WHAT ABOUT THE "GREATER LOS ANGELES" MARCH GLOBALPORT?

A large part of Measure A will end up providing freeway infrastructure to serve March GlobalPort at March Air Base.  Not really for "Riverside," but for something called "Greater Los Angeles."

What's so bad about that, you ask.  Doesn't that mean jobs?

Not the kind of jobs we need.  To the extent it means "new jobs," it means low end warehouse, plane refueling type jobs.  With probably lots of unskilled labor showing up to compete against our existing base of unskilled labor for the very same jobs.  This is not "visionary" planning.  This is "cargo pit for Los Angeles" planning.

But March will also bring:
The best way to understand the planned March Development is to read up on the "benefits" March GlobalPort and the Joint Powers Authority are selling to potential cargo businesses.

First of all, you have no say.  You didn't know that, did you?  But read it direct from them:

"The March JPA has streamlined the way to do business in California. The March JPA has land use authority, and is responsible for all entitlements, building permits, and clearances. Furthermore, the March JPA formed a California Redevelopment Agency and project area to assist with development of MIP. This means, that all business dealings at MIP are conducted with "one" cohesive legislative group. March Inland Port is open for business today. All criteria and regulations have been satisfied, and March Inland Port Airport Authority is ready to do business."   MarchJPA

(The links that follow are all on the March Inland Cargo Port Development, LLC site.  However, because they are in frames, I have had to link the specific frame, and you will not see their logo and headings.  You can look at the whole page as they have presented it here.)

Yes, everything is streamlined here in the Inland Empire, because we have a "pro-business government" unlike, say Los Angeles, which hates business altogether, I suppose.  Here's how GlobalPort presents it:

"6. Pro-business Local Government: March Joint Powers Authority consists of local government representatives from the surrounding cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley and Perris. They are pro-business and are dedicated to making March the best air cargo and distribution location in the west." March Inland Cargo Port Development, LLC

(In other words, we've been sold out.)

Now, the reason March is so attractive is that it can handle a really lot of cargo from all over the place.  San Diego doesn't have adequate capacity, so March will be San Diego's cargo airport as well as Los Angeles' cargo airport -- it is presently trucking 80% of its cargo to LAX or Ontario.  March Inland Cargo Port Development, LLC.

In fact, because our local government representatives are unable to find any urban development anywhere in proximity to March, the GlobalPort has room to grow, and grow and grow:

"8. Long-Term Growth: Compared to most commercial airports in the country, MICP is still relatively free of urban encroachment. This gives March the opportunity and room to expand its cargo and distribution facilities. It currently has 330 acres of developable land on both sides of the runway."  
 March Inland Cargo Port Development, LLC

How much does that add up to in terms of cargo?  Well --

"March can handle more than 1.2 million tons of cargo per year, which is about 14 % of the regional and 20% of international volumes predicted for 2016."  March Inland Cargo Port Development, LLC.

But the question is, will you want to be living here when that happens?

Your next question -- I'm sure you are wondering -- is, who precisely are the people behind all this development.  Well, of course they have already told you it is your very own "pro-business" local government representatives.  But let's get a bit more specific.  Who is behind March GlobalPort?

Well, the key developer is The Lynx Group, out of Texas.  But The Lynx Group has some very important local partners, names you have heard over and over.  Such as,

"MARION ASHLEY President, Ashley Capital and County Lands Inc."  

Ashley just happens to also be, the "former chair and member of the Riverside County Planning Commission and current director and immediate past president of the Eastern Municipal Water District."

So, that is one of the many "pro-business" local representatives at work bringing you GlobalPort.

[Ashley update 9/09/02 --  I checked the GlobalPort website today and since my last viewing of it, Mr. Ashley has been removed from the list of participants.  As you may know, Mr. Ashley is running for Riverside County Board of Supervisors--with a broad coalition of endorsements--and is almost certain to win.  I wrote an e-mail to Mr. Ashley today, via his website e-mail address, and I asked him to clarify his involvement.  I believe I read in the Press-Enterprise that he had divested himself of his Valley Bank stock in anticipation of his Board of Supervisors campaign, and perhaps he has done the same with whatever his interest in the GlobalPort may be.  Whether "divestment" ends his commitment to developing the GlobalPort is another question.]

And, then we have HENRY W. COlL, JR. President, Tilden-Coil Constructors, Inc., along with JACQUES S. YEAGER, SR. Director of the Board, E.L. Yeager Construction Company, Inc.  

And others.  You don't need to take my word for it, the development team, with short bios, can all be found on the GlobalPort website.


So, if not March Cargo Port, then how do we bring the goods we need into the Inland Empire?  How do we get them out?

Those are fair and reasonable questions.  Because keep in mind that the decisions we are making right now are the ones that are going to govern and direct our City and County for years to come.  Just as LAX and Ontario simply keep getting bigger and bigger, so will March once it begins.

Let's start with one simple question -- how much smog can we tolerate?  Because we are talking about massive increases in smog.  We are talking about smog levels that already exceed federal maximums and are predicted to exceed federal maximums by 50% or more.  We are talking about smog levels that are the worst in the nation.

Jet cargo is not a good choice for our area for a number of reasons.  Overall, we need better planning solutions than jumbo jets emitting vast quantities of uncontrolled, unregulated pollution.  But when we think of the Inland Empire, we have to realize a few critical things. Therefore, we require solutions that achieve the transportation mission without choking our air.  What are the options?

It seems to me, we need to develop high speed electric rail transportation options throughout the Inland Empire and throughout the state.  Rail is more efficient.  Electric trains would reduce overall pollution and in particular, emissions need not be in the Inland Empire.  High speed trains would represent a better travel option than either air travel or personal vehicle within California.

And finally, rail transportation is a proven technology.  Europe and Japan are far ahead of the US in rail transportation, since the US has insisted on relying on air transportation.

The bottom line is you become a victim of the infrastructure you put in place.  A high pollution, inefficient, noisy infrastructure is not the one that should define the Inland Empire.  We can do better.  The choice is being made today.

Shel Daltrey
Shel-at-fastbk.com
rev. 7/25/02