Time to replace the OC TCA Commission….again!

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The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) are the two joint-powers agencies — the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency and the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency — formed in 1986 to manage the planning, financing, construction and operation of State Routes 73, 133, 241 and 261 (The Toll Roads). Elected officials from 18 cities and three members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors govern the agencies and one staff works under the direction of both boards.

When you talk about government ineffeciency, government waste, government out of touch with its constituents, government that can’t hit its own back side without an Indian Guide…..you need to look no further than our wonderful Toll Road System ….right here in Orange County.  At first you think it must be just the Directors fault.  What idiot did they put in charge of this Byzantine mess?  Then you discover there is plenty of stupidity to go around.  “Elected Offcials from 18 cities and three members of the OC Board of Supervisors”…..Yikes fellas and gals….Yikes!

So, as we suggested in passing several years ago that requiring every citizen to acquire a 20 year old technological dinosaur system for their car and removing the pay booths…might just be a pretty stupid idea.  Especially for Rental Car Companies, Tourists to our State and just plain desparate local drivers who would only use the Toll Roads…..once in a blue moon or two.  We dropped a small word to inspire these folks:  Inconvenience!  We tried to remind these folks that unless any system is simple, efficient, easy to use and is Convenient….then most people were going to “Shine it on!” to quote an old Rockford File episode. (In our loving memory of James Garner!)  We miss the Rockford Files, they always showed how stupid local politicians could be.  The terrible fraudulent behavior, the awful rip-offs, the total disconnect between the people and the citizens!  Thank you Stephen J. Cannell and Roy Huggins…….great work!  We miss you both very much!.

Meanwhile, back to the Orange County Transporation Corridor Agency and how stupid they are:  Very stupid!  Maybe it is just time to throw up our hands and say:  “Mr. Spitzer, Mr. Nelson:  Tear down these toll booths and their electronic cash gathering!”   Interesting to note that when they started this new system, tore down the manned toll booths and removed the quarter machines……soon they were getting 15,000 unpaid violators a day.  That was six weeks ago.  Today, those refusing to pay in up to nearly 20,000 a day.  Meanwhile, if people think the TSA or NSA was out of control……..these wonderful folks at the TCA are busy, busy sending out “While you you were out…….here is a ticket for failure to pay your toll within our arbitraty seven day grace period and so you will need to add $57.50 in addition for being bad!”  Of course, by the time you get this notice…most folks are already back in Japan, China, the Phillipines, Iowa or New York.  It might be interesting to know how much sending out these millions of pieces of mail are costing the TCA in Administrative costs?  How many redundant notices are sent?  How long might does anyone think this not so intelligent system will be sustainable?  Probably, until another “thought balloon” occurs at one of their meetings and they raise the Penalty to $125 dollars or more….no doubt.  This is the typical….”its not my money, so who cares? mentality….that attitude somehow just gets embedded in typical Bureaucracy Out Of Control.  Which we can now call BOOC – for short!  “Heck, if they don’t want me….I can always go to another Commission for another stipend…anyway!

So, what to do?  How about this for starters?:  Offer a phone APP for all I-Pod, I-Pad, Smart Android Phones – immediately!  This could be made available from any cell phone Market APP location.  Do away totally with those stupid 25 year old plastic readers that block your windshield.  Start a new system from whole cloth.  Anyone should be able sign up on their phones.  In case our brilliant folks at the TCA didn’t understand – your current system is not working….time to re-tool…..fool!  Call the folks at Google plus or Apple and have them come down for a “cost free analysis of your problem”!   After several meetings, they might be able to answer all your stupid questions and progress could be made at an affordable cost.   If you cannot think out of the box for once and can’t figure how to get good leadership…..you need to resign immediately!  Resign….and don’t wait.  You have several million people held hostage by your idiocy and lack of conceptual development.  Time to replace you with the old City Manager of Bell…..eh?  At least, the street lights worked….no matter how much he stole.

OK, there is no need to belabour the issue to the point it upsets your stomach…..eh?  Lets just say:  Time to replace the OC TCA Commission…again!