 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Transportation
After touring Europe six times and being able to go any place via train, tram or bus, and whith the rising cost of fuel and the resulting air pollution, I'm fighting a one
man battle to get a "light rail" system to transport people; and light cargo, from one end of the Sacramento, San Joaquin Valley to the other and to connect to the San
Francisco Bay area. The S.J. Council of Governments is tying to pass on the Nov. Ballot, a proposal to commit future finance to pet
projects, notwithstanding that measure"K" is not to be again voted until 2011, and ignoring the need for a Valley rapid rail system.
man battle to get a "light rail" system to transport people; and light cargo, from one end of the Sacramento, San Joaquin Valley to the other and to connect to the San
Francisco Bay area. The S.J. Council of Governments is tying to pass on the Nov. Ballot, a proposal to commit future finance to pet
projects, notwithstanding that measure"K" is not to be again voted until 2011, and ignoring the need for a Valley rapid rail system.
Just about every Tuesday, in Stockton Ca., the City Council meets. I try and make as many as I can, because very few people, if any, attend said meetings. Most of
the time, people will go only if something effects them and when their case is heard, they will leave. Last meeting, there were a rather large group of people protesting
the closer of an Easter Seal hot water pool. This would be the third time. (I would have spoken myself, as I used it my self when I was recovering from a life threating
illness), but there was so many speaking, I thought that it would be redundant. Then there was a group protesting against the closer of a skating rink, to which I did
not even know existed, (the rink sounded very good). After everyone left, the council went on to the “consent agenda”. Now you have to under stand that the council
rubber stamps whatever the city “staff” recommends. Some are good but some are bad. The head city people attend the meetings In case there are any questions
on any item. Usually there is not. The council might just as well have stayed home and let whomever /or whatever pass as, like sheep, they all vote “yeh”. I spoke on
the issue of them not including a plan for future study of a rapid central valley rail system to which the head man of “cog” spoke against the idea of a public hearing,
saying that there was/has been many studies on “transportation”- oh yeh? To make a long story short, the council ignored all public input. As usual!.
the time, people will go only if something effects them and when their case is heard, they will leave. Last meeting, there were a rather large group of people protesting
the closer of an Easter Seal hot water pool. This would be the third time. (I would have spoken myself, as I used it my self when I was recovering from a life threating
illness), but there was so many speaking, I thought that it would be redundant. Then there was a group protesting against the closer of a skating rink, to which I did
not even know existed, (the rink sounded very good). After everyone left, the council went on to the “consent agenda”. Now you have to under stand that the council
rubber stamps whatever the city “staff” recommends. Some are good but some are bad. The head city people attend the meetings In case there are any questions
on any item. Usually there is not. The council might just as well have stayed home and let whomever /or whatever pass as, like sheep, they all vote “yeh”. I spoke on
the issue of them not including a plan for future study of a rapid central valley rail system to which the head man of “cog” spoke against the idea of a public hearing,
saying that there was/has been many studies on “transportation”- oh yeh? To make a long story short, the council ignored all public input. As usual!.
(I copied this temporary for those who can't get Microsoft "word".)
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Subject: Letter
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 12:42:11 -0700
Wayne Ford
Dept. Treasury
IRS
Wash. DC.
Dear Wayne, I’m going to send, forward, this letter which I’m going to send to the local paper and install it on my web site. www.hope05.org
Sunday I took a trip down to Stanislaus County to the small town (used to be) of Turlock Ca., which is right off of interstate highway 99, to see a play at the Ca,
State University of Stanislaus County.
It is a beautiful college (campus) which used to be out in the country, but now is wrapped around by new buildings (developments) but, the play was sold out.
However, the main reason that I went to Turlock was to check out how much of the San Joaquin Valley had grown.
But in most cases, in my interpretation, has been decimated by buildings, both commercial and private. The town itself is no-more, only a few old buildings. Now
the San Joaquin valley stretches from the edge of the Sierra Nevada’s mountains, to Bakersfield. For practical purposes, it starts around Sacramento and extends
pass Fresno. Stockton is about half way in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley and Turlock is about 50 miles south of Stkn. with several small and medium size
towns (cities) in between. Also going north, there are also several towns between Stkn. and Sac. Since the Gold Rush, most of California, mostly the S.J. Valley
was/ is farmland, which is fast disappearing. Builders, otherwise called “developers” along with crooked officials are raping the land by building “half a $million
shacks”, [concrete floors, frame(s) stapled together], creating more and new problems such as smog (air pollution) due to increased traffic because of lack of
infrastructure and intelligent planning along with creating a shortage of fresh, quality water.
