Would You Like Fries With That Toll Road?
Posted October 19, 2011 in Living Sustainably, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Well, surprise, surprise! Once again, the Transportation Corridor Agencies (“TCA”) are trying to pull a fast (food) one on the residents of south Orange County.
When Orange County's John Wayne Airport debuts its gleaming multimillion dollar facelift next month, many restaurants in the new Terminal C wing won’t be ready because the TCA chose to slap them with “unexpectedly high” development fees. Carl’s Jr. alone had to hand over an extra $100,000 to the TCA before it could start renovating its space.
I’m no math wiz, but that’s a lot of $6 burgers.
We’ve known for years that the TCA is willing to pave over a beloved state park to build a toll road. We also know that this financially troubled agency will do everything in its power – including applying for billions of federal taxpayer dollars – to keep its financial house of cards intact. These reprehensible actions already have many Orange County residents broiling mad.
But this whopper of a fee is absolutely ridiculous.
These fees are hitting small businesses squarely in the pocketbook, and for what? To pay for a squadron of lobbyists and lawyers working on a billion-dollar road that has already been rejected by the Bush Administration.
This agency is so tone-deaf that it doesn’t hesitate to impose unjustifiable costs and inconveniences on the very communities it professes to serve. Orange County deserves better than this. Today’s revelation should be a wake-up call to the community that the TCA is completely out of touch and needs an overhaul.
Comments are closed for this post.
Comments
Joseph Engman — Oct 19 2011 04:34 PM
It is quite amazing how many useless agencies this government has created over the years. The small community where I live in WI was suppose to get a new airport facility, but I believe it got (excuse the expression) "shot down". Instead the brilliant minds that come up with these ideas built an undercover building for the rental car agencies. This should be a multiple act play when it comes to removing the snow, because it is an open building, basically nothing more than a car port type shelter.. Brilliant, just Brilliant.
mike green — Oct 19 2011 09:48 PM
So , are you pissed that Carl's JR is being charged too much?
Or is it that they get Federal funding?
Is it something they did ? a personal problem between them and you?.
Chris G — Oct 20 2011 06:25 PM
i am not sure why this is a problem, all airports and private business does it too. In a free market, if Carl's Jr or any other restaurant would just choose not to pay.