Green light for road projects?

Re “Gov.’s plan for highways riles critics,” Jan. 11

If the governor wants to have these 10 highway projects ready to go, then rather than “lifting environmental safeguards,” he should have the projects conform to them. Then the projects would be ready to be implemented.

It is backward thinking to always assume that environmental protections are the cause of delaying projects. Isn’t it true that if environmental protections were followed in the first place (for example, when designing a project), then approvals would proceed much faster?

Diane Bonanno

Yorba Linda

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The Sierra Club and other environmental groups have a pristine, one-vision view of the state of California.

They want it their way or no way at all. They want “green” projects for public bus and transit systems, but that requires a high-density, San Francisco style of living in which people can take public transportation to work and for pleasure.

The majority of Californians do not live in this environment.

The governor is right on these projects. I hope the Obama administration will show flexibility in waiving the federal regulations so these big projects can be built.

Any failure by the state’s Democrats to get on the governor’s bandwagon will only hurt their own constituents -- say, construction and highway workers. How ironic that would be.

Andrew Smith

Campbell, Calif.