June 10, 2011 – Daily Brief

Which map are you looking at, exactly? I think Newhall stays with us. I’m trying to get better data somewhere.

I stand corrected. I thought they were cutting just south of Lyons, looks like it will include maybe all of Newhall and parts of Valencia. If they were to split SCV, I wish they had done it right down the middle, at least we’d matter, a little bit, to two people. SCV is but a drop in the bucket in that valley district.

FYI, sitting in the City planning staff’s files are two important letters, one from Metrolink safety staff and the other from the California Public Utilities Commission Railroad Right of Way division staff. The Metrolink letter essentially says (1) don’t forget we own the land under the tracks at Lyons Avenue and you can’t cross it without our consent and (2) we will not approve an at-grade crossing of the train tracks at Lyons Avenue. The Cal PUC letter says ‘we will not approve an at-grade crossing of the train tracks at Lyons Avenue. It will be interesting to see if the City Council and staff have the lobbying juice to get the elected officials who form the Board of Directors of Metrolink to over-rule their staff members and the lobbying juice with Jerry Brown appointees to the PUC to get them to overrule their staff members. The “no more at grade crossings” policies stem from searing NTSB reports faulting the PUC, Metrolink and local cities for train crashes and deaths which occur with great regularity at “at grade crossings’. The alternative is for the city to build, at somebody’s cost, a vehicle bridge over the train tracks or a viaduct under the train tracks. The politics of a major Santa Clarita roadway possibly being allowed to cross the train tracks “at grade” is going to be very interesting to watch. Most of that politicking will occur behind closed doors in Downtown L.A. and in San Francisco.

My point exactly. A bridge at 15th would work. Moving RR Tracks is not easy, but neither is building a connector at Lyons across the RR tracks and over the wash to the other side. Maybe even cheaper in the end to make it at 15th.

United? I’m either indifferent or happy to see the squabbling. I can’t decide. The people Reynolds blasts include senior staff to McKeon and their spouses. As usual, I think our friend’s appeal will fall on deaf ears.

All politicians help themselves. But you are right, at this time it is in the interest of the ‘Pubs to see the economy get worse. That also explains why they are threatening the creditworthiness of our nation with their baloney as the debt ceiling fights bungles along.

YWG predicts Petz will ditch his platonic mancrush on Herman Cain once Rick Perry throws his hat in the ring. Come on, Petz! Here’s a state governor (who regularly hints at secession) calling for a national day of prayer. Here’s a guy who says “There is hope for America, and we’ll find it on our knees.” Now the good old boy hasn’t officially thrown his hat in the ring, but the staff that just abandoned Newt have found themselves in Perry’s warm bosom, so I predict it’s only a matter of time (and perhaps, a little prayer) before he declares himself a worthy candidate. Step into the light, Petz! Sure, you had some good times with Herman Cain, and I’ll admit he’s quite the charismatic fellow and a great motivator. He might even make a good veep, but Perry has everything you seem to be looking for. He loves Jesus, and hates big government (except where it comes to women’s rights), AND…He wants us all to pray for a better America!

Petz will stick with Cain through thick and thin (pizza crust that is) because his loyalty is legendary-The Patron Saint of Lost Causes. The GOP has a smorgasboard of qualified candidates while the Dems have a very limited selection. Obama has expired his shelf life three years into his administration. Within a few weeks the Dems will have to look at the real possibility of throwing Obama overboard or letting him take the ship down with all the rats aboard.

The GOP’s “Smorgasbord” resembles the dried remnants left at the counter at the tail end of a Hometown Buffet dinner shift.

Are you intentionally lieing Petz? President Obama has been in office for 2 years and 5 months. All obstructed by the likes of you. I ask again. Are Republicans hoping the economy gets worse and will they do all they can to make it happen?

Even more important, the well which is now closed because it was ‘contaminated’ with perchlorate is way, way past the two “barrier wells” along Railroad Avenue where were supposed to suck up all of the perchlorate and TCE contaminated water coming from Bermite. What that means is that the local water agencies, Whittaker and DTSC are going to have to go back to the drawing board and figure out another way to keep all of the drinking water wells downstream from Bermite becoming contaminated and closed. And of course someone is going to have to pay to implement that new plan, hopefully not the public. FYI roughly half of Santa Clarita’s drinking water comes from well water, and the vast majority of those wells are downstream from Bermite. For those who don’t know where Bermite is, it’s the 1000 acre property including the Santa Clarita Metrolink Station parking lot, the huge mountain south of the Swap Meet, all of the land west of Golden Valley Parkway where it runs north-south next to the high school, and most of the mountain east of Circle J and the commercial properties on the east side of Railroad Avenue.