I was just getting ready to write another Toll Lane piece.
This one was going to be called “Moving Target: OCTA’s Ever-Shifting Rationales for Making the OC a Toll Lane County.”
Cuz that’s another interesting, entertaining and infuriating thing about this: Every year, sometimes every month, the pro-Toll forces at OCTA, Caltrans, and the Pringle Ring (OC Tax, OCBC) have a new justification for why we need tolls, why tolls will be good, or why they’re inevitable, and why we don’t have a choice, and reasons why two new simple free lanes on the 405 is just impossible and a horrible idea. And every time those arguments are answered, they come up with new ones. You ever notice, in your own life, how people who are full of shit do that – keep coming up with new excuses and pretexts?
Also notice, in my title – I’m doing my best not to let the Toll Trolls divide and conquer us. Never forget they’re STARTING with the 405 but they want to eventually do this to the whole County – they’ve said so themselves in incautious moments. They want to make the OC a TOLL LANE COUNTY – even though we already tax ourselves for our own freeway improvements.
And this was to have been ready for Monday morning’s big meeting (advertised on our side bar.) It seems that the politicians on the OCTA Board have developed a bit of cold feet over making such an unpopular decision as okaying toll lanes this year – for which we can only be thankful. Their move looks an awful lot like last year’s – okay Alternative 1, which entails much of the same construction as either Alt 2 or 3 would, while keeping alive the possibility of adding tolls next year when nobody’s paying attention, and also spending OCTA money on Lucy Dunn-style “education” of the public about the Glory and Wonder of “managed lanes.”
But I’m not writing that story today, because there’s a new spanner in the works, which should set the Toll Trolls back on their hind legs. Just out from Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa) :
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 6, 2013
Contact: Saulo Londono, (714) 227-4009
MEDIA ADVISORY: ASM. MANSOOR PRESS CONFERENCE
Assemblyman Allan Mansoor to Introduce Legislation to Stop Toll Lanes on the 405
Will hold press conference prior to Monday’s OCTA Board Meeting
Costa Mesa – Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa) announces that he will be holding a press conference on Monday, December 9, 2013 at 8:30 a.m. outside of the OCTA headquarters in Orange, announcing his intention to introduce legislation to stop toll lanes on the 405.
The press conference will feature representatives from city councils along the 405 Improvement Corridor and will take place immediately prior to the OCTA board meeting where OCTA directors will vote on a proposal to implement toll lanes on the 405 freeway.
City council members from cities along the 405 Improvement Project including:
Mayor Jim Righeimer (Costa Mesa); Councilmember Diana Carey (Westminster); Mayor Matt Harper (Huntington Beach, OCTA Director); Mayor Gary Miller (Seal Beach, OCTA Director); Mayor Warren Kusumoto (Los Alamitos); Mayor Michael Vo (Fountain Valley); Mayor Tri Ta (Westminster)
WHAT: Press conference announcing legislation to stop toll lanes on the 405
WHERE:
Outside the Orange County Transportation Authority Headquarters
550 S. Main St.
Orange, CA
WHEN:
Monday, December 9, 2013 at 8:30 a.m.
Immediately before the OCTA board meeting where OCTA directors will vote on toll lanes for the 405.
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Vern again. What will be the language of this bill? Good question, I wanted to know too and I called. It’s going to be worked out with the leaders of the Corridor Cities over the next month and then introduced in January.
Next question. Will this cause the OCTA toll trolls to over-react Monday morning and quickly approve tolls while they still can? Ha ha ha! I can’t see how that would work. The staff recommendation is already what I described above, Alt 1 plus education plus toll vote possibility next year; I don’t see how they could suddenly and quickly change that recommendation on account of THIS development, along with coming up with a new phony reason for the change. And the Board who will be making the decision is always happy to have an excuse not to.
Next question. Will the bill pass? We Democrats who fought hard for Phu Nguyen three years ago used to make fun of Allan and say he’d never get anything passed in the assembly, between being part of the (now SUPER-)minority, AND coming into this heavily Latino house with a reputation as an immigration hardliner – they will give him a BROOM CLOSET for an office, we used to snark. Now here we are hoping he’s got the juice! Has he passed ANY bills these three years, I asked his guy. One. In 2012. It was a bill to get rid of the word “retarded” in California legislation. Don’t laugh, that’s nice. When Allan’s bill is done, we need to work to get DEMOCRAT votes. Jose Solorio has been real strong on this issue and should be a great help lobbying his old (and future?) colleagues. California’s Democratic legislators will be looking toward Sharon Quirk-Silva for a cue – remember, they used to kneejerk pick on the OC before we had her? Poor Sharon will be getting lobbied intensely by both sides, we need her to be stronger than she was with Poseidon. Word already is Tom Daly is hopelessly in the pockets of the Kleptocrats… (or maybe it’s just the building trade unions, who for NO APPARENT REASON are lobbying hard for toll lanes instead of Alt 2. Hmmm…)
After all that, what if Jerry Brown vetoes the bill? HE still likes to pick on our County and may have no problem with toll lanes. But you know what? How about if this bill passes, takes long enough before passing and getting vetoed that the Board postpones any final vote until after the June primary election, where we might have an initiative to prevent ANY OC toll lanes without a popular vote? Just thinking out loud here…
Much more to come on this… I’m meeting with Allan soon, and I’ll be at the press conference Monday morning!
