Great Editorial in LA Times by Bobby Shriver and Joel Reynolds

In a March 10th Los Angeles Times Opinion piece, Bobby Shriver, City Councilmember of Santa Monica and former California State Park and Recreation Commissioner, along with Joel Reynolds, senior attorney at Natural Resources Defense Council, laid out the reasons why the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) need to give up on the Foothill-South Toll Road and work to create real traffic solutions for Orange County.

Click here to see this great editorial and send your letter to the editor today!

Points to include in your letter include:

• We cannot sacrifice a state park for any reason; we must look at other alternatives to solve our traffic problems
• We have other solutions; we must fix the 5 first!
• Our state parks are not warehouses for future development; they must be preserved for future generations to enjoy.
• The State of California needs to work with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and the TCA to develop solutions to our traffic problems without sacrificing sensitive lands.
• The California Coastal Commission and the Secretary of Commerce both ruled that the Foothill-South Toll Road is illegal; it is time for the TCA to move on and work with the community on a real solution to Orange County's traffic problems.

Guidelines:

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Letters should be brief, and may be edited. They become the property of The Times and may be republished in any format. Please include your full name, mailing address and daytime phone number (your number will not be published). For complete guidelines, call (800) LATIMES, Ext. 74511.

New Changes at Friends of the Foothills

I cannot tell you all enough how great it has been working with you on stopping the Foothill-South Toll Road.  We have accomplished amazing victories over the years, and I have memories that will last a lifetime.  So, it’s a bittersweet thing to let you know that I am leaving this campaign to work with the Sierra Club in Oregon on the urgent issue of climate change.  

Though we have achieved significant victories in the past year, we know that our fight is not yet over.  Be assured that Friends of the Foothills will keep a watchful eye over the TCA to make sure that they abandon their plans for the Foothill-South Toll Road completely and permanently.

Together Bill Holmes, Friends of the Foothills Task Force Chair, and Bill Corcoran, Senior Regional Representative for Southern California, will keep the fight going.

TCA has agreed to meet with the Save San Onofre Coalition to discuss ways of moving forward, and we will keep you updated on our progress in getting this road shut down once and for all.

Now, more than ever, we need you to help us in our fight!  For more information on how you can remain involved contact Bill Holmes at billten4@sbcglobal.net

It has been incredible working with all of you the past couple of years.  And I know I can speak for myself, as well as Brittany McKee, by saying "Congratulations!"  Without the hard work from all of you we could have never had this incredible (some said impossible) victory!!

Sincerely,

Robin Everett

Friends of the Foothills