OC Supervisor John Moorlach continues solidly behind Allan Mansoor as successor to his 2nd District office with this letter to his constituents today. Both Moorlach and Mansoor strongly oppose implementing toll lanes between the 405/55/73 interchange in Costa Mesa and the 405/605 split at the LA County border.
Both men have been OC Transportation Authority Board members (Mansoor’s opponent, Michelle Steel, has never held office in the County or its 34 cities) and are familiar with Measure M‘s long ago promises which never included tolling on any freeway.
OCTA/Caltrans Toll Lane Alignment
Like Michelle Steel, Janet Nguyen is also nowhere on the Toll Lanes
This 12-mile freeway stretch primarily affects the 2nd Supervisorial District, but it also touches the Westminster border — a city within Janet Nguyen’s First District. Nguyen, still an OCTA Director while she’s running for State Senate, might have been expected to support Westminster in opposition to this basic theft of Measure M resources. Caltrans wishes to convert a future $1.3 billion free lane to tolls, along with the existing HOV/Carpool lane. Our research indicates that Nguyen has never spoken against them and has stayed out of a fight that’s created considerable controversy between the OCTA and Measure M taxpayers. Neither Moorlach or Mansoor (or Costa Mesa Mayor Jim Righeimer or many local city council members) have hesitated to get involved.
Nguyen is clearly taking no stance on this possible commandeering of an already paid-for, free traffic lane by the State. In order to hide her position, she abstained on an OCTA Toll Lane vote December last and was absent at the last Board discussion of the controversy. She has never mentioned the issue in her current campaign against Jose Solorio for SD34. Obviously, Nguyen wishes NOT to alienate the union interests that are 1) already behind her Democrat opponent and 2) whose trade membership would surely benefit from their construction. Neither will she risk opposing Big Lucy Dunn at the OC Business Council.
34th Senate District
Nguyen’s coveted SD34 contains nearly the entire toll road alignment — it’s irresponsible and reckless of her to be screwing her Westminster constituency and Councilwoman Diane Carey who’s adamantly opposed to tolling. As well, she’ll be losing potential votes in Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley as all these cities have joined in opposition to this Caltrans atrocity. Leadership from Mansoor and Moorlach is showing the way, but Nguyen’s ducking the issue, and any debate on it. No where on her campaign website is it mentioned.
We’re baffled that the great and powerful Dave Gilliard, Nguyen’s campaign manager, hasn’t directed his marionette to get smarter about this issue and use her OCTA position to come out against it like her better peers and for the cities she now or will represent.