*When is Mansoor out on Term Limits again? Mayor Keith Curry of the squeaky clean city of Newport Beach has thrown his hat into the ring for Mansoor’s seat. Luckily for everyone…….no one from Newport Beach ever reaches higher office after serving on the City Council of Newport Beach. There are probably a million reasons for this…..but …..we wonder who on the Democratic side or even a Moderate Republican…..will be challenging Curry……who is lost in the 60’s!
keith is a good guy and has been a great city councilman. look at the morons that have come out of costa mesa, mansoor, moorlach,,,the question is when are they going to exterminate that cesspool
*Keith and Pam were friends at one time. Through the last four years things and attittudes have changed. Keith is now listening to the likes of the “fat wallets and panderers to his ego”. We find that a sad commentary. The latest trash deal was a capper. Totally unnecessary and something that should have gone to a vote of the people. His rhetoric out of the box is that “Sacramento is broken!” Wrongo Dr. Curry…Wrongo! Downtown Jerry Brown is kicking like no other Governor in modern history. If Sacramento is broken….where is Curry’s position on the 405 Toll Roads? That future vote, we predict would be on the wrong side.and another Reason Foundation apologist for the extension of the 241……and all that jazz. No, Newport politicians either retire locally or go to Washington D.C. and become loggyists….which we think is what Keith should be doing. Of, course he never responds to our e-mails anymore but maybe you can pass on our suggestion.
Was “loggyists” intentional? I’m not sure what it means, but I like it!
*The take a Lobbyist and Blogger and a dedicated an out of work politician that wants another Government Job and you have a LOGGYIST! Get it? Out of work Pundits and Political Commentators are actually called Spokespeople and Staffers for those still in Political Office! They could be also be called “Another Face in the Box”.
Aside from Diana Carey, I see nothing but Republican names listed in that press conference. Especially given that the this issue came to public prominence through a complicated path leading from Diana through Ray Cordova through Vern and me and (most essentially) through Gus Ayer before the critical meetings between Diana, Vern, Gus, and Moorlach — and given the need to get this through a Democratic supermajority and Governor, I hope that Mansoor has the sense to reach out EXTENSIVELY to Democrats beyond Diana for Monday’s meeting. The HB trio would be a smart place to start.
Obviously, and unsurprisingly, this is turning out to be an excellent populist issue — something that the DPOC had in mind when we passed an almost unanimous resolution opposing 405 tolls last year. I recognize that this move, beyond its merits, is good for Mansoor in his 2nd Supes District race against Michelle Steele; good for Harper in his AD-74 race against the Keiths, Karina, and Patrescu; and so on — but I’m going to judge it by its effectiveness rather than its political payoff.
Of course, if Democrats are asked to participate and don’t, I shall only be able to weep.
don’t cry for us, greg diamond. the harsh reality is that those proposing the 405 toll roads are serving their constituencies, albeit the people you oppose. my only regret is that i will either be dead or retired to a tropical island by the time the expansion is completed and, thus, will not have the opportunity to utilize the lane.
turning to moorlach, who it appears you view as a saviour. why does a guy who allegedly opposes government continue to seek government jobs as opposed to making a living in the real world. regardless of our political differences, i have nothing but respect for people like you and vern who actually earn a living as opposed to living off my taxes
Toll roads is a bipartisan issue. No one wants to pay again to use our “freeways.” The general public approved the 1/2 cent sales tax, Measure M, to pay for infrastructure improvements in transportation. OCTA, in order to regain public trust and fulfill their promise to Orange County voters, needs to enact Alternative 2, two new lanes for everyone.
It is promising to see local and state legislators working together to protect the public from toll roads. Oh, democracy at its best representing the public’s interest!
but who is representing the interests of those of us who want a toll road
Miguel Pulido.
All fun and games until you actually need something done.
Mansoor delivering “legislation” is going to be like a mouse farting in church.
Nobody will care , what Mansoor says or does. He has no credibility or standing in Sacramento whatsoever.
Sacramento is completely disgusted with the OCGOP machine in Orange County.
Keith Curry is running on a platform of “I’m really a Republican , but send me to Sacramento and I’ll be a Democrat”.
The second you get out of Orange County, the Republican Machine is nothing more than a cheap politician with a pull string in his neck.
Well, I do kind of like that platform….
Really Greg?…because you lose me at the “I’m really a Republican” part.
That’s not the part of it I sort of like. And I don’t lose you because it’s not my statement.
Mansoor: Dickless in Sacramento.
*Someone is right on this blog……Keith Curry…..had to walk about half a block to come over and shake our hands at the CDM Christmas Walk. Impressive!
So here’s video of the press conference. Not exactly a roster of riveting speakers on that cold windy morning, and the mixed message on Alt 1 is confusing. We’re celebrating right now but probably prematurely, this Mansoor legislation may very well be necessary as might a June citizens intitiative, and then we STILL gotta convince a majority of the Board that we can afford and SHOULD pay for Alt 2. (Note to Greg: TWO Dems here – Seal Beach sent Leavitt.)