MAILBAG: Vision of better transport can be realized

Here is a response to Cindy Frazier’s column “No such thing as free parking” (Dec. 12).

I agree with Cindy’s conclusion that free parking in the city-owned lot at Forest Avenue and Laguna Canyon Road will not help stressed local merchants.

We all appreciate that our City Council took prompt action in an effort to help local vendors.

So now what? What will our council leaders do to help our merchants? I have no ideas about a short-term fix.

However, here is the synopsis from the beginning of the Resident and Visitor Mobility section of Vision Laguna 2030 Strategic Plan completed in December 2001: “We will be a safe and enjoyable community to walk and bicycle with convenient transit and smooth traffic flow.”

The Goals of the Resident and Visitor Mobility section of Vision 2030 are:

?Develop a citywide transit system that makes it possible to go anywhere in town without getting into a private car.

?Create an urban redesign for Coast Highway that balances capacity with safety, amenity and community, and that better accommodates pedestrians and bicycles.

?Conduct and implement a Livable Communities analysis of Laguna’s streets, both residential and commercial, to make them safer, friendlier to bicycles and pedestrians, and more beautiful.

?Create a pedestrian-friendly environment throughout the Downtown Specific Plan area.

?Acquire the necessary factual data and professional assistance to develop and implement an effective parking strategy for Laguna Beach.

?Implement and map a comprehensive bicycle plan that will reestablish bicycle corridors through town.

?Undertake a comprehensive urban design study and analysis of Laguna Canyon area.

The city spent about $150,000 for the visioning process and, according to the city, 2,000 residents participated.

Would our merchants make more money if our town was more like the goals above?

In an effort to promote the above goals, a group of local residents is meeting once per month to lead a community wide drop-in bike ride.

They meet on the third Saturday of each month. Ride No. 4 will be at 9 a.m. Saturday .

The gathering spot is where Park Avenue meets the [Laguna Beach] High School parking lot.

MICHAEL HOAG

Laguna Beach

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Pay cuts could save jobs in country crisis

One solution to reducing the depression and financial chaos is to keep people working and not adding to our welfare and unemployment costs.

This solution is implemented by giving everyone a cut in wages instead of laying some off.

Use the following hypothetical example.

An employer of 100 people is losing sales and must cut back by at least 10% to stay in business. Instead of laying off 10 people, he gives everyone a 12% reduction in wages keeping everyone employed with an income and off the unemployment roles.

The company is saved and whatever the company does can continue to be made available, maybe even at a reduced cost.

This solution applies to every employer from the government down to the smallest of companies.

Private and public unions that insist on maintaining wages/perks thereby causing some of their members to lose their jobs, and worse maybe forcing the employer into bankruptcy, should be disbanded by the workers or the government if necessary.

DAVE CONNELL

Laguna Beach

Free parking, but higher parking tickets

I find it interesting that they [City Council] make parking free and jacked up the ticket rates. Guess they need to make up for the loss somewhere, eh?

M. “CHARLIE” FERRAZZI

Laguna Beach

Editor’s note: M. “Charlie” Ferrazzi is director of The Esther Wells Collection.

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A way to say ‘thanks’ to armed services

Xerox is doing something terrific this holiday season.

If you go to www.LetsSayThanks.com, you can pick out a thank you card designed by children.

Xerox will print it, and it will be sent to a soldier who is currently serving in Iraq. You can’t pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.

How amazing it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one?

It is free, and it takes less than a minute. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these?

RICHARD MOORE

Laguna Beach