Thoughts for Drive Time

IT SADDENED ME to see Metro Santa Cruz, characterize drivers as "lazy or polluting" in their review of our successful defeat of another bid to raise the sales tax to widen Highway 1 ("What Just Happened?," Cover Story, Dec. 31). As a leader in the movement for human powered transportation, I view drivers, especially commuters from South County, as the victims of a deeply flawed transportation system which was largely designed around the interests of large non-local corporations who like getting big contracts for big road projects and like getting workers to pay 20 percent of their income on their cars for the dubious "reward" of spending hours driving to work from places that are cheaper to live. The real "philosophical question" is: do we expand (by 50 percent in this case) a mobility system that does not seem to be working? For me, that's like sending more troops to Iraq to kill terrorism.

I know that many folks agree that widening highways is not a good long-term strategy but are desperate for an "interim solution." Unfortunately, spending $600 million on the largest public works project in the history of Santa Cruz County cannot be described as an interim solution, but would clearly worsen the kind of socioeconomic problems that we all want to solve without leaving significant money for a rail transit system.

As for "big brains" regarding transportation in Santa Cruz County, the only person I can think of who remotely fits that description is Fred Keeley, who convened the Transportation Funding Task Force as an undeclared ally of the public good. Several months after it ended, having attended countless hours of meetings, Fred decried highway widening as outmoded policy and joined People Power.

I know that newspapers don't exactly have huge budgets for researching nuanced and difficult policy choices. Nevertheless, I hope Metro Santa Cruz will spend some time on this issue in 2009. If you do, I think you'll join Fred and I in opposing further widening of Highway 1.  

 Micah Posner,
Director, People Power

 

OK, Where Is He?

FOR YEARS I've looked forward to DeCinzo in Metro Santa Cruz. Sometimes I didn't agree, sometimes I didn't get it, but I always turned straight to the Letters page to see what he came up with that week or what people were saying about him. I enjoy your reporting, reviews and entertainment sections. I just don't look forward to picking up Metro Santa Cruz like I used to since DeCinzo has been gone. Please get him back. Thanks.

Michael Bliden,
Soquel

Seriously, Where's Your Edge?

WITHOUT DECINZO, Metro Santa Cruz has lost its edge. Every week there was this well drawn, generally outrageous, locally targeted cartoon to reckon with. And oh, the letters to the editor that would follow. ... Just ain't the same dear Metro Santa Cruz.

Geri Lieby,
Santa Cruz

Pagrovians Demand Answers

PEOPLE IN Pacific Grove want DeCinzo back. He's the only reason to pick your paper up. Forget those politically correct BOZOS!

Nick Gilardoni,
Pacific Grove

Bring Him Back NOW!

DECINZO is the only one with the artistic guts to effectively deal with the holier than thou bicyclists and the oblivious dog owners in our community. Tommy Tomorrow is yesterday's news--bring back DeCinzo NOW!

John Phillip Bergwall,
Santa Cruz

Car Talk

JUST WANTED to say thank you for covering the Green Station and electric cars ("A State of ZENN," News&Views, Dec. 24). It's the kind of story your readers really want to read.

Jim Rice,
Scotts Valley