HomeMy WebLinkAbout17 - - Additional Documents - 4/20/2021From: Michelle Schumacher <schumacherfamily@me.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2021 11:38 AM
To: Michelle Schumacher
Subject: Public Comments for the Next Meeting
I ask for your support in reducing a significant tax on all residents that often times goes unnoticed.
Are you aware that the Transportation Corridor Agency ("TCA") has taxed OC homeowners to the
tune of $754 Million Dollars since is was established in 1987. This tax comes in the form of
Development Fees that are assessed on new residential & commercial properties built or remodeled
in OC.
The TCA Formed in 1987 with the explicit purpose of constructing the Toll Roads.
At the time that the TCA was established bonds were issued to pay for construction of these the
Toll Roads.
The promise made by the TCA at the time was that the debt taken on by the TCA for construction
of these new Toll Roads would be paid off through a combination of Development Fees & Tolls
collected.
100% of the debt was to be paid off and the Toll Roads were supposed to become Freeways after
30 years.
The TCA has horribly mismanaged & squandered these silent taxes paid for by your constituents.
Not only are the Toll Roads not Freeways, but the TCA is still owes over $4.7 BILLION for
construction. This is a dereliction of duty & a travesty for OC Taxpayers.
By the time the bonds are repaid it will cost 11 Billion - the debt is going in the WRONG
direction.
The TCAs new Vision Plan demonstrates serious mission creep and is trying to become a regional
bank.
It is time to the TCA solely focus on paying down the bonds, instead of driving up housing & the
cost of business with these empty toll roads.
Please make them pay down the bonds and get traffic moving.
OCTA & Caltrans can do what is needed there is no need for this redundant wasteful agency. Tax
payers deserve better. The TCA spends hundreds of Millions of Dollars regularly on contracts
outside of our state, if they want Orange County Tax payers to be able to afford the ever increasing
tolls they need to be more mindful and keep the money in California. Stop the hemorrhage to
taxpayers with these economically discriminating toll roads.
Thank you
2
From: Denise Colber <dcolber@aol.com>
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2021 4:17 PM
Subject: Public Comments
I am writing to you as Orange County desperately needs your assistance to right an ongoing wrong!
There is massive and ongoing fraud.
In short: the public was promised that tolls on the 73 would cover that facility's debt
service and, after OVER 30 years (by now), what started as a toll road would become a
freeway, i.e., a public road with no tolls.
That promise has been broken. The insult to this injury is that presently there is no discernible
earnest effort to do anything to rectify the situation. Indeed, the 73's debt, which started below
$900 million, now stands above $2.4 billion. Meanwhile special interests enrich themselves, bond
holders enjoy a sweet deal... even as the traveling public continues to get stiffed.
The upshot, given the rising tolls, is that traffic on the other public roads is more congested than it
should be, notably traffic on the 405 and Coast Highway. Each day tens of thousands of vehicles,
for example, drive twice through Laguna Beach, merely to avoid the tolls.
There is a documented history of how the toll road agency — and its enabling partner agencies of
Caltrans, OCTA and the County Board of Supervisors — has abused the public trust. Additional
forensic audits may be in the offing. However, what does, what will it matter?
I ask that question as none of this information has begun to provide a meaningful remedy. And any
new insights will similarly fail to provide a remedy. The lone remedy is for the original public
promise to be fulfilled — for the toll road to become a freeway.
I am writing with hope you will consider helping to advance the righteous remedy. Honestly it's
hard to imagine — absent the involvement of someone like you, our elected official — how the
debt, still climbing, can ever be retired.
By way of background, below a link to the relevant Orange County Grand Jury Report of 2019-
2020.
htt ://www.ocgrandiury.org/ ... /2020-06-29 GJ Report TCA.pdf
https://www.ocregister.com/.../these-toll-roads-wont.../
https://www,l4gunabeachindy.com/letter-toll-road-thou hg ts/
Please look into removing the City for the TCA Joint Power Agreement so they can finally commit
to paying down the bonds. The numbers above are just for the 73 Toll Road and do Not Include
the massive debt burden on the Foothill Branch.
Thank you
Marie C.
1
From: TORRES, IVIS
Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2021 8:08 PM
To: GREEN, BRENDA; BENNETT, STACY
Cc: REYES, ALMA; GONZALEZ, ALEXANDER; JAKHER, HADASSA; HAUSER, JANET
Subject: FW: Triangle sign
Hi Brenda,
I hope you had a great weekend!
Please forward email below to all Council Members.
Thank you!
Ivis Torres
-----Original Message -----
From: PATRICIA ROBINSON[mailto:patrobkatie@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Saturday, April 17, 20219:42 AM
To: CONSTITUENT SERVICES<constituentservices@costamesaca.gov>
Subject: Triangle sign
I am a third generation Costa Mesa resident and I strongly oppose the signage proposed for Triangle Square ! I represent
three generations and many votes ..... My family will be watching your vote closely.....!
Sent from my Whone