By Steven Greenhut | Orange County Register — California legislators never have enough time, and always lack the vision, to deal appropriately with the state’s pressing budget and infrastructure problems. But they are great at self-aggrandizement and at catering to the special-interest groups that help assure their re-election.
One would think, for instance, the Assembly Transportation Committee would be deeply concerned with the predicted sky-high cost overruns for the proposed High Speed Rail system, or with planning cost-effective ways to meet the transportation needs of a growing population. Yet the committee spends nearly a third of its time on a task that few readers would consider of vital importance: naming highways.
“It’s gone crazy,” said Assemblyman Chris Norby, R-Fullerton, who introduced Assembly Bill 595, which would have placed a two-year moratorium “on any naming of highways or posting signs by act of the Legislature.” Local governments would still be free to name roadways. [CONTINUE READING]