Now highway 99, way before interstate 5 was built, (which for awhile eliminated some of the traffic on 99) was just a two lane road. That is, (When I was a kid).
Then, little by little, the highway was made into 4 lanes and passing some small tows with overpasses. Eventually, there weren’t any stop signs between
Sacramento and Los Angeles. But now, due to the increased, so-called growth, the highway is now at least 6 lanes most of the way and work is being done to
make more lanes. Sunday after noon, the traffic was very heavy going both ways. While at the collage, I spoke with the girl at the box office and she said, “Yes”, it
is a nightmare on weekdays.
Meanwhile, there are two main issues in the works. (1). In 1965-66, a tax measure was passed to help correct the bad road situation, that was to expire in 2011.
However, all the towns in the S.J. Valley;
(Council of Governors) want to extend the tax now, (but it doesn’t expire till the end of 2011), for another 30 years. (2) “Nexus”, (Farmland Mitigation Fee). An
excuse to let builders build on farmland by paying
A “fee”, supposedly to enable the city to buy and “save” other “farmland”, notwithstanding the fact that man cannot “create” farmland.
I forgot to mention that when I read the directions on the Mapquest, my computer faces south so when I got to Monte Vista St. I turned right instead of left. It was
all pure farmland. I thought “O-boy, thank god it’s still the same”-ha. But then the road ended. To The left, on the cross road, there was a diary. So I thought
“no, this can’t be right, so I inquired and was told that the college was on the other side.
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 12:42:11 -0700
Wayne Ford
Dept. Treasury
IRS
Wash. DC.
Dear Wayne, I’m going to send, forward, this letter which I’m going to send to the local paper and install it on my web site. www.hope05.org
Sunday I took a trip down to Stanislaus County to the small town (used to be) of Turlock Ca., which is right off of interstate highway 99, to see a play at the Ca,
State University of Stanislaus County.
It is a beautiful college (campus) which used to be out in the country, but now is wrapped around by new buildings (developments) but, the play was sold out.
However, the main reason that I went to Turlock was to check out how much of the San Joaquin Valley had grown.
But in most cases, in my interpretation, has been decimated by buildings, both commercial and private. The town itself is no-more, only a few old buildings. Now
the San Joaquin valley stretches from the edge of the Sierra Nevada’s mountains, to Bakersfield. For practical purposes, it starts around Sacramento and extends
pass Fresno. Stockton is about half way in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley and Turlock is about 50 miles south of Stkn. with several small and medium size
towns (cities) in between. Also going north, there are also several towns between Stkn. and Sac. Since the Gold Rush, most of California, mostly the S.J. Valley
was/ is farmland, which is fast disappearing. Builders, otherwise called “developers” along with crooked officials are raping the land by building “half a $million
shacks”, [concrete floors, frame(s) stapled together], creating more and new problems such as smog (air pollution) due to increased traffic because of lack of
infrastructure and intelligent planning along with creating a shortage of fresh, quality water.
Now highway 99, way before interstate 5 was built, (which for awhile eliminated some of the traffic on 99) was just a two lane road. That is, (When I was a kid).
Then, little by little, the highway was made into 4 lanes and passing some small tows with overpasses. Eventually, there weren’t any stop signs between
Sacramento and Los Angeles. But now, due to the increased, so-called growth, the highway is now at least 6 lanes most of the way and work is being done to
make more lanes. Sunday after noon, the traffic was very heavy going both ways. While at the collage, I spoke with the girl at the box office and she said, “Yes”, it
is a nightmare on weekdays.
Meanwhile, there are two main issues in the works. (1). In 1965-66, a tax measure was passed to help correct the bad road situation, that was to expire in 2011.
However, all the towns in the S.J. Valley;
(Council of Governors) want to extend the tax now, (but it doesn’t expire till the end of 2011), for another 30 years. (2) “Nexus”, (Farmland Mitigation Fee). An
excuse to let builders build on farmland by paying
A “fee”, supposedly to enable the city to buy and “save” other “farmland”, notwithstanding the fact that man cannot “create” farmland.
I forgot to mention that when I read the directions on the Mapquest, my computer faces south so when I got to Monte Vista St. I turned right instead of left. It was
all pure farmland. I thought “O-boy, thank god it’s still the same”-ha. But then the road ended. To The left, on the cross road, there was a diary. So I thought
“no, this can’t be right, so I inquired and was told that the college was on the other side.
| Letter to the WLV, about Measure "K" |