Rain
Our office really enjoyed Matthew Padilla’s Feb. 14 “Rain Pain” article. His timing was perfect given the weather forecast for the next five days.
We’ve been feeling the pain but we did not expect to read about it on the front page of your publication.
Padilla’s ability to hit a nerve within the development community was a welcome reprieve from the typical transactional article we all try to get him to write about.
Good job Matt!
Robert W. Guthrie
Guthrie Development Co.
Costa Mesa
Measure M
Due to recently passed legislation out of Orange County, we now have a new board of directors at the Orange County Transportation Authority.
Already they have proven to be responsive to those they represent as evidenced by their handling of Centerline.
They now will be called upon to examine the merits of extending Measure M.
Extending Measure M is critically important to the future of OC.
Several cities have reported traffic as the No. 1 concern of their citizens. Polling during the last general election also rated traffic as a chief concern for most of OC. Traffic now outpaces education and crime in many areas of the county as the No. 1 issue.
A small-business man recently told me he is having trouble finding appliance repair technicians despite his willingness to pay more than $50,000 a year for the position.
They don’t want to drive in from the Inland Empire for that kind of money. I guess appliances also break in Riverside. Of course, housing also is a factor but traffic gridlock is keeping jobs away.
We are losing far too much time to traffic congestion. It not only slows productivity but also keeps us away from our families.
Traffic only will worsen if we don’t take charge and extend Measure M. Our population still is increasing. That means more cars and more wasted time.
Measure M gives us the unique opportunity of keeping our tax dollars here in OC and also allows us to decide how it is to be spent. Sacramento can’t touch it.
If you are glad lanes are being added to the 22 freeway, if you like the improvement to the El Toro Y, if you would rather be home than on the I-5, it is time to support extending Measure M.
Ken Maddox
State Assemblyman (Retired)
Dana Point
Public Pensions
Recent statements by Treasurer Phil Angelides and State Schools Chief Jack O’Connell attacked efforts to rein in overly generous public employee pensions in California.
Once again we see elected officials in Sacramento cannot say “no” to the powerful public employee union lobby.
The unfortunate reality for taxpayers is that the Legislature and some past governors in California, at the behest of well-financed union advocacy, created gold-plated retirement programs that are unaffordable.
Without reform, these pensions will continue to bleed our state budget, grabbing larger and larger amounts of funding from programs to help the poor, schools and public safety,or taxes will have to be raised to pay for spiraling retirement costs.
The taxpayers are left holding the bag when increased pension benefits outstrip the ability of pension fund investments to cover the costs.
Pension fund managers said this wouldn’t happen as they pressed for additional benefits. But the taxpayers’ bill for making up the difference to guaranteed benefits,a rarity in the private sector,has soared from $160 million in 2000 to $2.6 billion this year.
Attacking the governor’s plan for retirement reform are elected officials who have watched this crisis develop and have done nothing.
The actions of spending-lobby defenders of the status quo and constant advocates of higher taxes should tell the public all it needs to know about why Californians are frustrated with Sacramento and increasingly turn to the ballot initiative process.
Larry McCarthy
President
California Taxpayers’ Association
Sacramento
Howard Dean
Now that former presidential hopeful Howard Dean has been elected chair of the Democratic National Committee, I have to salute my good friend U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose.
While the two of us generally have agreed on candidates in the past three decades, Zoe and I went our separate ways last year.
She was the first member of Congress to endorse Dean for president while I supported Wesley Clark early on.
For the past several months, we debated the merits of potential party leaders. Zoe again preferring Dean and I hoping for someone more moderate like former senator George Mitchell.
That said, it’s time I got on board.
Despite my initial reservations, I think there is a good chance Howard Dean will turn out to be an effective party leader,articulate, energetic and a consummate fund-raiser.
I imagine these are the qualities Zoe saw in the guy long before many of us did.
Denny Freidenrich
First Strategies LLC
Laguna Beach
