This has been a money grab from the very beginning. Years ago it was measure CC, which didn’t pass. We were told every vacant lot would have a high-rise built on it if we didn’t accept another parcel tax to buy up these lots. Thank God we were smart enough to see through that BS.
Then Measure LL was passed because the residents were told the money would go to undergrounding, police/fire and infrastructure. An additional 4.5 million a year just wasn’t enough to pad their failing pensions, so they came up with this fear campaign. The city took a survey asking what the people feared most. Fire and evacuation was top on the list so they used this information to build their case. Several neighborhoods were already in the process of undergrounding their assessment districts when the city put a stop to it.
Now, if the city was so adamant about what a danger these poles are, why did they stop these projects? These neighborhoods would be pole free, paying for their own assessments and more than likely voting “no” on this measure like the rest of us that have already paid for our districts. By stopping their projects, those residents will most likely vote yes and let the rest of us pay for their projects. I think that is pretty sneaky. Caltrans and SCE have already undergrounded many poles in the canyon and more are scheduled in the future. LCR is not our problem to solve. The “evacuation routes” are a made up fear tactic to get votes. Every street in Laguna is an evacuation route if you need to leave quickly. A stalled car, fallen tree, auto accident or mudslide could hamper an evacuation as easily as a utility pole. The State Route 133 Improvement Project has had a public notice in the Indy about Caltrans making drainage improvements, widening the shoulder, adding bike lanes and undergrounding overhead utilities.
Go online to the State Route 133 Improvement Project. The residents of Laguna do not need to add a tax to pay for LCR or arbitrary city streets. Now, if you want to contribute to the city’s failed pension plan, go ahead and vote yes. I’m voting no.
Jill Cooper, Laguna Beach
Great points, top to bottom Jill! A money grab indeed from a city government that presents our community with No Transparency, they omit important facts and mislead residents with this fire and fear campaign to pick our pockets again. No on P.