After several years of public meetings, countless studies and bitter acrimony, Southern Californians are now dependent on a member of the Bush Administration, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, to make the final decision on building a new toll road through San Onofre State Park. This is one of the only pristine coastal parks left in Southern California and a prime surfing spot.
Supporters tend to be Orange County residents who feel that the project will ease traffic congestion. Opponents would rather see a widening of Interstate 5 or other less environmentally damaging solution.
For those of you who may not be sensitive to the geographical psychodynamics of Southern Cal, San Diego has always been a more casual, laid back locale than Orange County, which is awash with conservatives and concrete. We don't want to live like them but they are slyly exporting their toxic lifestyle like a giant amoeba.
Roads never seem to relieve traffic, in my opinion they tend to increase it by creating new corridors for development.
I confess to not knowing anything about the Commerce Secretary but if I was a betting man would say, sayonara surfers, this one is in the bag for the toll road supporters. If this secretary is anything like Julie MacDonald or Steven Johnson or other Bush appointees, this rustic treasure's days are numbered.
2 comments:
I have been involved in this fight for some time. It is unfortunate that the Toll Agency did not fully explore other alternatives, alternatives that would keep the road out of the Sate Park and away from the wet land at the end of San Mateo creek.
I hope that the Commerce Secretary will recognize that the duly appointed local governmental body, the California Commission, has voted against the road and that this is a local decison... not one that should be made by bureaucrats 3,000 miles away.
Mike,
Thanks for your input. I know that you have provided tremendous material support for the toll road opposition and salute you for your efforts.
I am just so cynical about such matters: A Commerce Secretary's first love is commerce and I think that the environment is probably way down on his list.
I had to laugh a few weeks ago when proponents made the point that if the road was built it would be easier for folks in Orange County to visit the San Diego Zoo and Disneyland. Wow, you got me...By all means install it then.
I thought it was kind of amusing as well when organized labor held up the funny red signs at the meeting that said build it, we need jobs. Why are we now in the business of implementing construction projects so that people can work for the sake of working, irrespective of their utility and lack of common sense?
We are out of water folks, we can not base our future on continued development. Maybe we can start doing tech support for rich indians...
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