Oppose Traffic Calming Obstructions

Well, Sam Crowe Ontario (not the bird guy), in his Sam Crowe for Council campaign, says a lot of stuff. Here's what he says about traffic:

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I am opposed to reaching into the City Coffers and feeding millions of tax payer dollars every year to fund a broken Convention Center complex. I am also against spending millions of dollars on a Sports Stadium designed to benefit developers, non-resident team owners, and people living outside of our city. Those funds, in my opinion, would be better spent on Soccer and Little League fields, planning for future traffic to prevent gridlock and traffic jams on our city streets, and improved recreation programs with a special focus on teen centers.

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He doesn't say whether he wants to throw more obstructions onto Ontario streets, like the one right near the Covington & Crowe offices on 6th Street. But here's what else he says about cars:

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I was instrumental in bringing the Auto Center to Ontario. It also makes a meaningful contribution to the stream of income that flows into the City.

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So this uberplanner, who opposes Wal Mart, is proud of the fact that he encouraged the sale of cars in the city of Ontario. Just shows that everyone can be bought off with enough money.

By the way, if he's so worried about urban sprawl, then you'd think that he would have resigned his position as Hesperia city attorney and his support of a casino (emphasis mine):

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Casino opponents hoping to stall or kill a proposed casino in Hesperia were dealt a serious setback last week, when the City of Hesperia settled a suit filed against them out of court.

In a settlement dated April 26 and made public last Thursday, attorney James DeAguilera, representing a group of casino opponents calling themselves Citizens to Enforce CEQA, came to terms with city attorneys Covington & Crowe. The suit was originally filed in October 2003.

Attorney Sam Crowe concedes the details of the settlement are “confusing” in a summary sent to city officials, but they essentially boil down to three elements:

First, any city projects outside the casino site proper that could have an environmental impact would be subject to a full California Environmental Quality Act review. Secondly, the Municipal Services Agreement between the city and the Timbisha Shoshone tribe remains intact. Third, $35,000 in legal fees will be paid to DeAguilera by the Rinaldo Corporation casino development company.

Both sides of the dispute are claiming the settlement as a victory.

“We agreed to follow CEQA on everything built outside of the project, which we would do anyway,” Crowe said. CEQA requires any state or municipal agency project that could have an environmental impact must go through an environmental impact review....

The CEQA suit will not be the last hurdle the city and tribe have to clear on the way to opening the doors of a casino on the 57-acre site at Interstate 15 and Main Street. Another suit, claiming the city is improperly spending Redevelopment Agency assets on a casino, in violation of applicable law, will have its day in court on May 24. And ongoing political in-fighting in the Timbisha Shoshone tribe has led to the existence of two separate tribal councils, each of which is striking deals with separate developers....

Mayor Jim Lindley characterized the CEQA suit as a last ditch effort by a disgruntled group of residents uninterested in the opinions of their fellow residents.

“We have these citizens who are against the casino, and will look for anything they can do to stop it, even if 59 percent of the city was in favor of it,” Lindley said, referring to a March 2004 ballot initiative that effectively served as a referendum on the casino. “The impediment has been removed, the casino’s moving forward again. You decide who won.”

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So perhaps if the Wal Mart opponents prevail, we can put a casino at Mountain and 5th. Hey, Crowe likes revenue...he'll love the idea. And then he can put big speed bumps in the parking lot to damage the cars and delay emergency response. Sounds good.