OC Blog

Union-Tribune Blogger Chris Reed Speaks Truth To Idiocy Re the 241

Chris Reed used to cover county government for the Orange County Register before moving on to become columns editor for the OCR editorial page, before joining the San Diego Union-Tribune editorial page -- where he pens "America's Finest Blog." He was a sharp, no-nonsense reporter, and is equally so as an editorialist/blogger.

H/T to liberal blogger Andrew Davey to pointing out this fine little post from Chris regarding San Diego Rep. Susan Davis' trespassing into Orange County to try and kill the 241 completion at the behest the Surfrider Foundation:

Soon To Be Seen On Interstate 5?

A reader sent this in:

I, for one, would like to see this billboard all along the I-5 in South County.

OCBC's Lucy Dunn On Sanchez's Tollroad Betrayal

I included OC Business Council President Lucy Dunn's OC Register op-ed in today's News Roundup, but want to give it its own post because it's so good and Lucy does such a good job of responding to the enviros' utterly dishonest campaign against the 241 completion:

The Orange Grove: Sanchez Betrayed O.C. On Toll Road
The Foothill South extension underwent years of environmental reviews.

By LUCY DUNN
President and CEO, Orange County Business Council

Orange County was betrayed by one of its own early Thursday when Garden Grove Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, voted in favor of an amendment to the defense authorization bill that could effectively negate the Transportation Corridor Agencies' federal authority to build the Foothill South (241) Toll Road extension in south Orange County.

Purposely ignoring an outpouring of calls and e-mails from the Orange County Business Council, the TCA, labor unions, city chambers of commerce, businesses and concerned citizens expressing their collective opposition? Supporting an amendment proposed by a county outsider (San Diego Rep. Susan Davis)? What the hell was Sanchez thinking?

Issa Blasts Anti-241 Amendment Cooked Up By Davis and Enviros

This just came over the transom from Rep. Darrell Issa:

ISSA BLASTS SPECIAL INTEREST AMENDMENT KILLING TRANSPORTATION PROJECT AND THREATENING CAMP PENDLETON

Washington, DC - Rep. Darrell Issa, today, made the following statement regarding the midnight passage of the amendment by Rep. Susan Davis in the House Armed Services Committee jeopardizing the agreed upon alignment of the Foothill South Toll Road:

"I adamantly oppose the Davis amendment which stripped out legislative language I worked to pass into law in 2001 to protect the preferred alignment of the Foothill South Toll Road from legislation being considered in the California State Legislature that sought to block its construction on land owned by the federal government.  I also urged Rep. Sanchez to oppose the Davis amendment."

Enviros couldn't win, so they changed the rules

As the completion of the 241 seemed more and more likely, the enviros sensed that they weren't winning.  They didn't have the support of Orange County where traffic congestion worsens every day.  They knew they wouldn't win in the courts (they have sued TCA 15 times to stop previous road project and lost all 15).  They knew that Camp Pendleton was federal land, so their liberal lefties in Sacramento couldn't help them.  So, like a three-year-old whose losing at Candyland, they just kicked over the board and said, "do-over!  new rules!" 

They recognize their best hope to keep Orange County in gridlock is to get the politicians in Sacramento to stop the project.  So they got their minion in San Diego (Congresswoman Davis) with the support of her Orange County collegue in Santa Ana (Congresswoman Sanchez) to hand over control of Pendleton to Sacramento.  Nullify the contract the state signed with the feds, and give the state and Coastal Commission control over the property.

I Was Wrong: Thank You, Darrell Issa

When you're wrong, you're wrong -- and my previous post about Darrell Issa re4garding the Davis amendment was wrong.

I just got off the phone with my old friend Dale Neugebauer, who is Issa's chief-of-staff. Dale explained the OC Register's paragraph -- the basis for my blasting Darrell -- was misleading. Then again, it was based on what Loretta Sanchez told the Reg -- and Loretta's maintaining with a straight face that the Davis bill is only about ensuring the 241 completion complies with state law. Lesson: take what Loretta says with a boulder-size grain of salt.

Loretta gives Libs in Sacramento control over Marines at Pendleton

Prior to the Davis Amendment, if the loonies in Sacramento passed some bizarre state law, the Marines at Camp Pendleton could fall back on federal law that stated that since Camp Pendleton was federal land, they were exempt.  Thanks to Congresswoman Davis, that is no longer the case.  She has put the Marines at the mercy of the politicians in Sacramento.

In 1971 when the feds agreed to lease a portion of Camp Pendleton to the state of California, it came with the caveat that an easement for a roadway through the inland portion was a part of it.  The state understood that and signed the lease.  Now the state is trying to change the lease after the fact.  In the past, the Marines had no worries because federal law trumped state law.  Thanks to Congresswomen Davis and Sanchez that is no longer the case.

Thanks For Nothing, Darrell Issa

Check out this paragraph from today's OC Register story about the Sanchez-Davis tag-team against the 241 tollroad completion:

Sanchez said she also decided to agree with Davis because Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, who represents Camp Pendleton, said he had no problem with making the road builders follow all California laws.

Now that Darrell no longer represents Orange County, it seems he can't be bothered to help out his former constituents and supporters who want the 241 completed. And maybe someone can let Darrell know the 241 is complying with state law.

Greenhut On Loretta Lunacy

Steve Greenhut posts about Loretta over at Orange Punch:

Americans are used to complaining about their do-nothing Congress, but doing nothing is better than doing what Rep. Loretta Sanchez achieved this week: doing bad, expensive, counterproductive things.

After linking to some of our posts, Steve continues:

Isn't it time for Van Tran to start planning to run for this seat? It's time to have someone rational representing this district (no, Bob Dornan wasn't rational either).

Amen, brother.

OC Business Council Slams Sanchez

This just came over the transom from OC Business Council President Lucy Dunn:

Well, I’m sorry to report that we LOST yesterday.  Loretta Sanchez ignored the calls of her Orange County friends and voted to derail the toll road in Congress yesterday, supporting a bad San Diego proposal.  TCA is assessing their alternatives now.  The Register’s headlines are flat wrong.  As you know, the toll road has been subject to more than complied with state environmental laws.  So this is a sham reason to mask an effort to undercut the process. 

We’ll continue to participate and keep you informed of “next steps.”  Thanks for your help on this one.

Lucy Dunn
President and CEO
Orange County Business Council