🚀 go-pugleaf

Gary Starkweather wrote:
> 
> If you commute on Hiway 9, you will want to take action on this!

Yes, we will!
> 
> CalTrans is considering closing the Saratoga Gap station.
> 
> Snowplows would come an hour or so later, and the slides, even
> minor ones, would takes hours to clear because the equipment would be
> down the hill on one side or the other and work their way up.
> 
> As it is, the plows are out as soon as the snow starts, and clear down
> from the top which gets the worst first.
> 
> Expect more 'road closed' days if this takes place.

We won't want to see what happens to Highway 9 (or Highway 35) if those
workers aren't up there considering it to be "their baby."  Think how
many times you've come across one of their orange vehicles on the hill!
> 
> This is a political decision and can be changed if we make a loud noise.

It's true.  Thay do listen if there's a noise to be heard.
> 
> There is no great savings to be had. The land is State Park land and
> there are only three crew left to maintain the whole of Hiway 9.
> 
> It will look good on someone's record that they cut one more un-needed
> station.
> 
> Gary Starkweather
> 
> PS: Please read the hit and run post and help if you can. TIA
> 
> --
> _____________________________________________________________________
> Gary Starkweather                                   gstark@cruzio.com
> Santa Cruz Mountains On-line Guide         http://www.hiway9.com/~slv
> SGO Technologies Inc.                              http://www.sgo.com

Thanks for the tip, Gary.  Prevention is the best medicine.
-- 
Cap Pennell
Santa Cruz, CA, 95062-1002       3658.92N/12200.88W
email: cap@cruzio.com      homepage: http://members.cruzio.com/~cap
packet radio: KE6AFE@kg6ee.#cca.ca.usa.noam

Gary Starkweather <gstark@cruzio.com> writes:
> CalTrans is considering closing the Saratoga Gap station.
[...]
> This is a political decision and can be changed if we make a loud noise.
> 
> There is no great savings to be had. The land is State Park land and 
> there are only three crew left to maintain the whole of Hiway 9.

If it's a political decision, with no great savings, then how come
do you go on to say:

> It will look good on someone's record that they cut one more un-needed 
> station.

Sounds like there's a cost-savings.  Cut-backs usually do spell savings.

However, I'm intrigued, I thought the prevailing SCruz Mountain Folk (TM)
attitude was "we're tough, and don't need lots of expensive services, and
we're proud of it, and we like it that way".  It seems people concerned
about loss of this facility could work to form an assessment district and
pay for maintaining the high(er) level of service you demand.  I think on
a per capita (or per residence) basis, providing services to Mountain Folk
is costlier, and is probably being subsidized by non-Mountain Folk enough
already.  The need and importance of clearing various roads up there fast
(or faster) is directly related to the fact that so many valley workers
are choosing to live up there and drive lots of miles to work over many
roads which were not intended or designed to support lots of commuters.

-- 

Adrian Brandt
(408) 565-7291 / ab@nt.com

(Adrian Brandt) writes:
> Sounds like there's a cost-savings.  Cut-backs usually do spell savings.

Yep, short sighted savings.  As much as SC county would like to stop
growth, it's not gonna happen.  Let's assume, for a second, that they
do eliminate this station.  After all, it only effects a couple of
thousand people on the week days in the winter.  Close the station,
tear down the buildings and sell it off or give back the land.

20 years from now, there will be something more like matbe hundreds
of thousands of people commuting over the summit.  They are gonna be
pretty darned loud to their politicians because they can't get to 
work for 5 - 10 days each year.

When they make enough noise, the politicians will try to establish a
new station up there.  Guess what:  the cost of re-establishing what
exists, now, will cost MILLIONS!  Just figure what the costs would
be, today.  In 10 years, you can double that and in 20 years multiply
it by 4.  Divide that by the number of years and compare that to the
cost of simply maintaining what exists, now, over that time and you
tell me if it is a savings to eliminate the station, today.

In my experience, the people that work at this station are one of
the very few groups of Cal Trans workers that *earn* their money.
I have *never* seen these people standing around, leaning on shovels
like I see so often in the pit.  These people go out of their way to
keep things working up here.  And that's just their job.  The other
important difference that I noticed was that the people that work
at this station often stop and help motorists who are stopped by the
side of the road.  I got offers of help twice (even though I didn't
need help) and was *pleasently* surprised at the offers.

Foolishness -- DAMNED foolishness!

Do not underestimate your abilities.  That is your boss's job.
It is your job to find ways around your boss's roadblocks.
_______________________________________________________________
Glen Appleby  glena@bbs.cruzio.com  http://www2.cruzio.com/~glena/

Whatever floats yuor boat...

Currently, John, Charley and Doug keep the whole of Hiway 9 open.

Since the equpment is housed at the top, they drive up and start clearing down
Often the road is clean before commute hour begins.

If you think it makes more sense for the crew to drive down the hill, get the 
rigs, go back up the hill, and then start work... Yer nuts!

Cutbacks ain't the issue. What, you think Charley oughtta go? Well stop and
talk to him or either of the others. Ask them about the drainage cleanout 
near you. These guys keep the road open and it is more efficient the way it is 
than with the gear in Santa Cruz or Saratoga.

As for the rest of the claptrap in the post, Feh!

Gary Starkweather
---------------------


Adrian Brandt wrote:
> 
> Gary Starkweather <gstark@cruzio.com> writes:
> > CalTrans is considering closing the Saratoga Gap station.
> [...]
> > This is a political decision and can be changed if we make a loud noise.
> >
> > There is no great savings to be had. The land is State Park land and
> > there are only three crew left to maintain the whole of Hiway 9.
> 
> If it's a political decision, with no great savings, then how come
> do you go on to say:
> 
> > It will look good on someone's record that they cut one more un-needed
> > station.
> 
> Sounds like there's a cost-savings.  Cut-backs usually do spell savings.
> 
> However, I'm intrigued, I thought the prevailing SCruz Mountain Folk (TM)
> attitude was "we're tough, and don't need lots of expensive services, and
> we're proud of it, and we like it that way".  It seems people concerned
> about loss of this facility could work to form an assessment district and
> pay for maintaining the high(er) level of service you demand.  I think on
> a per capita (or per residence) basis, providing services to Mountain Folk
> is costlier, and is probably being subsidized by non-Mountain Folk enough
> already.  The need and importance of clearing various roads up there fast
> (or faster) is directly related to the fact that so many valley workers
> are choosing to live up there and drive lots of miles to work over many
> roads which were not intended or designed to support lots of commuters.
> 
> --
> 
> Adrian Brandt
> (408) 565-7291 / ab@nt.com




-- 
_____________________________________________________________________
Gary Starkweather                                   gstark@cruzio.com  
Santa Cruz Mountains On-line Guide         http://www.hiway9.com/~slv
SGO Technologies Inc.			           http://www.sgo.com