Excuse Me, Mdm Mayor

Evidently, I have ruffled the feathers of Mayor Helene Schneider when I wrote about her crusade to kibosh the 101 Widening Initiative. However, she would need to direct her beef to SBCAG — as the facts in my op-ed came from a public letter from her esteemed colleagues on that august panel. That would be the same governmental entity that last week voted her out of the chair position (11-2) she was set to assume that very day. Ouch!

The mayor also takes umbrage that I mentioned a City Council vote (5-1) held in closed session nixing her entreaty to sue Caltrans. “There was no public statement about who voted for what,” she writes. Good heavens! A political leak! And gambling in Casablanca! Ouch! Ouch!

For the record:

In 2010, the mayor as an SBCAG member, voted for Measure A’s Strategic Plan, along with the designation of the 101 Widening Project as the county’s highest regional transportation priority.

In April 2011, the mayor voted for Appendix C of Measure A, again affirming the 101 widening as the region’s #1 priority — explicitly stating these funds would not be available for local road projects — as she is advocating now.

So how does one defy a 79 percent voter-approved initiative and an 11-2 SBCAG slapdown? Well, sue!

Fortunately for the mayor, she and her consultant, Jeremy Lindaman, evidently had a cozy relationship with legal sharpshooter, Marc Chytilo, who has a well-deserved reputation for ferreting out just enough uncrossed Ts to scotch any EIR.

But if there is any daylight between, Lindaman, Schneider, and attorney Chytilo, I’d sure like to know about it. Because this time of year, the days are quite short — without a whole lot of sunshine. And Jersey girls, like me, are always up for some extra rays.