Caltrans's 710 Houses Getting Audited

The California Department of Transportation owns hundreds of homes in Pasadena, South Pas, and LA that lie near their proposed 710 extension project, which would fill a six-mile gap in the freeway. Earlier this summer, reports surfaced that grossly-inflated repairs were being ordered for the state-owned homes and being paid for at taxpayer expense (a roof was fixed for $103K)--now the Pasadena Star-News reports that Assemblyman Anthony Portantino has introduced legislation for an audit on the repairs. The audit will also look at how much tax revenue would have been accrued if the houses were privately owned. The 710 extension project has been in the works for decades and the homes have been owned by Caltrans since the 1980s. [PSN]