SOUNDING OFF:Has ‘oasis of liberalism’ dried up?

In recent weeks, I’ve read about cracking down on crime by putting more police on the streets, rejecting a proposal to legalize drinking on the beach for two hours a week, closing the day worker center, barring medical marijuana clinics and one complaint that drinking in Laguna is out of control, with more than 100 “drinking establishments” (and that a tavern owner should be barred from City Council because of his evil profession). Is the soul of Laguna being ripped apart or what?

The only reason I moved to Orange County seven years ago was because I thought Laguna was an oasis of liberalism and tolerance. How about everybody taking a deep breath and relaxing a little? Our cops could smile a bit more and represent our community with a little more restraint, too.

We fancy ourselves a European resort town, yet we can’t drink on the beach (just walk across the street and get tanked).

We’re fearful that marijuana clinics will bring in a criminal element (you have to be a patient with a state-issued card to enter a clinic.)

Day workers? Come on, show a little compassion, people! There but for the grace of God goes you! These poor folks just want to make a buck doing the jobs our teenagers are too entitled (or too busy being filmed) to do.

And too many bars? Come on, this place is dead most nights. Two words for that complainer — Leisure World.

Finally, there is so much sign pollution heading into these elections it makes my head spin. At the end of the day, do any of these candidates stand for anything really different?

Who in their right mind is going to say they don’t support clean water? It’s a given, as is education, senior assistance and controlled growth.

How about someone actually doing something that has been given lip service for years, like building a parking structure outside of town? Or beautifying the “gateway to Laguna” — that blight known as Laguna Canyon Road? Or installing showers at the beaches?

And if we really want to make this town European, how about closing Forest and Ocean Avenues to cars, cobble-stoning the streets, and letting merchants and restaurants sell outdoors?

How to pay for all this? Easy. Take half of Main Beach and turn it into public beach clubs, where one can rent a chair and have food and drinks served.

The city would generate huge tax dollars from these concessions. They do it in France, Spain and Italy without an uptick in vandalism, crime or drownings.

Heck, I think we even used to do it here — before we became so repressed and puritanical.