Where was the leadership from CD 14 Councilman Huizar regarding Senator Cedillo's SB 545 Tunnel Proposal??
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" Absence of leadership in CD 14 and who is the guy with the suitcase??"A simple question for CD 14 City Councilman Jose Huizar's spokesperson Rick Coca, why did CD 4 Councilperson Tom LaBonge replace Councilman Huizar at the last MTA meeting, as the "Griffith Park Wayist" notes in this blog posting?
Tom voted to support the Wilshire subway project after being sworn in as a temporary METRO board member yesterday. He filled in for Councilmember Jose Huizar who was unable to attend. The board re-affirmed its plan to apply for federal funding for the Subway to the Sea, which will provide a much-needed link between the Westside and the rest of the Metro system, via a Wilshire Boulevard subway line. If Metro, a County agency, receives federal funding for this project, the subway could be completed in as little as ten years.
To this blogger, it makes no sense that the CD 14 councilperson, who was just appointed to the MTA board by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, would be absent from this historic meeting where MTA's "Long Range Transportation Plan " would be approved. This plan and its assorted projects, which we list below, is an thirty year plan to spend some $298 Billion dollars from federal, state, and local sources (Measure R in LA County). Being that Councilman Huizar is or was an voting member of the MTA board, it should be an given that Huizar would be present to represent his constituents. CD 14 related projects in bold
Completion of the Eastside light rail project·
Completion of the Exposition Light Rail project to Culver City·
Phase II Exposition light rail to Santa Monica·
Wilshire Boulevard Bus Rapid transit·
Downtown Regional Connector (Blue & Gold Line connection) ·
The Crenshaw Corridor Transit project·
San Fernando Valley North/South Metro Orange Line Canoga Extension·
San Fernando Valley East North/South Rapidways ·
Eastside Light Rail Access (Pedestrian & Bicycle link)·
Gold Line Foothill Light Rail Extension (Segment including vehicles & yard)·
Green Line Extension to LAX·
Westside Subway extension to Fairfax/Century City/Westwood·
Gold Line Eastside Extension·
Green Line Extension Redondo Beach Station to South Bay Corridor·
San Fernando Valley I-405 Corridor Connection·
West Santa Ana Branch Corridor·
California High Speed Rail (Los Angeles County)
Some examples of highway projects in the LRTP include: ·
I-405 northbound carpool lane from I-10 to US-101·
I-405 carpool lanes from SR 90 to I-10·
I-5/State Route 126 interchange reconstruction phase I & II·
SR-60 carpool lanes from I-605 to Brea Canyon Road·
I-5/SR-14 carpool lane direct connector·
I-5 carpool lanes from SR-118 to SR-170·
I-5 carpool lanes from SR-134 to SR-170·
I-10 carpool lanes from I-605 to Puente Ave & from Puente to Citrus avenues·
I-5 Carmenita Road interchange improvements·
I-5 carpool and mixed flow lanes from I-605 to Orange County Line·
** I-710 South and Route 710 North Gap Closure projects·
But in the case of the 710 Freeway issue, some are questioning the lack of leadership from Councilman Huizar. The October issue of "The Voice Newspaper", has an excellent, extensive missive on the impact of State Senator Gil Cedillo's SB 545, known as the "710 Tunnel Bill".
This would of made the tunnel the only option in completing the 6.2 mile gap between the current terminus of the 710 freeway in Alhambra and the 210 Freeway in Pasadena.
Activists in areas that would of been impacted by an proposed tunnel, whether in Mt. Washington, El Sereno, La Canada, South Pasadena, minus Alhambra, were united in condemning the tunnel proposal. CD 1 Councilman Ed Reyes, went so far to author the two-page letter pictured above that stated his opposition to the proposed tunnel routing under the Mt. Washington area. But where was Councilman Huizar?, local activists ask. This question became mute when Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger veto SB 545. The result of the governor's vetoing Cedillo's Tunnel Bill, was to send MTA board members into the backrooms and come up with this counter proposal, the "I-710 south and route 710 north gap closures projects". Any comments from Councilman Huizar regarding this counter proposal and how it would effect his El Sereno constituents? Were still waiting.
Then as in all things political in CD 14, who benefits from these proposals regarding the 710 freeway? That is where the man, or should we say "connected individual" with the suitcase, comes in to play. The man pictured above is none other than Don Justin Jones, longtime friend of Richard Alatorre, democratic activist and an "former tenant" of Caltrans housing. Former tenant because his temper got him in trouble with Caltrans (and is well known for "calling out" activists, neighbors and bloggers), but claims that it was his "long time activism" on the behalf of the 710 Caltrans Tenant Association, that got him booted from the Caltrans property where he resided.
How would of Jones benefited from his buddy Gil Cedillo's SB 545? If the tunnel proposal had been given the green light, Jones and other Caltrans tenants would of been given a chance to purchase their homes at a fraction of market prices. This blog in the past have been the recipient of comments about the dubious dealings regarding Caltrans owned housing within the 6.2 mile uncompleted 710 gap.
