Proposed Transportation Tax and County’s Freeways Today

In spite of all the fuss about who hired whom as a campaign consultant on the proposed Orange County transportation sales tax, one thing remains abundantly clear. If a majority of the voters do not unite behind this measure, our transportation future is doomed.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that our existing freeway system is in serious danger of a total collapse. More and more automobiles daily pour into and out of the various commercial and employment centers. Interstate 5 is constantly near gridlock--especially through the Santa Ana bottleneck; the Costa Mesa Freeway borders on being a monumental disaster with the possible exception of the hours between 2:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.; the 57 still moves, barely, except during the ever-widening rush hours; forget the 22, especially at the 57 and again at its eastern terminus, and the San Diego would be a monstrous laugh as a transit corridor were it not so critical.

Yet, just as though none of this existed, we are still nit-picking along, arguing over ridiculous details, knowing full well that such tactics can only appeal to those voters who prefer transportation suicide over facing up to life’s often difficult financial problems. I suppose the same actions will be used to help shoot down the proposed state gas tax increase, even though we must bounce from pothole to pothole on our streets, highways and freeways in order to reach the voting booths.

Whatever happened to the Orange County whose taxpayers were courageous enough in the economically depressed 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s to provide the sewers, water, roads, storm drains and trash disposal facilities that have enabled more than 2.2 million residents to enjoy the benefits of living in Orange County?

Unfortunately, we have used up all that extra time those few hundred thousand residents were willing to give us. Now it is our turn to pay the price of reality. There is no more time for esoteric debates. We need leaders, political and otherwise, who have the guts to pound on the table and explain why we must either vote for these things or get ready to rot in our own messes. It would be nice if there were some reporters and editors who had the same courage. Hedonism may have its place, I suppose, but not when the walls are falling in around us.

DON D. SMITH

Santa Ana