Transportation Corridor Story Sends Readers on Alternate Routes

* Your [Nov. 26] expose on the outrageous salaries, benefits and perks that the Transportation Corridor Agencies pays itself was a great piece of reporting. In fact, as we read the piece, it sounded quite similar to the reporting done by The Times on the Santa Margarita Water District.

How about a follow-up article on how the taxpayers of California are subsidizing the toll roads with Mello-Roos funds, the fact that if the toll roads aren’t self-supporting the taxpayer will pick up the slack, and that as soon as they are in operation Caltrans (the taxpayer again) will be responsible for all maintenance?

ANGELO & MARILYN VASSOS

Irvine

* With all this highly paid help, how do they explain the delays and cost overruns? Weather certainly can’t be blamed, nor a shortage of eminently (expensive) qualified staff.

Your article makes it apparent that privatization is the only effective method to ensure accountability in the design and construction of our toll roads. No board of directors [or] stockholders would tolerate the salary [and] benefit abuses outlined in your article. Why? Because they couldn’t post a profit with those expenses, not to mention justify them to an unhappy client. Why should we, the beleaguered taxpayers of Orange County (stockholders to the public trough) be asked to tolerate such excess?

It would be far better to pay one person $100,000 to ensure that the contractor is living up to the terms of the contract, than to pay 47 to ensure that it is not.

NANCY E. POWER

Newport Beach

* As an Orange County resident who has watched the progress of the county’s three transportation corridors with amazement, I take exception to your editorial entitled “Roads Paved with Perks” (Nov. 28).

The multibillion-dollar program to plan, adopt routes, obtain government approvals, secure land, design, construct and manage 68 miles of transportation corridors through Orange County seemed virtually impossible to accomplish when the Transportation Corridors Agencies were established in 1986.

After a somewhat slow start, the TCA was fortunate to recruit William Woollett Jr. to head the immense program. In less than 10 years, the San Joaquin Hills Corridor is nearing completion, despite numerous court stoppages. The Foothill Corridor already has a large segment open. And the Eastern Corridor is entering construction.

“Lavish compensation for bureaucrats?” Hardly. Woollett’s $175,000 compensation package only comes near what many private sector middle management people are earning. Executives heading projects of this size and scope earn in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I am saving your editorial, because I believe that in time one of the corridors will be named after Woollett, who is accomplishing what the famed Mulholland did in bringing water to Southern California.

MARTIN A. BROWER

Corona del Mar

* The Orange County toll road agencies are out of control because they are beyond the reach--and usually out of sight--of the voter.

Woollett and [Gregory G.] Henk are excellent examples of how out-of-control public servants help themselves and each other to exorbitant salaries and perks. Not only do they make considerably more money than executives for other toll roads, they make several times the average income for the county they are supposed to serve.

Wow! With such status, no wonder they get swelled heads and feel entitled to take more. In the last 15 years or so, separate and very powerful agencies have proliferated in disorganized Orange County. Laguna Niguel Mayor [Mark] Goodman is right. The toll road agencies should be absorbed by the Orange County Transportation Authority. And OCTA should be absorbed by county government, directly answerable to elected officials who can be voted out or recalled.

JANET REMINGTON

Costa Mesa

* When will the media ever stop giving so much space to non-news? This was ridiculous. Not only were two stories and an editorial written, but we were provided detailed maps, photo profiles, salary rankings and, for Pete’s sake, a detailed breakdown of the home loan history of one of the TCA executives! What is the news here? This is California and these are the ‘90s. Is it just me or does anyone else know of executives that make six-digit salaries? What is the point of dragging these people through the mud? They have worked hard to get to a position in their lives where they can be proud of their accomplishments and provide well for their families. Why must we belittle them for that?

Second, I must disagree that anyone could call the toll roads’ success “yet to be determined.” I have watched the commuters increase to a steady stream since the opening of the north section of the Foothill Transportation Corridor. I believe more than 10 million trips have been made on the road in 18 months. Why do people use it? Because it works. It offers up to 20 or 30 minutes of saved commute time. What Orange County resident wouldn’t want that? And, as far as the road being only 7.5 miles, let’s remember a basic principle from grade school: The quickest route to any point is a straight line. The toll road provides that straight line for thousands of South County residents. Plus, if that many people are using those 7.5 miles to escape the hellish El Toro Y, think how many more will use the connection from the Riverside Freeway to the Santa Ana Freeway, allowing them to skip the Costa Mesa Freeway.

I am disappointed in the coverage this salary issue has generated in The Times. I think the hand slap was completely unfounded. Based on the traffic I miss, the extra sleep time I get, being able to make it home before my 15-month-old goes to bed, the increased feeling of safety I have on the toll road and its ease of use, I say give ‘em another raise and throw in a holiday turkey!

GREG YOUNG

Rancho Santa Margarita