Thanks For Nothing

The Transportation Corridor Agencies, whose Foothill-South (241) toll road extension was recently vetoed by the California Coastal Commission, sent out the following letter to its supporters. My edits are in italicized bold.

Dear Supporter:

Thank you for your ongoing support for the completion of the 241 Toll Road. Such willful ignorance is to be commended. Special appreciation goes to all those who attended the February 6 Coastal Commission hearing in Del Mar. Sorry we only paid you for half the day. Hundreds of supporters showed up to take a stand against the traffic congestion that hurts the quality of life of all Southern Californians. We weren't quite dwarfed by the thousands of opponents who fought the road, making it by far the most widely-attended Coastal Commission hearing ever. More than 1,000 letters, 2,000 postcards and 7,600 emails were sent to the Coastal Commission in support of the project. We have lots of computers here at TCA.

While the outcome of the hearing was not what we were hoping for, in that the Commission said there was no legal way they could possibly approve the project,TCA’s Board of Directors and staff are committed to completing the 241 Toll Road and have filed an appeal to the Secretary of Commerce requesting that the Coastal Commission vote be overturned. Otherwise we can't make our projected budget, which depends on the 241 extension revenue, and we're pretty much screwed. This is not a simple process but we feel strongly that years of analysis have lead to a project alignment that best meets the need for an alternative to Interstate 5 in south Orange County. We choose to ignore the Coastal Commission's directly contrary contention that it was difficult to imagine a more environmentally damaging alternative. We only think in terms of urban environment.

After the hearing, local newspapers weighed in with their disappointment (exuberance) in the vote:

Orange County Register (Los Angeles Times)

San Diego Union Tribune (New York Times)

San Diego Union Tribune (San Diego Union Tribune)

If you’re wondering what you can do to help, we suggest sending a thank you note to some officials who have publicly taken a stand for this project because now we know which politicians are stupid, careless, misinformed and/or easily bought:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dr. William A. Burke
California Coastal Commissioner
11110 West Ohio Ave., Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90025

Steven Kram
California Coastal Commissioner
10877 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 603
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Michael Chrisman
Secretary
Resources Agency
1416 Ninth Street, Room 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814-5570

Will Kempton
Director
California Department of Transportation
1120 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Sincerely,

Transportation Corridor Agencies
More Information: www.RelieveTraffic.org