Election tactics hit below belt

James S. McBride Jr.

I am writing this commentary on Monday evening. I don’t know yet the

winners of any of the elections. I do know some of the losers: us,

the residents of Laguna Beach. Why? Because of the vicious,

demeaning, libelous mailings and slanderous phone calls that have

inundated our mailboxes and ears. Laguna Beach has lost its naivete,

its well being, but hopefully, not its honor.

We have been exposed to self-centered, self-aggrandizing people

who aim to control Laguna’s development and enhance their own wealth,

either because of their own endeavors or by piggybacking on the

wealth and fame of neighbors.

It is time for a wake up call in Laguna Beach.

If we want to maintain our vision of Laguna Beach, whatever our

point of view, we must regain control of our destiny. We must use our

influence to assure that none of these people who have attacked our

City Council candidates succeed.

What can we do?

For starters, each of the major influential groups in Laguna Beach

-- the Taxpayers, Village Laguna, Laguna Greenbelt and others, ought

to reexamine their mission. It is time to consider these

probabilities:

1) The population of California is going to double over the next

50 years. The six Southern California counties will increase from 16

million to about 35 million.

2) A sizable percentage of that increase will want to visit Laguna

Beach or move here.

3) Laguna Beach has a relatively fixed amount of land that can be

developed.

4) Therefore, the value of land will increase. Pressure to expand

allowed building and zoning will increase.

5) Parking and shopping opportunities will become even worse than

today.

6) Prices in local shops will increase. The type and scope of

goods available will change substantially.

7) Restaurant and hotel prices will climb dramatically.

8) The cost of doing business will escalate.

Eventually, most of us may be unable to buy property here, and

many of us no longer will be able to afford shopping here.

How can we address these problems?

Hiding our heads in the sand will not do it. We cannot keep Laguna

Beach in the charming mode we remember from years ago. And unfettered

free enterprise can make for unforeseen results. In the last 20 years

I have been here, the town has changed remarkably, both Downtown and

in residential building. Time passes and conditions change. We must

deal with change.

A cogent, well-thought-out plan for the future, which accepts the

reality of change, is needed. This plan must contain solutions for

appropriate civic and private funding. Wealthy resort development

like in South Laguna must be constrained to fit within the acceptable

plan, in keeping with agreed levels of growth, development and

vision. You will say, “We tried to do that before.” My answer: “Did

we?” What did we offer as an alternative? We had none. All we did was

vote for or against the Treasure Island project. No one offered

viable alternatives. The opposing interests in town were not

interested in talking together or in developing meaningful long-range

plans.

It is not satisfactory only to be against an idea or project; one

must have an alternative solution if ideas are to be considered

seriously.

I urge all groups in town to look at their respective goals. Come

up with ideas and plans for Laguna Beach that will work for the

foreseeable future. Get together and work out a reasonable direction.

Let any change be the least objectionable for all of us.

Maybe we can be the winners and not losers, after all.

* JAMES S. MCBRIDE JR. is a CPA and a Laguna Beach resident.