I just got through reading your article (“Our DNA is Missing,” July 29 edition) in the Laguna Beach Independent and I want to say thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Your opening sentence sums it all up for me and my husband. Although we are not long time residents, we vacationed in Laguna 22 years ago from the Midwest and fell in love with the quaint artist beach community. If you would have told me I would be living here 20 years later, I would have cried with joy. Getting here was a series of strange events that ended with us moving to “paradise”.
For the most part, I would still have to say that everyone is still nice. However, it only takes a few to complain and then everything changes. To quote Auster from your article, we need to stop “lumping” people into one group. Most of us want the same thing, what is best for our community, and we need to work together to “correct problems” not “make changes with more rules”.
Rules and regulations are not the only way to solve problems. If we continue in this way we will all suffocate under a mountain of regulations. Don’t get me wrong, rules and regulations have a place in an organized society, but too many can backfire and restrict us from making positive changes. People try to improve their homes but get defeated by a sea of rules and restrictions, all made as a response to a never-ending series of personal complaints. Quaint and charming is one thing: broken down and dilapidated is quite another.
Diane and Ken Berger, Laguna Beach
