Hindering or Helping 101?

I find it almost impossible to believe that Nick Welsh would “pan” the efforts of a citizen group attempting to find ways to save $53 million of county money and 18 months of consumer frustration with highway construction.

The efforts of the group are at no cost to the populace (funded by concerned citizens) and if successful would benefit the whole county populace by modernizing the 101 corridor in a minimal time, thus helping all form of commerce and tourism get back to normal after the construction project.

It is irrelevant what part of the county the proponents came from. What is important is that should they be successful, everyone – residents, consumers, businesses – would benefit, even non-believer journalists.

Perhaps (in his view) a potential saving of $53 million in public money is unimportant in the scheme of things and therefore not worth exploring? – J.W. Colin, Montecito

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I so enjoy Nick Welsh’s opinion writing. It’s another anchor reason I live for each issue of The Independent. That being said, I can’t resist adding a little something to the 101 widening/left-hand-exit circus.

Sure, I’m not much for eliminating the older areas of any region for the sake of “progress.” Also, I ride to work and around town on my bike and am borderline anti-auto, so anything encouraging car usage, such as more roads for them, doesn’t get a lot of interest from me.

However, that highway is used a lot by travelers for pleasure and commerce alike, and engineering it to allow for better flow would help ‘most all concerned. Costs for shipping, traveling, and commuting are high enough without delays added to it for whatever reason.

So, a handful of well-heeled property owners are able to stymie the more efficient flow of traffic to preserve – what? The ambience of their neighborhood? We live on the upper Westside, and are way down on the pecking order of power and money, compared to them. I’d love to have a sound wall built along the highway near where I live. That won’t happen because we can’t afford to enlist powerful people to get that done. No one famous or rich lives here. They have a right to fight for what they want. It just gripes me that their “right” goes further because of money and clout.

A few are holding up the many. What is best for the tribe? – Gabor L. Dobos, S.B.