off on yesterday.

Civic conundrum: do we pay city council?
Or do the developers?

Seems a fair question, considering our city's New Rules.

Mayor stumbles-on in toll road darkness

2008-04-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

4/5/07
Condolences to Mayor Dahl on his stumbling
DC arm-break attempting to take pictures in the
dark (?) during his toll road lobbying mission
at taxpayer expense.

Huh?

Aren't OC's toll roads built on private Bond sales -
no expense to us losing taxpayers who can't afford
their tolls now as Mayor Jim and his TCA pavers-of-paradise
(for private interests) jet-set to DC, buckets in hand,
hoping to milk our big-tax-cow now because Sac's
tax-sack is ungiving to paving over our State Parks
system for private-interests.

Maybe M-J's DC pitch-black toe-trip over a monumental
curb, fingering his way blindly - groping towards DC's
National Parks FDR memorial - a President who always
chose public-interest over private-greed, was in fact
dark-karma slamming home FDR's message to our
prone and broken Mayor - his concrete obsession to
pave over San Clemente is in the clear light of day -
all wrong.
FDR spoke harshly. But did our mayor hear.