Highway Robbery – Orange County Style!

With the dawn of 2007 and the election of several new Orange County
Supervisors comes another well thought out OCTA decision…to raise toll
rates on the 91 to astronomical proportions. $9.25 will get you a ticket
on the Reading Railroad….actually a ride from Orange County during rush
hour to Riverside..on the Toll Road. You can forget about going to Boardwalk
or Park Place – who knows what that will someday cost?

So let’s retro real quick to get the picture. There is this guy named Robert
Poole from the Reason Foundation….who believes that in order to control
highway spending and expansion we all need something called “Congestion
Pricing”.
This not so wonderful idea was the light bulb several years ago
for the Board of Supervisors to consider charging everyone….from the minute
they start their cars in the morning till the time they get home at night. All
rates based on number of cities traveled, what roads and highways, how long
you were caught in traffic, how much fuel you spent in this endeavor. Now
in a nihilistic consciousness…it makes perfect sense. Charge for what you use.
So, for example if you wanted to travel from Anaheim to Laguna Niguel and
back…..your electronic dog lease…..would charge you for every city limits
passed, every major OCTA artery used and every Freeway entered or used.
They then could pass on the various fees for your trips…onto the
various authorities, County, State and Federal. Sounds good on
paper doesn’t it? Until that is…you consider “the who” will administer and
the “how much” this gigantic government boondoggle will charge you for this
bureaucratic privilege.

Remember Measure “M”? That was the recent initiative we just voted for to
continue taxing the people of Orange County for another 30 years…in order to
make sure our pot holes and road improvements might continue unabated. Well,
you can bet your “sweet bippy” that Measure “M” money will soon be used to
consider “more raises” to the Toll Road Structure and additional fees for certain
“problem streets”. So, let’s quickly return again to yesteryear when “the County”
bought out the Private Toll Road 91…..because it was failing financially. We paid
the initial Toll Road Developers big money and told the people of Orange County
….”everything is now fine!”. Those were the days when the toll from Orange County
to Riverside cost $2.25. Then how about the other major boondoggle to save the 73
Toll Road, and now those fees have gone from .90 cents….to $3.50. Sounds like
“The County” doesn’t know how to run a railroad either!

So, let’s get back to basics. What is Highway Robbery? When do we finally, write
a letter to our County Staffers and Electeds?….saying “We are mad as hell…and
we are not going to take it anymore!” When do we call the Governor and say:
Take over all these Toll Roads (Nationalize them if necessary!) ….the people can’t
afford to drive on them. The fact of the matter is….that if you lived in Riverside and
had to drive every day to the Wal-mart in Anaheim……it would cost you approximately
$600 bucks a month to go to work. And how much do you make a month at $7.50
an hour again? $1200 bucks for those without easy access to a computer or adding
machine. But hey, for those high rollers working at the County…..who cares about
a measly $600 bucks a month for tolls. As Hyman Roth of Godfather fame
might have said: “Small Potatoes!”

About Ron & Anna Winship

Independent News Producers/Writers and Directors for Parker-Longbow Productions. Independent Programming which includes a broad variety of Political, Entertainment and Professional Personalities. Cutting Edge - a talk show...is the flagship of over 30 URL websites developed or under development. The Winships have been blogging for the Orange Juice since back when nickels had buffalos on them, and men wore onions attached to their belts, because it was the fashion back then.