Musings on the Coast

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Drifting to Dysfunction

By Michael Ray
By Michael Ray

We all know the national election is a disgrace. In hindsight, I guess it was inevitable and I am hardly the first to state it. Angry talk radio, Fox News, internet hate sites, and ultimately Trump ripping away the gentlemanly façade of the Republican Party. We all know this.

For all practical purposes the Republican Party is dysfunctional. Think of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan and how he is trapped in election hell. His problem, and that of the party, is the alt-right controls enough congressional seats (because of gerrymandering after the last census of 2010) that absolutely nothing of national consequence has been accomplished nor will it be. The whole country is a victim.

All of the above—all of it—is so well known no one cares much anymore. The real issues are lost. The country drifts.

Laguna is drifting, too, and just as badly. Decisions of importance are not happening. They are not happening because alt-crazy-Lagunatics have trapped Laguna just as surely as the alt-right has trapped Paul Ryan.

Let me explain what I mean by the term “alt-crazy-Lagunatics.” First, you know who you are. You either belong to one of the opposed-to-everything groups or you individually believe the best Laguna is a city that never changes—that it can and should be caught in a time warp in which its planning and architecture was frozen in 1955. And you attend public meetings, boy, do you attend public meetings, and you talk endlessly at them.

Secondly, it is important for readers to know that city staff is professional, courteous, helpful and efficient. We cannot reasonably ask for more. Ditto the City Council. However, neither is in control.

The alt-crazy-Lagunatics are.

Witness:

Parking: We are under-parked. Many schemes have been introduced to alleviate it. But the alt-crazy-Lagunatics oppose it. They spew that more parking will invite more crowds, so oppose any of it. Their rhetoric is simply not true. Trying to stop the crowds is like trying to stop rising tides.

Design Review: a good idea. No one wants Laguna to become as ruined as old Corona del Mar with its row houses crowding out its beauty. But alt-crazy-Lagunatics are so set against changing anything, city approval for innovation kills it.   The whole process is a prime example of self-professed experts becoming bullies. It is uncivil, undemocratic and frankly cruel.

Public Art: our hotel tax provides ample funds for public art. The City of Newport Beach does not and will not, yet it’s new Civic Center Sculpture Garden features infinitely better public art than any of our pathetic pieces. Laguna, the City of the Arts, is the amateur. Why? Answer: those who pick our art are in fact amateurs.

The Village Entrance: I am not sure Laguna Canyon Road needs a village entrance at the beginning of the city proper, but a lot of people do, and what is happening?   The alt-crazy-Lagunatics hate anything innovative and so good ideas expire.

Downtown Business Restrictions: otherwise known as stupid micro-management of what shop owners can do. Despite a great economy, downtown businesses are struggling and vacancy is rising. They are struggling because alt-crazy-Lagunatics insist micro-management of businesses is in our best interests. This is deranged.   The internet has changed everything and Laguna is so behind the curve its retail businesses are its victims.

Historic Preservation: If you own a home some “expert” put on the city’s historic list, you don’t really own the right to do anything with it. Now the alt-crazy-Lagunatics are pushing to list a group of some 550 homes as “historic.” In one fell swoop. It would constitute an illegal “public taking without compensation” (legally known as inverse condemnation). The 5th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prevents such takings, and without doubt there would be a class-action law suit. The city would lose. The alt-crazy-Lagunatics do not know and do not care.

Bicycle paths on public streets: We have none. The argument is the streets are too narrow. This is hogwash. Even NYC has bicycle paths on its public streets.

There is more. The alt-crazy-Lagunatics are not very numerous but they are very, very noisy and they show up at all the public meetings. They loudly get into the faces of our politicians and terrify them. They are like Trump, seemingly somehow rational at first blush, then more and more consumed with narcissistic self-importance. Our city staff, no matter how good it is, has its hands tied. We are dysfunctional. If you are looking for a quick change, good luck.

 

Michael Ray grew up in Corona del Mar and lives in Laguna Beach. He is a real estate entrepreneur involved in many non-profits.

 

 

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2 COMMENTS

  1. I could not of expressed it any better my self , it is not easy being Laguna Beach and the process has some side effects. Although not unlike the attention and limelight that most nationally regcognised communities recieve, those of us that have not observed its progress over more than mere decades will condemn it to rhetorical bashing.

    I could go on And explain the political undercurrents that exist because of its allure of ambiance and romantic geography, Laguna’s naivety is somewhat a conundrum to those more familure with corporate sterility, but Laguna has always had life and beauty that will be preservered by a slow process and natural progression , if you are in a hurry, Laguna Beach is not the town to be in.

    Some of the first settlers here got the picture ( literally and figuratively) when they saw what we have as a blank canvas, to create and preserve something natural and adaptive to changing tastes and popularities. People from all walks of life and from all over the world come here to visit and inevitably to stay inside this quaint somewhat over stuffed landscape. Invariablely they too bring their desires and aspirations and some how even as all of us together have such a variety of “visions” and goals to contribute, the ones that are conceived through the same “hindsight” as the founders are voted most likely to succeed.

    Most of what I agree with, that Mr. Ray points out, is that he is more familure with the corporate structure and collective status to the north of us, and that will always in itself be part of the balance of the have’s and have not’s that try to achive to what Laguna has saved by under achievement.

  2. Interesting & well written article. Much like the politics the article chastises, it was long on problem identification and short on solutions. Life is messy.

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