Jackson Extension

I am flabbergasted. Disregarding their own San Diego Assn. of Governments traffic analysis, which stated that the Jackson Drive extension would not--repeat, would not--significantly reduce traffic on Mission Gorge Road, five members of the City Council voted to extend the road through Mission Trails Regional Park. This extension, which will cost at least $48 million, has been determined the least cost-effective project before the council.

Their reasons? These ranged from Mayor Maureen O’Connor’s populist rhetoric about traffic accidents on Mission Gorge Road (Mayor O’Connor, think of the accidents which could be alleviated by spending this money more effectively) to Bruce Henderson’s concern over easy park access (it doesn’t cost $48 million to build access roads) to Wes Pratt, who obliquely accused environmental groups of being racist, to Bob Filner, who didn’t bother to attend the hearing and offered no explanation for this reversal of opinion (although it is rumored that he traded his vote for Judy McCarty’s support in his bid for the post of deputy mayor).

None of these council members addressed the fact that the extension won’t solve traffic problems. It was actually amusing to watch them grasping for straws in an effort to defend their “yes” votes, particularly in comparison to the excellent public testimony which preceded them.

I am not a pessimist; when a glass is half full, that’s how I call it. But the council’s performance was beyond disappointing, and has confirmed my suspicions that, with the exception of John Hartley and Abbe Wolfsheimer, these council members care about little other than their political careers.

ROBERT DUVOISIN, Del Mar