I once sat through a public hearing, one summer night in Orange County, where we had to listen for nearly 5 hours to the lunatic fringe rant about putting a carpool lane on the 57 Freeway. It was part of a "communist plot" to take away your right to drive was one of these rants I remember vividly (actually we had been charged by that "extreme leftist" George Duekmejian to expand the person carrying capacity of our freeway system, in the least costly manner).

I had several elected officials in the audience that were scared to death, of this ranting mob of only about 20 people. Only four people spoke in favor of the carpool lane, and some of these had petitions from employee's who wanted relief from traffic in that corridor. I told the elected officials not to worry. I had seen some polling and had been asked about the result by a reporter. The next day that "leftist rag" the Orange County Register published the poll that show 85% support for adding the lane. Public meetings and hearings are required by law, and those attending don't necessarily represent the majority on anything?

I always like it when a small self appointed group tries to influence a public policy outcome, with mob tactics, and loses.... Because good arguments don't need schills or mobs to make the case. So I am not too afraid of taking this to a vote of those elected to represent the voters, after a healthy public debate, not dominated by a bunch of self appointed wannabee's. I'll bet a lot more people in Humbolt County need better paying jobs, or a more balanced tax base to pay for schools, fire or police, and want to do something about the traffic on 101, and maybe even long for some kind of effective passenger service to get down to the Bay, or even to Novato? So I am not surprised by the positive input to the process?