Posted on 07/20/2006 8:30:56 AM PDT by calcowgirl
"It hands over vital public-transportation corridors to private monopolies. That is totally unacceptable," said Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, the vice chairman of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee. "The fatal flaw with [private] toll roads is that the owners require the state to either agree not to expand the adjacent highways, or to reimburse them if the state does expand the state highways. If we can't expand the public highway system that the public has bought and paid for without paying tribute to a private interest, we shouldn't do it."
McClintock Ping!
Please freepmail me if you want on or off this list
So what is new? California has been suffering from "road inadequacies" for the many decades I have lived in the state. The state is ALWAYS ten years behind the demand.
What is the news here??
During our recent "day wtihout Mexicans" day here in California, we had no traffic problems at all.
The fact is that with the illegals off the road it was a perfect driving day noted by virtually every news outlet.
Maybe the problem is not a lack of roads but...
On the other hand, Californias pay a huge tax on our gas that was to to to roads but never was so now they still want the tax and, add more debts via bonds to burden the california tax payer.
they no sooner complete a job on one part of a freeway that they start another one in the same place. LOL
two steps forward, three steps backward
unrelated, I just wish they would ban cell phone use while driving...it's gotten to the point that every time I drive I see morons on cell phones wavering in and out of lanes or even worse cutting in front of others. It's nothing short of miraculous that we don't have more accidents in CA than we do!
And yes, Mac has a good point. This does smack of another quid pro quo by our socialist leaders. Of course, the state CAN AFFORD to put out over $10 BILLION PER YEAR FOR ILLEGAL ALIEN WELFARE but it cannot build roads without DOUBLE TAXING the public...freakin' socialists.
BTTT
Bump to that!
Why isn't this man governor or president, for gosh sake?
It's like this almost everywhere you turn. We have some clowns in Kern Cty who want to raise our sales tax by .5% to fund highway projects and mass transit.
http://saferoadskern.org/faq.php
SZ
I was just up driving through the Somoma coast area. What amazes me about Claifornia roads is that they are in such crappy condition with absolutely no frost heave. One can only imagine how they would be if there were a freeze/thaw cycle.
California Strategies..?
Bob White.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/10/26/BAG5V9G1I31.DTL
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Bob White, who once served as chief of staff to former Gov. Pete Wilson and is still owed money by Schwarzenegger for his work on the recall, is merging his company with well-known lobbying group Snodgrass & Micheli, lobbyist Chris Micheli confirmed Monday. The new company will retain the name of White's consulting business, California Strategies.
The repositioning could mark a significant change for the company at a time when other groups with ties to Schwarzenegger also are on the rise. White's firm is one of three that also promotes the interests of groups with a substantial stake in Schwarzenegger decisions and has expanded or opened offices in Sacramento in the past year.
Richard Gephardt, the former congressional leader and two-time presidential candidate, recently dropped by California's Capitol to chat with a fellow Democrat, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata. The subject was not politics but private toll roads, according to people familiar with the meeting.Gephardt works for Goldman Sachs, the investment bank that is making millions advising Chicago and Indiana on how to sell toll roads to private companies.
(snip)
Among Democrats, who hold the majority in both houses of the Legislature, the idea of private toll roads is one of the most controversial parts of the governor's plan. Gephardt and a Macquarie executive hope to convince legislators that the idea makes sense ...
"Why isn't this man governor?"
If everyone who said they were going to vote for him for governor in 2003 had actually voted for him; he would have been!
But you'll get another chance come 2010! :-]
In the mean time, don't forget to vote for McClintock for Lt. Governor in November.
FYI. Texas is voicing some good advice to California (see last 3 paragraphs).
"Attempts to have the Democrat-controlled Legislature approve each contract in floor votes was rejected by the Núñez.
Instead, contracts will be presented to the Legislature for a 60-day review, similar to gaming contracts and labor MOUs, and will take effect automatically unless the Legislature intervenes."
If it were me, I would prefer the Democrats and Republicans fighting these contracts on the floor. That is the American way. Gov. Rick Perry and Cintra still have hidden threir contracts from the public who are expected to pay for them. UnAmerican to say the least.
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