Yeah, I get angry every now and then, but now I'm REALLY irritated. Specifically about two things. First, the Bay Bridge Barons have gone batsh#^ crazy! CRAZY! All Bay Area bridges posted signs today about an increase in bridge tolls starting in a little over a week. Let's just forget for a moment that when I first moved here nearly a decade ago, the tolls had just been raised to $2 and that most bridges are now facing $5 tolls. Let's instead focus on the nightmare that is about to become the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The genius idea put forth by...????? (who the heck knows) is to mandate $6 tolls for peak hours M-F, $4 for non-peak hours M-F, and $5 for weekends. WTF? Worse than that is that now the Bay Bridge (not sure about the rest of the bridges) will charge $2.50 for CARPOOLS!!! OMG WTF!?!?
Traditionally, carpools have been free to encourage a decrease in single passenger cars traveling across the bridge. If you've lived in DC and some other areas, then you may be familiar with a ride share program where people line up at specific spots in and drivers come by, pick up two passengers (sometimes 3), then sail across the bridge toll free in special lanes. Now drivers and passengers are going to have to talk about how the toll is going to paid, who's going to collect the toll, if passengers will pay at all or if it's a drivers' burdern, or will it be the freakin' wild west out there? It completely eliminates the purpose of the carpool lanes. Heck, if i had free parking in the city (or even a modest rate), I'd consider just driving to SF every day.
Why don't they just have us freakin' bend over without lube!?!?! I don't recall getting to vote on bridge tolls going up. I do remember a vote to build a new bridge, but that was supposed to be paid for by existing tolls when the plan was put together years ago. Who makes these decisions and where is the money going? Why do they need so freakin' much? Tens of thousands of cars cross the Bay Bridge alone every day. What on earth are they doing with all that money? Washington State doesn't permit keeping a permanent toll bridge. Why isn't California doing the same thing? Omg.... I'm seeing red. So angry.
To add to my fire (and this is irritating thing #2) is the fact that Oakland plans on laying off 202 police officers next fiscal year. ARE THEY F-ING KIDDING?!! Have they LOOKED at the homicide rates in Oakland? Have they studied the gang issue that garnered state and federal attention? Way to go, Oakland, you dipshits. Well, let's see how you feel when Oakland is on fire after the Mehserle trial verdict when riots are sure to break out in most certainly L.A. and most probably in Oakland. Or did they forget about the little riots that took place within the last year? Not only is the state assaulting my wallet, but worse, budget cuts are threatening my safety, even though the residents of Oakland voted to increase police officers, which included a plan for how to pay for it.
That's it. California's had its chance to pull its head out its butt, but it can't seem to do that without corrupting and ruining everything in its path. Deadlocked state politicians, retarded banks, and a barely literate Governor have left California feeling like that rich bitch that suddenly had to declare bankruptcy and is now begging for money on the street corner in order to afford its new Prada purse, because buying only one purse this quarter is actually saving money. Someone needs to take away California's toys and tell it, "Look, until you can behave like an adult and get your act together, you don't get the keys to family car. Now go do your homework, because we can't afford state tuition any more and you need that scholarship." (yeah, I know my little rants don't make 100% sense. I'm ranting, so live with it.)
1 comments:
Nice rant! This is what big government feels like. Like it? I didn't think so. At least you aren't in Greece, where they don't even know (seriously) how many people work for the government. But CA is on the path to being Greece, and sadly, so is much of the US if we can't fix it by halting/reversing spending pronto. But fixing it requires us first to tell public sector unions that sorry, we can't pay you all those things we promised. Most politicians think raising taxes (i.e. your new tolls..and VAT, here we come!) is more politically tenable, as long as they can hide the sweet deals they have been making with people that help them get elected. The media will help them with that.
Oh, and the bridges here are being tolled next spring---to pay for a new bridge that won't be completed for years. They are even going to toll the other bridge that isn't being worked on to pay for the first bridge. We shall see what kind of outrage that engenders when it goes into effect, but it was a big factor in choosing to buy our current house instead of one where we were living---no bridge commute. Of course, they are talking about tolling ALL highways here and forcing everyone to put a transponder in their car to track how many miles they drive. When that happens, we are leaving.
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