The Buzz

OC Supervisor Janet Nguyen gave birth to her first child on Dec. 15. Thomas Bonikowski III arrived at 12:46 p.m., weighing 7 pounds and 13 ounces. Blog writer Art Pedrosa commented, “This took me by surprise! I had no idea that Nguyen was pregnant. Congratulations to her and her husband [Tom] Bonikowski, who also serves as a Planning Commissioner in the city of Garden Grove.” Read Pedrosa’s post at http://newsantaana.com/2010/12/17/supervisor-janet-nguyen-gives-birth-to-her-first-child

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Clunker math, forwarded by MissionViejoCA.org founder Carl Schulthess: Think of it this way, a clunker that travels 12,000 miles a year at 15 mpg uses 800 gallons of gas a year. A vehicle that travels 12,000 miles a year at 25 mpg uses 480 gallons a year.  So, the average Cash for Clunkers transaction will reduce U.S. gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year. They claim 700,000 vehicles, so that's 224 million gallons saved per year. That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil, and 5 million barrels is about 5 hours worth of U.S. consumption. More importantly, 5 million barrels of oil at $70 per barrel costs about $350 million dollars. So, the government paid $3 billion of our tax dollars to save $350 million. We spent $8.57 for every dollar we saved.

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Blog reader comment that inspired this week’s editorial cartoon: “Santa [in the city display] looks like he is exhaling whirls of smoke through his nose. What a fine example for the children. Wonder what Santa has in those packages in the sleigh? Also, the plastic junk is already deteriorating. The colored coating is peeling off on one of the reindeer. I wonder how much it will cost the taxpayers to refurbish/replace this crass insult to the true meaning of Christmas. The extensive plastic junk display at city hall sits out in the rain, seen by few and enjoyed by fewer. What a profound message for all!”

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In the same category (city government insulting the public) is the display of graphics on pillars along Crown Valley Parkway and Marguerite Parkway south of Crown Valley. The geniuses at city hall have added huge lanterns to the stone outhouses in a row on the medians. The outhouses are ugly, the graphics on the outhouses are ugly, and putting lanterns on the outhouses is laughable. What will city hall do next as an attempt to ameliorate these eyesores?

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A blog reader reported several weeks ago that roadwork along Los Alisos Blvd. is failing. Areas of the top level of asphalt are coming off, and holes are developing. Residents who checked the street last week said that large, rectangular patches have been added, possibly after the initial complaint appeared on this blog. According to the initial information, the damage on Los Alisos extended east from Muirlands to Santa Margarita Parkway. Rainy weather this month will likely demonstrate the poor quality of other roadwork and the inadequate preparation of streets for resurfacing. Residents who live near the resurfaced streets reported that the underlying damage was covered up with slurry instead of making proper repairs.

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The state’s Redistricting Commission has until Aug. 15, 2011, to redraw California’s assembly, senate and congressional districts. The 14-member commission is in place, and the final maps must meet the approval of at least nine members to pass.

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On New Year’s Eve, ride the bus without charge. The Orange County Transportation Authority will provide fixed-route bus service on all routes between 6:00 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day. OCTA gave no indication of how many riders it expected to serve on New Year’s Eve, but any effort to prevent revelers from driving will help.