You may not know it, but Sen. Lou Correa strongly opposes completing the 241 toll road.
True, it is Rep. Loretta Sanchez is the OC legislator who has garnered the attention — and just criticism — for her efforts to kill the 241 completion: a politically curious position considering the 47th Congressional District isn’t a hot-bed of environmental activism. That strain runs more strongly through affluent districts where residents can afford to be no-growth environmentalists.
Yet Sen. Lou Correa — who represents many of the same union households as Loretta — also opposes completing the 241. He”s just been quiet about it.
During January’s California Coastal Commission hearing on the 241, the various commissioners had to declare their ex parte communications on the issue.
Commissioner Larry Clark described his being lobbied by Sen. Correa:
On the 24th of January, and again on the 4th of February, I received telephone calls from Senator Lou Correa, from the 34th Senatorial District. Senator Correa conveyed this information to me, and position, his strong opposition for the 241 toll road extension project, making the following points, north Orange County expanded Interstate 5 several years ago to relieve traffic congestion, and it is now time for south Orange County to do the same. The 241 toll road extension is proposed to go through a state park that was created in mitigation for the San Onofre coastal development and impact. There are better transportation alternatives too the proposed 241 toll road extension. The toll road will significantly impact a state campground, Trestles Beach, and surfing off of Trestles Beach will be tremendously impacted by this project, and he recommended a vote of denial at the Commission meeting.
It’s South County’s turn? I’m sure that’s reassuring too the 1,200 property owners who’d be eminent domained to widen the 5. Maybe Sen. Correa could personally deliver the eminent domain notices, smile at the property owner and say, "Sorry! But better you than building a road near a mediocre camp ground. After all — it’s South County’s turn!"
Commissioner Sara Wan (the avatar of the Pacific Pocket Mouse) was also lobbied by Lou:
I had another phone call that I initiated because Senator Correa had sent me an e-mail and asked me to call, and this was considerably later in the evening, and Senator Correa expressed his opposition to the project, asked me what he could do to help. I said the best thing he could do would be to try to remove the political pressure on Commissioners.
Sara Wan is the same gal who accused TCA scientists of being "biased" — unfazed by the irony of that accusation being leveled by someone who boasts in her Commission bio that she "co-founded Vote the Coast, which is a Political Action Committee dedicated to helping the election of coastal friendly candidates."
This begs the question of why Lou Correa has been working to stop the 241 completion? Environmentalism hasn’t been one of his issues. Despite the millions spent by both side sin his razor-thin Senate victory, not a single mailer mentioned the environment.
Central OC Democrats run on bread-and-butter issues like jobs, hiking wages, improving education, etc. Completing the 241 means a lot of jobs for working people…like Correa’s constituents.
One source I’ve talked to has asked Correa why he’s opposing the 241, but Correa didn’t give an explanation.
Several sources have said the source of Correa’s stance is loyalty to 241 opponent and OC Democratic Party old bull Richard O’Neill, who has been a strong supporter of Lou’s for a long time. Now that Dick O’Neill has made his pile plowing up the land to build houses, I guess it’s time to save the Earth!
An explanation advanced by other sources is a desire to be on Loretta Sanchez’s good side should she not run for re-election next year — a move that would allow Correa to make a mid-term, free-ride run for Congress.
My analysis is it is probably both. Correa’s stance is certainly at odds with the unions, which support completing the 241. Then again, Correa and the unions don’t have the tightest of relationships. Lou didn’t keep his promise to them to stay on the Board of Supervisors, and the unions back Tom Umberg over Lou in the 34th SD Democratic primary.
I think Correa’s assistance in killing the 241 is example of what has led to the creation of a Labor Caucus within the Democratic Party of Orange County, and to OC unions mounting a year-round voter registration program under their control and independent of local Democrats like Sanchez and Correa. The 241 is a bread-and-butter issue to them: it means jobs for their members, for the people Sanchez and Correa represent and whose support Sanchez and Correa seek. Siding with the lefties, surfers and the coastal wine-and-cheese crowd over the central OC working folks doesn’t sit well.
Well, maybe next time Sen. Correa has a district event, some constituent can ask him why he thinks jobs and infrastructure are less important than surfing at Trestles.