By Meera Beser, In this the “information age” we are suffering from a massive amount of disinformation. I personally find it interesting and infuriating that the press is so involved in making sure the community is lied to, and abused by, people who seem to have have a very deep, hidden agenda. Could we work on printing some truth for awhile even if it is uncomfortable and controversial?

Did you know that when Bruce Kranz voted for the four lanes he had the support of a majority of Kings Beach business owners (not necessarily property owners) as well as the residents on the grid? Did you know that Caltrans prefers the four-lane alternative in terms of safety for pedestrians, accessibility and traffic control, as does the Federal Highway Commission? Did you know that Placer County Sheriff’s Department and the North Tahoe Fire Protection District prefer the four-lane alternative in terms of traffic and pedestrian safety, and the ability to provide emergency services throughout the Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista and Crystal Bay area?

Did you know that the Washoe County Sheriff in Incline Village, Nevada also prefers the four-lane alternative having determined by independent study, that the two-lane alternative will create a deadly gridlock situation in emergency evacuation situations such as the Angora Fire?

Did you know that your very own elected senator, Dave Cox, requested Placer County to vote for a four-lane alternative due to the traffic issues?

Did you know that both the two-lane and the four-lane alternatives provide the required water quality improvements in Kings Beach? And that even if there is no project Placer County is mandated to install sidewalks, curbs, gutters and storm drains. So that even a “no project” vote would thereby fulfill those same water quality issues?

Did you know that the four-lane project will solve all the existing problems without creating more unsolvable problems?

If not then you need to know that the above statements are true and verifiable. Since both the four-lane alternative and the “no project” alternative fulfill the environmental threshold issues, and the four-lane alternative fulfills the “needs and purposes” of the environmental impact report/environment impact statement then there is no absolutely no basis for a vote of “overriding consideration”.

A vote of overriding consideration regarding the four separate “serious and unavoidable consequences” would be necessary to go forward with the two-lane alternative. It makes it even more apparent that Placer County has hidden agenda in the vote for a two-lane alternative. It is very important that you pay attention to this fact.

If there is an alternative brought forth in the EIR/EIS, which provides solutions to the threshold issues and to the needs and purposes of the EIR/EIS then there is no basis for a vote of overriding consideration.

This issue isn’t about Supervisor Kranz behaving badly, in fact, he is doing the right thing on all levels, it would be nice if Placer County staff and supervisors would do the right thing as well.

This is a Link to the Sierra Sun for Attribution