Julia- photo moved below the fold (Cross-posted at The Liberal OC)
This is the latest part of my special report on the proposed extension of the 241 Toll Road to San Onofre State Beach (aka Trestles). If you'd like, you can find the other stories in the "Speeding Our Way to Trestles" series on here. As the debate heats up over Trestles and the 241, I'd like to go in depth and examine all the issues involved... And I'd love for you to come along for the ride as we explore what can be done to relieve traffic in South Orange County AND Save Trestles Beach. Enjoy! : )
There are just some things in life we can always count on. Death. Taxes. Another season of "Cops" on Fox. Thousands more poor souls being told that they have no talent on "American Idol" on Fox. Now for me, the one thing in life I can ALWAYS seem to count on these days is complete and utter garbage from Red County/OC Blog on the proposed 241 Extension to Trestles.
So what nonsense is being spun to death at OC Blogland today? Theodore Judah is claiming that some new screed from the San Diego Business Journal is evidence that the evil "eco-extremists" are stonewalling traffic relief for San Diego. Huh?!
Follow me after the flip as I take out my handy dandy facts once more to debunk the right-wing spin on the toll road to Trestles...
Take a look at this! Blognetnews.com has released its first list of "California's Most Influential Political Blogs", and Calitics has been rated #5! Oh my goodness, we made the Top 5! I guess people are actually paying attention to what we have to say about advancing progressive values in California. This is just terrific.
But you know what's also terrific? Many of our fantastic friends in the California (and especially Orange County!) blogosphere also made the Top 20 list!The Liberal OC hit #14! California Progress Report hit #10! Orange Juice hit #6! Total Buzz hit #3! And yes, my favorite local right-wing blog, OC Blog, hit #1. Congratulations to my conservative friends at Red County/OC Blog for being the #1 most influential political blog in California!
So what else can I say? Well, I can start by thanking all of you who faithfully read our fine blog. And thanks to all of you who constantly share your point of view with us in the comments. And thanks to all my fantastic colleagues who contribute to the blog with all their informative and insightful stories. And most of all, thanks to our fearless leader Brian for heading up one of the best blogs on the web... Which now also happens to be one of the five most influential blogs in the state! : )
But anyways, as I was starting to feel happy that the Assembly approved legislation that would allow me to find the hubby of my dreams, Chuckie just had to piss me off by saying this. Whatever. All I say to him, and to others who oppose equal rights for all, is that allowing all loving couples to make lasting commitments for life strengthens marriage. Discrimination doesn't.
But enough of Chuckie, let's get back to the good news of today! Fortunately, most Assembly Members don't share the same distorted views as Chuckie. They recognize that the institution of marriage is only strengthened when the state does not discriminate over which loving couples can get married and which ones can't. Thank goodness they did the right thing today. : )
It's over! It's over! It's finally over! The Liberal OC has the last word on the crazy rumor about the Nancy Pelosi fundraiser, and the Republican spinners at OC Blog have clearly failed in their attempt to create civil unrest among Orange County Democrats. Horray, the non-scandal has died! ; )
So what "scandals" are happening in your neck of the woods? What non-issues are the Republicans trying to stir up in your area? And is Bill O'Reilly crazy, or is he just talking nonsense? Go ahead. Make my day. Fire away! : )
OK, so you've probably seen this by now. Or perhaps, you've seen this. Wherever you saw Matt Cunningham's post about the cancelled Nancy Pelosi fundraiser in Orange County, don't believe it.
Yes, the fundraiser was cancelled. But no, Loretta Sanchez didn't "put the kibosh" on a chance to raise money for the Democratic Party of Orange County. No, Loretta Sanchez isn't against a stronger, better-funded DPOC. No, the Democratic Party is not weak and incompetent.
Follow me after the flip to get to the truth of this matter...
The Los Angeles Times published a truly remarkable article today: "MTA Fears A Bottleneck At OC Line."
Basically, Metropolitan Transportation Authority is complaining the Orange County Transportation Authority's ongoing program of freeway widening is making MTA look bad. OCTA's freeway-centered investment collides with MTA's lightrail-centered priorities at the LA-OC county line in the form of traffic bottlenecks. It's a vivid illustration of the different outcomes of the two agencies priorities.
OCTA has funneled its money into transportation modes the vast majority of people actually use: freeway and roads. As a result, our freeways move faster than those in Los Angeles. The MTA, by contrast, has prioritized its money into modes of public transit that far fewer people use, i.e. light rail. Or as OCTA Director Jerry Amante put it:
"We build lanes, not trains."
And we're supposed to be proud of that? OK, so widened freeways may be useful in relieving traffic in the short-term. As long as we have all these cars on the road, we have to have something for them to drive on. But really, wouldn't some long-term solutions also help here?
Follow me after the flip for more as I explain why OCTA shouldn't exactly be gloating over this...
