Politicians Taken to Task on Tolls

* Re “Riverside County Pressures O.C.: Help Our Commuters,” Nov. 27:

Wow, could it be that some politicians are actually listening to their constituents? Are some commuters so upset that they are finally being heard?

Caltrans sold all of us out with the 91 toll road and the state bit on a chance to grab some easy money at the expense of the 91 freeway commuters. It has come to a boiling point because the 91 freeway is such a parking lot and the OCTA has done nothing to correct a huge boondoggle. Could the OCTA have profited from this mess? Just review some of the comments from OCTA Chairwoman Laurann Cook and OCTA board member Todd Spitzer regarding working with Riverside County officials on getting rid of the 91 toll roads.

“We don’t have a game plan,” said Spitzer. “We can’t jump the gun,” stated Cook in an earlier article. Does this sound like people concerned about this scandal? What are they waiting for?

Cook also blows her own horn in a congratulatory column (“Measure M Tax Paying Off in Traffic Flow,” Orange County Voices, Nov. 26). But funny, she doesn’t mention the 91 toll roads. What a coincidence. Also, the comments of Greg Hulsizer, general manager of the toll roads, are outrageous. He claims if lanes are opened to all traffic, “it will be automatic gridlock.”

How do these people justify statements like this? Obviously they don’t drive the 91. If the state buys back the toll roads and the 91 gets two more lanes back it will surely help and get rid of this nonsense of a non-compete clause that won’t allow any road widening. These crooks should be tarred and feathered, then made to stand on the 91 freeway at the Weir Canyon median at rush hour facing west for all commuters to see. I am sure we would see someone make a proposal to fix this nightmare.

BLAYNE MARLEAUX

Fullerton