Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-San Diego

Maybe someone can remind Rep. Loretta Sanchez she's an Orange County congresswoman, because she seems to have lost sight of that fact.

Sanchez supported San Diego Democratic Rep. Susan Davis' sneak attack on completing the 241 tollroad, which is probably the most EIR-ed transportation project in the world.

Here's what Rep. Ken Calvert had to say:

"I'm disappointed that my Orange County colleague, Rep. Sanchez, spoke in favor of the Davis amendment to kill the toll road and falsely asserted that the project is not subject to State law when in fact it is subject and has complied with CEQA."

Loretta is piling up a great record this week: Tax Americans to pay for Japanese war crimes? Sure! Side with a liberal San Diego congresswoman's shilling for Luddite enviros against the interests of Orange County? Sounds good to Loretta!

Gracias por nada, Loretta.

Comments

[Karl Rove]

I would hope that all the union construction workers that just lost out on a couple of years worth of future work will remind her that she has made a bad decision on this.

[Preston L. Bannister]

Kind of hard to call this one.

On the one hand, we have traffic problems the extension might help. From this point of view, opposing the toll road is a disservice to a great many citizens.

On the other hand, it does seen like taxpayers are getting stuck with a rather large bill. Remember when the toll roads were going to be built with private money? The notion seemed to be that the free market could come up with the capital for building needed new roads, without using tax revenues. Seems some funny business happened between. To insure private profit rather large piles of public money were and continue to be diverted.

Is this a vitally needed solution to traffic problems, or another huge wad of public debt for private profit?

[Allan Bartlett]

Thanks for nothing Loretta. It seems like she wants South County mired in as much traffic as North OC. I guess the highway construction doesn't benefit enough illegal aliens to merit a yea vote from her on this.

Powder Blue Report

[What tax dollars]

Mr. Bannister, what funny business are you talking about? How much public taxdollars are being used for the Toll Roads? Isn't it non-recourse bonds that are being used to pay back the construction of the roads? Very few, if any, tax dollars are used in the construction and operation of the toll roads.

[just...asking]

Aren't public lands a valuable asset? Why should government agencies subsidize private enterprise (developers and road managers) with donations of public lands? Is it to alleviate congestion or open up land for more sprawl and ubiquitous shopping centers?

Even if this toll road is a great asset for OC, it is difficult to forget the recent history of toll roads. None of the roads have met their projections or promises to voters. Agreements are shifted and shaped to extend decades beyond original plans. The problems with toll roads and their agencies is they cannot be taken at their word.

The problem doesn't seem to be Davis or Sanchez or yesterdays vote, might it be the performance of the tollroads themselves?

[stop pretending]

OK -- what if it were a non-toll road? Would you support it then?

[Theodore Judah]

First of all, the "sprawl" as you call it is already on its way. 14,000 homes and five million square feet of "ubiquitous shopping centers" have already been approved for Rancho Mission Viejo. Construction begins next year. This road would help alleviate not only the existing traffic on I-5, but this future approved development.

Second, how can you say "None of the roads have met their projections or promises to voters." The 241 is running at above its projections for revenue, and the 300,000 people who drive the toll roads every day will attest to them living up to their promise of traffic relief.

[One of the people who care]

I applaud the representatives who are making the evil Irvine Co empire be accountable to our environment and surroundings just like everyone else has to. That's why the Coastal Commission exists... so that we So Cal'ers will have a beach to justify our cost of living here in years to come.
OUT!

[One of the people who care]

I applaud the representatives who are making the evil Irvine Co empire be accountable to our environment and surroundings just like everyone else has to. That's why the Coastal Commission exists... so that we So Cal'ers will have a beach to justify our cost of living here in years to come.
OUT!