• Ortega Highway Closure: UPDATE

Anyone that uses the freeways during rush hour has seen the effects of Ortega Highway's closure. 

Commutes for daily drivers have gone from bad to worse as drivers try and navigate either the 15-91-241/55 morning nightmare or the 15-76-5 route through Oceanside.

There was press release from Cal-Trans telling us that, weather permitting, the road should be opened three weeks from today (February 21st?).

I learned about this from Riverside County Supervisor Kevin Jeffries' facebook post.

Earlier in the day I had heard on KFI radio that Riverside County was one of only 8 or 9 counties in the state not given emergency/disaster status and asked if I heard it correctly.

If you've lived in Riverside County for long, you've seen Governor Brown's hand in many things meant to tweak us for not voting for his tax hikes half a decade ago. 

To think that the news media made a big deal about "Bridge-gate" where the charge was that the New Jersey governor was said to have a hand in one bridge closing, in one area, for one weekend. 

In the meantime, the constant nose thumbing that Brown does to us goes on without any fanfare from the media. 

Noteworthy snubs include the yearly veto of vital funds for the four newest California cities, all in Riverside County.

Which leads me to wonder what Governor Brown may have up his sleeve when it comes to Riverside County's empty supervisor seat (4th district). The seat became open upon the death of John Benoit late last year.

By law, Gov. Jerry Brown has the sole authority to appoint John Benoit’s successor. 

If you remember the last time Brown was in this position, he intentionally appointed someone as supervisor (Chuck Washington) that was from the opposing party of the man that had left the post (Jeff Stone).

Leopards don't change their spots, and neither do geriatric partisans like Jerry Brown. I've learned to expect the worst when he's on the case and it involves this area. 

What did my rant about Brown have to do with Ortega Highway? Probably not much, but it was too obvious of a link to pass up noting. 

One astute Facebook user posed an interesting question on the Kevin Jeffries' thread. It was in reference to Riverside County's official request for disaster status.

That's a good question.

What good does Riverside's status have to do with getting a road that is in Orange County fixed? 

Here's to hoping that the three weeks go by quickly for all those impacted by the closure.

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"The faults of the thief are the qualities of the financier."
– George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

Wildomar Rap still is pondering over which of the two roles mentioned by Shaw, Brown most accurately fits.