To bad we can't stick a homing device or GPS chip up
our elected officials butts, to ensure they're working every minute of the day for the American people.
Now that would be comprehensive progress.
Posted on 07/20/2006 8:30:56 AM PDT by calcowgirl
California is on the verge of sharply expanding its 117 miles of toll roads to accommodate trucks, expedite freight and ease the pain of the daily commute in the state's most traffic-clogged areas. The game plan, which is fraught with controversy because private companies will build the roads and collect the tolls, is the result of an agreement reached earlier this year by the governor and the Legislature.
Few in California doubt that traffic congestion needs to be eased. Using toll roads to do it is not so popular, however, and bringing in private vendors to run the roads is less popular still. But even critics of the agreement say public funds are hard to get and that such a "public-private partnership" offers a way to raise money quickly and get the roads built. In the end, the public is tired of getting stuck in traffic.
"I think there is a hope, if not a belief, that if they can get private sector or other sources of funding it will relieve the pressure," said Bruce Blanning of the Professional Engineers in California Government, which opposed the toll-road plan.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers authorized four privately run toll roads--two in Southern California and two in the north state--in legislation authored by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez that Schwarzenegger signed in May.
The bill, AB 1467, which drew little attention at the time, also authorized up to four new high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane projects, where high-occupancy vehicle lanes, known as HOV or "diamond lanes," are transformed into HOT lanes, with the cost of tolls pegged to the level of traffic congestion. Unlike the toll roads, these toll lanes would be operated by the government.
The specific toll-road projects have not yet been identified. But private and Capitol officials who are familiar with the issue believe the new tollways, carrying price tags in the hundreds of millions of dollars range, are likely to include an addition to I-710, which links the port zone to inland Los Angeles; new toll lanes or a separate roadway paralleling I-680 at the Sunol Grade; and a roadway paralleling I-580 from the Bay Area to the Central Valley. Other possibilities include expanding U.S. 101 in Marin County north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The projects would be approved locally, then by the California Transportation Commission, which sets long-term transportation policy, and by Caltrans. Final approval of the projects and lease agreements would be required by the Legislature. 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.
None of the projects has been approved, although each has been under discussion for years. For example, the Alameda Corridor revamp in Southern California, a mammoth $1.2 billion project to expedite rail deliveries and ease traffic, has been in the works for two decades. The international interests who have finance toll-road development in other states, including Macquarie of Australia and the Spanish consortium Cintra, are both interested in California's toll-road plans. Macquarie recently hired California Strategies, a prominent consulting and lobbying firm.
"The thing is, with the public-private partnership you get the money quicker," said Senate GOP leader Dick Ackerman, who favors the arrangement.
"Like that [toll road] expansion in Orange County, it would still not be done if we were waiting for public monies. The private sector came in and built that thing, and built it in record time," Ackerman said. "They had the ability to get financing quicker, and they did it."
One toll road, a project authorized by legislation authored 17 years ago, is just getting built now--Route 125 in San Diego. Statewide, a half-dozen agencies operate 117 miles of toll roads and bridges in several counties, including San Diego, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa and Orange. Nearly half of the state's toll road mileage, 51 miles, is located in Orange County, plus an additional 16 miles is poised to be built.
Núñez 's toll-roads bill emerged easily from both houses as an accompaniment to the $19.9 billion transportation bond on the November ballot. But AB 467 is separate from the bonds, does not require a public vote and can be put into effect regardless of whether the bonds are approved. Opposition to the bill included an unusual mix of liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans; both camps said they had philosophical problems with the bill.
"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."
Other states looking at public-private partnerships include Indiana and Texas, and there the results have prompted political battles. Texas, for example, is in the midst of deciding a major expansion to its toll-road system. Does Texas have any lessons for California?
"What I would say to California is that you need a safety valve in your locally elected officials. You need to keep them as a big part of your transportation planning," said Texas state Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, who served on the Texas House Transportation Committee and is major critic of Texas transportation policy.
"And remember, once you get into billions of dollars of public funds, once something is written down, you're in it for a long time. They [the toll road owners] will control everything, and it will no longer be controlled by local officials," Pickett said.
John Howard is Managing Editor of Capitol Weekly
"What I would say to California is that you need a safety valve in your locally elected officials. You need to keep them as a big part of your transportation planning," said Texas state Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, who served on the Texas House Transportation Committee and is major critic of Texas transportation policy."And remember, once you get into billions of dollars of public funds, once something is written down, you're in it for a long time. They [the toll road owners] will control everything, and it will no longer be controlled by local officials," Pickett said.
Nunez is our lefty Democrat Assembly Speaker.
He doesn't want to air his dirty laundry in public.
I'm sure these contracts will add to the stack.
I agree with him 100%. We have always had the greatest system of Freeways in the world, and it's about the only thing the state and Federal government deliver in return for my tax money. I would hate that California end up like the Northeast, which I thought was a complete joke in terms of toll roads.
In fact we should charger northeasterners a fee just to drive on our freeways.
Dragnet theme... Dump De Dumb Bump!!! Dump De Dumb Bump, BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOMP!!!
Thanks to the new "Moderate Majority" or whatever they call themselves, we can only support Tom for a practically nothing office and just listen to him say correct things and just nod our heads in futile agreement!!! We have NO VOICE through Shifty Schwartzie!!!
Worse yet, we cannot even slow down his malicious mischeif!!!
"And remember, once you get into billions of dollars of public funds, once something is written down, you're in it for a long time. They [the toll road owners] will control everything, and it will no longer be controlled by local officials," Pickett said.
This is NOT a Democrat or Republican issue. Hopefully, you can keep this locally. Texas has been lied to, and mislead by the Governor.
This article is about a year old but it is an eyeopener regarding toll roads.
"Because before any population can be controlled, government must know where that population is at any specific time."
http://corridornews.blogspot.com/2005/06/before-any-population-can-be.html
LOL Comprehensive progress...LOL Did you notice how Clinton messed up Bush 41's plan?LOL
Right again, Tom.
Yikes! Its always worse than you think it is, isn't it?
Fascism has been tried by several cultures in recorded history. It always failed and ALWAYS led to rebellion and bloodshed, regardless of the political system operative within those cultures prior to the experimentation.
The words of George Santayana, penned almost 100 years ago, ring in my ears.
Privately-run toll roads wouldn't bother me if it weren't for those non-compete clauses. It doesn't have to be that way; just require new transportation projects or improvements that compete with the toll road to be tolled as well. Instead, the agreements tend to have an all-or-nothing mentality; competing routes simply cannot be improved, period.
Road construction is getting more expensive. If these "clowns" haven't diverted transportation monies to other items, I say, go for it, unless you like the idea of tolls everywhere you turn.
Toll roads are ok, as long as there is a non-toll alternative on an essentially parallel route.
And if everyone who claims to $upport him would contribute as well, he just might win.
Just now put my new McCLINTOCK bumper sticker on my car ~ looks mighty fine!
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