If you haven't yet seen Gila's latest story at The Liberal OC, then you haven't yet seen the best blog story of the day. Basically, Gila's probing into the reason why anti-immigrant extremists are suddenly being nice to one undocumented immigrant who recently passed away. Now these people are the same ones who always love to dehumanize these human beings. They call them "illegal aliens", and they talk about deporting them like I talk about killing cockroaches. It's just downright disgusting. So why the sudden change of heart? Follow me after the flip to find out...
And if you're interested in reading some fine examples of Environmental Left blogging against the 241 in which the level of exaggeration, misinformation and confabulation is matched only by the certitude with which they are asserted, then visit anyone one of young Andrew Davey's posts on his blog or lefty-blog Calitics. But he tries.
But then, I started thinking about this. I soon realized that Jubal/Matt Cunningham was actually doing us a favor. Follow me after the flip for more as I explain why we should be thanking Mr. Republican Insider for this...
Tell you what; you're still a relevative [sic] young man in good health who obviously supports this president and this war. Do what hundreds of other soliders have done. Put your life on hold and go enlist. Ask to be assigned a unit going to Iraq. Support this war and this president all you want. But the veto is not supporting the troops. The veto is a sentence to extend this quagmire to satisfy a tyrant president's stubborness and refusal to admit mistakes.
Dan Chmielewski said that to Republican insider/consultant/"blogger"Jubal/Matt Cunningham on Monday, after Jubal/Matt spewed out the same old Republican talking points that Democrats hate the troops. Well, all hell soon broke loose as Jubal/Matt had his fit. I guess it's so much easier to "support the troops" by blithely sticking a yellow ribbon on a Middle-Eastern-oil-guzzling SUV while ignoring the real hell that our troops must suffer in Iraq.
So Matt/Jubal, since you seem to support this debacle in Iraq so much; since you seem to believe that this war is really about terrorism and not an occupation; since you support this President and his stubborn insistence that there is something over there that can be won, other than oil and no-bid contracts for his friends; why don't you put your butt where your mouth is, step up to the plate, and become part of King George's noble cause.
I'm not sure where to even being rebutting this post, which is a rich combination of paranoia and grandiosity that would make your hero Art Pedroza proud. [...]
Andrew, if you really want to see a "noise machine" all you need to do is read your own posts: loaded with straw men, unsupported assumptions, jumped-to-conclusions, screechy rhetoric and paranoia.
So why is Jubal/Matt still fuming over this? Well, he completely lost control. And why is he so angry about that? Well, I'll tell you all about it after the flip...
A long time ago I was told that in this business you are judged by your enemies. If your enemies are mostly democrats then you must be doing something right. They're willing to tear you down, especially people like Andrew Davey who posted on the Calitics page. He's just a punk with a computer.
(Cross-posted at Trash Dirty Gary, Southern California's resource for revealing Gary Miller's true record of disservice to his constituents... AND a place for action in restoring honor and integrity to the 42nd Congressional District - promoted by atdleft)
I hope the Dems spend huge sums of money trying to defeat Congressman Miller.
Given the demographics of the district as well as Mr. Miller's ability to self fund any defensive campaign which might be required, I can't think of a better way for them to waste their resources.
By now, most of you have figured out that our redesign and the press release we sent out regarding our acquisition by Red County magazine was an April Fools prank.
A lot of people smelled the prank right away, but a few people (including one very good political reporter at the Orange County Register) were a little slow on the uptake.
OK, so I'll admit that it took me about two minutes after the first glance of that press release to realize that this was THE BEST APRIL FOOLS' JOKE EVER...
But poor Peggy Lowe at The OC Register actually CALLED MATT CUNNINGHAM TO CONFIRM THE BUYOUT!
So, as the old-school reporter that I am, I called Matt Cunningham early this morning seeking confirmation on this Blue Minority deal... He called me back and all I could hear was laughter.
Yep, I fell for it. And no, the Red County boys aren't taking over The Liberal OC. Guess it was the blogosphere version of the whoopee cushion. Still waiting for a return e-mail from Mike Lawson, the jokester.
Friends don't let friends blog until the second cup of coffee is in the bloodstream.
So you still can't believe how big this got? Follow me after the flip for more...
OH. MY. GAWD. Mike Lawson just sold The Liberal OC to Red County/OC Blog! Yes, you heard me right... The Liberal OC sold out to the GOP Machine! Say goodbye to whatever bit of progressive action that we had in Orange County, as it has been co-opted by the vast right-wing conspiracy.
Follow me after the flip for more on this heart-wrenching tragedy...
Conservative Republican Assemblymember Chuck DeVore stopped by the conservative OC Blog to talk about his legislation with progressive San Francisco Assemblymember Mark Leno. As you can imagine, some of the readers weren't exactly thrilled to see DeVore working with Leno (just like some here might feel about Leno teaming up with DeVore). But it is good to see two lawmakers from opposite sides of the aisle work together to pass common sense legislation that is popular.
Would you like to see how OC Blog is wrong in its slam of OC Democrats? And is OC forever doomed to be "Red County"? Well, follow me after the flip to find out...
