I read Sarah Teesdale’s letter with great interest, as I have been having similar thoughts myself. I actually took the time to contact the City of Malibu’s Public Works division to find out which roads in town are under state jurisdiction, and which are controlled by the city itself. Unfortunately, as we all know, PCH is a state highway, and thus outside the city’s jurisdiction. I love the idea of collecting a toll, and think that the traffic problems in Malibu present a unique opportunity to convince state legislators of a pressing need for a solution.
The real thing to do to tackle this project, and to deal with many of the other problems facing our city, is to form a local special interest group that funds lobbyists to support Malibu’s cause at state and federal levels. Rather than simply serving as a piggy bank, I think that the unique nature of the people who live in this town-intelligent, well-connected, influential- means that our group should combine the traditional lobbyist-funding role of a special interest group with regular meetings to come up with ways to leverage the power of its members.
Ideas such as a PCH toll would greatly improve the quality of life in Malibu, especially during the summer. If we can present these ideas in the right way-a means to improve air quality and fund beach safety initiatives, or other projects that would assist our town’s visitors-then we are more likely to gain support from the other 33 million people in this state. We can keep tossing such ideas around, but this will not get us anywhere. If we really want to take on the developers, politicians and corporations constantly threatening our “way of life” (as the license plate holder so eloquently states), we need to form a group with the monetary and intellectual capital needed to get stuff done.
Numair Faraz