A purposed International Airport at El Toro…..was undoubtedly one of the bigger issues facing the County of Orange …. which ended up with four major votes of the people and a “Great Park”! There was lots of unintended consequences and plenty of vitriol to go around for a bunch of players.
The purposed Extension of the 241 Toll Road…..has been right up there when it comes to causing some serious upsets to the citizenry and the bureaucrats that are supposed to just “do the deal”! When literally thousands of people show up for a “Public Comments” meeting regarding any issue….and most of the Press in four states has sent representatives, so we are talking about getting lots of people’s attention.
But we get ahead of ourselves here. The proposed Foothill South Toll Road Extension…from the current 241 has been this ongoing issue. Thousands showed up in front of the Coastal Commission in February and the many environmental groups thought they had won their victory when the Coastal Commission rejected the project…saying it violated the State Coastal Act. The Sierra Club, Surfrider, the California State Parks Foundation and eight more groups were elated! But the Foothill/Eastern Toll Road Agency of course immediately filed an appeal. So, the issue is still not settled and the final decision will be made by the US Secretary of Commerce; “Carlos M. Gutierrez is the 35th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the voice of business in government. The former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Kellogg Company, Secretary Gutierrez is a core member of President Bush’s economic team.”
If the Secretary finds that the road is in the “National Interest” or for “National Security”….the road will go forward…..no matter what! Well, the hearing is being held by “The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a federal agency focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere.” and NOAA General Counsel Jane Luxton on September 22, 2008 in Del Mar, California. In an effort to “try to establish an orderly process”…..requests to speak must be filed 10 days in advance. In fact, not all that file requests to speak may be allowed to speak. Signs and demonstrations are being discouraged. No signs larger than 13 inches by 24 inches will be allowed. Hard to believe they will police the sign requirement outside of the building…ya think?
Written public comments will be allowed until October 2nd, 2008 and the final decision of the Secretary is scheduled for December 22nd, 2008. Pretty interesting that they want this decision made under President Bush…..and not anyone else! Hoping to squelch dissent is akin to praying that the rain will come in a draught! We can well expect the Enviro Groups to be hard at it; in spite of restrictions on their behavior. San Onofre is the spiritual Mecca of surfing and whatever is done to San Onofre….is virtually done to all surfers everywhere!
One last thought: If in fact, Secretary Gutierrez finds that “The Extension” is necessary….then wouldn’t it be responsible to think that it NOT be as a Toll Road but rather as a Freeway…paid for by Federal and State taxpayer dollars!
Given that the current administration has consistently flipped the bird at environmental concerns, and given the fact that they are in bed with corporate interests, I’d say there is a virtual certainty that the extension will be approved by Mr. Gutierrez.
Anon,
We wouldn’t be too sure about that assumption. The Enviro people are very dedicated and they are not going to go away in any lazy fashion. They were way too pumped up back in February when they put there efforts out there. The legal chip is of course their last shot…..but given enough press on September 22….things could be put on hold until after the new administration rolls in.
Given that there is no money to build any new freeways – a toll road is probably the way it will go.
Also, it is not a bad idea to have the people who would use that particular freeway be the ones to pay for it.
Extend what?
Try http://www.4extenze.com
*Junior…longs…for the day….when people can all “come together in unity”….we understand that. However, since the people in South County only want to keep the “riff raff” off THEIR Toll Roads…it is quite likely…they are in for a pretty big battle of the bands!
“… they are in for a pretty big battle of the bands!”
I totally agree – there a mega-big developers that want that 241 tollroad extension in order to put up thousands and thousands of new homes and the busineses that go with them.
David Belardes, Who Has an Initial Agreement with TCA to Support Proposed Toll Road, Discovered to be a Non-Indian Falsely Claiming Juaneño Heritage
TCA, the Transportation Corridor Agency, is currently in discussions with David Belardes, as a “representative” of the Juaneño Tribe, to drop opposition to the agency’s proposed toll road in exchange for a reported $350,000. But, it turns out that David Belardes is not a Native Juaneño or even Indian and is not an enrolled member of the Juaneño Tribe. Belardes’ Non-Indian ancestry was reported by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Federal Acknowledgement during the Tribe’s ongoing petition for federal recognition. Domingo Yorba, Belardes’ paternal great grandfather whom he based his ancestral claims on, was classified as a Non-Indian in the Department’s report. The genealogical and historical evidence demonstrates that both paternal great grandparents of David Belardes were in fact of Mexican and Spanish descent—not Juaneño or California Indian.
As many Southern California residents know, in February 2008, the California Coastal Commission denied a proposal by the Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA) to extend the Foothill-South Toll Road through southern Orange County. Members of the Juaneño Tribe and other residents expressed concern that the proposed toll road could disturb sacred Juaneño ancestral sites. The TCA has since discussed a potential agreement for support of the proposed toll road with David Belardes, a San Juan Capistrano resident who falsely claims to represent the Juaneño Tribe.
Hi My Name is GERTRUDE Rios/Rivers Daughter Of Pancho Rios/Rivers Sister Of Betty Rios/Rivers Philles Rios/Rivers And Frank Lee Rios/Rivers im looking for any family to this family of the Juaneno tribe call me at (760)484-1721