And while the likes of Don Jones are lefted to ponder past motives regarding his former taxpayer owned rental, hundreds of eastern El Sereno residents face an uncertain future wondering if a above-ground option for the 710 targets their homes and whether their councilman will be present at future MTA meetings to give then a voice.
Your thoughts...........................
Labels: "COUNCILMAN LAST SEEN AS JOSE HUIZAR", 710 Freeway tunnel, Don Jones, mta
Posted by Red Spot in CD 14 @ 10/26/2009 03:00:00 PM
10 Comments:
So, in 50 words or less, Red Spit (spellt rite or naught), are you
FOR or AGAINST a tunnel for the 710 completion? (I can't tell).
FOR or AGAINST a surface route extension? (Still, can't really tell)
And what exactly is is about the Subway to the Sea (at this point, connecting Koreatown to, probably Santa Monica?) that's a CD14-specific interest, such that Huizar's vote on it would be more important that say, Tom LaBonge's? You don't suppose Huizar told LaBonge how to vote on all this, as his proxy, do you?
(I can tell your AGAINST Huizar, regardless. Thanks for always be perfectly clear on that.)
I have a feeling that if Huizar suddenly figured out how to feed and house every homeless person in L.A., at no cost to the taxpayer, you'd bust his balls for putting Welfare and social workers out of jobs and reducing our ready supply of empty cans and bottle at the recycling centers.
Remember those old cartoons with a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, whispering in the guy's ear?
Red Spot has a 710 freeway cnspiracy troll sitting on his shoulder.
Sheesh.
Don Jones and the other 710 Freeway opponents have spent years trying to get Caltrans to halt completion of the final 4 miles of the 710 Freeway. Red Spot is correct. Under bills sponsored by certain State representatives over the years, Caltrans tenants will CLEAN UP if the surface route is abandoned. Under the state law, the current tenants are given an opportunity to buy their rental homes at a fraction of the fair market value. Who gets screwed? sThe California taxpayers. Who get enriched by continuing to fight the 710 Freeway tooth and nail? The Caltrans tenants.
Let's get all of these cars off the side streets of El Sereno, Alhambra, South Pasadena, Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, and San Gabriel. How? Complete the 710. Has anyone seen how much better the traffic is on Foothill Blvd now that the 210 Freeway is complete in Claremont?
whaa whaaa cry me a river.
instead of bitching all the time, how about you come up w/ some solutions?
Noone cares
The 710 extension will have a negative impact on the Sunland-Tujunga Community. We have limited ingress and egress and when there are accidents on the 210, Foothill Blvd., our only thrufare, is gridlocked for hours.
The air quality in our community is known world wide as a haven for asthmatics who will also be negatively impacted. We should be looking at other modes of transporation instead of the automobile. More freeways and carpool lanes are not the solutions to rapid transit. They will be overcrowded before completion.
People should have listend to Baxter Ward, who fought against getting rid of the street cars in L.A. But, the oil and rubber companies won out and the citizens lost a good mode of transporation that was flexible and environmetally friendly.
I can just hear some replies now about "who cares about S-T", but, there are many people who live here like me who suffer from Respitory Disease such as Bronchitus and Asthma. We count too. Where would you like for us to live?
Rick Coca, Francine Godoy and newbee blogger Ana Cubas working the spin today I see. Nothing better to do huh? Or more than likely it's the blogger twins (dumb and dumber, you chose who's who) jose Huizar and Richelle Huizar. Damn, take care of those bratty ass kids of your instead of blogging, that's what you pay staff for (with city $$$$)!
11:59 was written by me and was not meant to be sent as Anonymous
He is in school AGAIN!
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs ...
... JOSE HUIZAR. ... Huizar also successfully led the curriculum change to ensure that all school district students have access to college preparatory courses. ...
http://wws.princeton.edu/qzalumni/testimonials/huizar/Princeton University - Immigration is theme of King Day event, Jan ...
... José Huizar Photo: Courtesy of José Huizar. Photos for news media. Web Stories. ...
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S19/81/62A05/Princeton University - Event honors King's vision for equality
... Below left: José Huizar, a Princeton trustee and graduate alumnus who is the first Latino immigrant to serve as a member of the Los Angeles City Council ...
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S20/09/54O87Princeton University’s annual celebration of Martin Luther King ...
... José Huizar Los Angeles City Council Member, Princeton University Trustee José Huizar is a Princeton trustee and graduate alumnus who is the first Latino ...
http://www.princeton.edu/mlk/docs/MLK08Program.pdf
Question...when did Huizar become a citizen of the Untited States of AMERICA?
let me get this straight. YOU post a Resolution that reads "BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED in light of the recent passage of SB 545 by the California State Legislature, which fails to offer protection for the community of El Sereno if a tunnel is constructed, the City also opposes any freeway tunnel portal that does not begin south of Valley Blvd" and then ask where leadership and protection for El Sereno is at? Ummm...
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