The old saying is that he who has the gold, rules. The fact that Orange County motorists have a toll road carving through a magnificent canyon while rich folks in Malibu get to live next to scenic hillsides proves the rule, writes Bill Fulton.
"The San Joaquin Hills Toll Road helps meet an undeniable regional need. The preservation of Ahmanson Ranch ensures a pastoral scene along Highway 101 will remain untouched. Both the toll road and a housing project on Ahmanson Ranch were very controversial during lengthy review processes.
Construction of the road and preservation of the ranch arguably are good for the region. However, the real reason the road got built, Fulton writes, was 'more power and money went toward building the toll road than toward not building it, whereas more power and money went toward not building Ahmanson Ranch than went toward building it.'"
Read the full story: Southern California: Money, Power And Guilty Pleasures
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