Letters to the Editor

As an opponent to the legalization of marijuana I read with interest, “Know What You’re Getting: CBD, THC or Medical Marijuana” published in the March 1 issue of the Indy. I agree with many of the remarks made by Dr. Gregory Smith, M.D., especially regarding the assumption that...

I had to get off my duff and write in this week thanks to a quote from Toni Iseman in last week’s Indy article regarding proposed reform to historic preservation laws. Toni said: “I’ve talked to restaurant owners who say there are too many restaurants right now, and if you look...

We were hoping for some original new ideas from new School Board member James Kelly, but my wife and I were disappointed by his “Positive Outcomes” letter (March 7, Indy). Instead of enlarging community schools narrative, he’s seemingly fallen into lock step with same old shrill...

It was disappointing to read that a number of City Council members are not in favor of hiring a historic preservation planner, which has been supported both by the Task Force and the Heritage Committee. Many of the complaints heard before the City Council concerning historic...

Columnist J.J. Gasparotti and UCI research professor Jim Danziger provide compelling arguments exposing the flawed narrative that six million visitors per year is a net positive for Laguna Beach residents. Gasparotti and Danziger’s analyses struck a nerve. Our community has...

I completely sympathize and identify with James’ bittersweet recounting of his experience and his son’s experience with pet loss. And while I’m a “cat lady” having had two to three cats in my household my entire adult life, I revere all animals and can attest that they are not...

In the midst of discouraging back-and-forth regarding the School Board’s presidency, I’d like shift gears to shine a light on our teachers, students, staff, superintendent, and all of the board members that I have met in my short time on the board. Their hard work and expertise...

Existing School Board rule providing for annual rotation of president is a best practice Jan Vickers voted for and demanded the board follow in 2014 when she was in line to be president. That rule must be preserved to cure the defect of recent election of 30-year board incumbent...

The Green Dream concept interests me—easy for Fox News to put down, but it was simply introduced in Congress to inspire imagination. The topic first interested me when, as a fledgling academic in 1977, I studied “zero-growth” economics to see how to make capitalism...

It wasn’t 30 units in 2007. It was 15 in 2010. City up zoned M1-b commercial property without EIR. CEQA violation. 8 feet of water in 2010 maybe, but 8 feet of mud? Wrong. Investor angels? They locate property, find loopholes, develop. Not out of goodness of hearts, but goodness...

Oh, where have you gone Billy Boy, Billy Boy? Oh, where have you gone darlin’ Billy? Because it is obviously not to the land of facts and truth. But then, why should you make that effort when it is so much easier to lie back in the false sun of misinformation, distortion of truth...

There’s a sense of deja vu regarding actions by the school board—both prior to the election, last fall and the calendar issue, and the most recent incident bypassing Dee Perry as board president. While I am grateful for the board’s service to the community, our students and...

Billy’s whining characterizations about the Longi project aren’t appreciated. Longi’s property has flooded several times, because he bought a small affordable property at the bottom of a flood plain. Across the country, it is well known that artist work/live projects are the new...

Some homes have spectacular panoramic sunset ocean views, some have the drama of the coves and cliffs, some folks have equally breathtaking views of our town and hillsides. All views are precious—to be appreciated and respected. Laguna is a city of views, and that is really our...

Let’s face it, the trolleys are for tourists. The current wisdom is that the trolleys keep tourists from parking downtown. Considering the number of tourists the city faces, I suspect the trolleys make little difference. The merchants downtown benefit from the trolleys; however,...

I have been reading with increasing dismay the letters and articles about who would be LBUSD Trustee Board President. It seems to me that Dee Perry not being chosen to be board chair has to do with her personal feelings and nothing to do with policy or students, which is the...

The LBUSD Public Communications office recently confirmed email content sent under official seal by School Board member Peggy Wolff. The message recklessly accuses member Dee Perry of violating legally binding School District rule. That accusation is not supported by evidence,...

In his column, “Don’t Come Here, You’ll Drown” J.J. Gasparotti explains that Laguna is at the same time both spending tax dollars to bring in more tourists while also spending tax dollars to try to deal with the impacts of tourists. And the revenue the city collects from tourists...

Regarding J.J. Gasparotti’s Feb. 15 column, “Don’t Come Here, You’ll Drown:” J.J.—Your best column ever, maybe the best column I’ve ever read that sums up the schizophrenia. The slippery slope was built and greased when the city raised bed taxes by 2 percent what, 15 years...

What is going on with the Laguna Beach Unified School Board? I was surprised to read that Dee Perry was denied the chance to serve as Board President, after serving as Clerk. This is the procedure followed in the past, and no reason was given to break with this practice. As far...

Eucalyptus trees have been taking it in the neck lately. Two on Mermaid recently got the chop.  Now famously, one crushed a car on Broadway. Recurring letters to the editor vilify them as public safety hazards, fire hazards, leaf litterers, mistaken plantings of our forebears,...

Hypocrisy is what upsets me the most. I don’t care if you are a liberal or a conservative, the hypocrisy must stop. I’m proud of the Covington boys, the parents and their Catholic school. In his recent letter, Mark Dressler doesn’t correctly describe the events that lead the...

  No one wants to talk about traffic, because few really understand the problem. Traffic seems so complicated, that our hope remains that the city or another party will fix it somehow. I don’t know traffic, but I do know people. This winter, I have seen the impact of traffic...

At a Jan. 8 City Council meeting, during the consideration of an appeal from a Design Review Board decision, Councilmember Peter Blake, made the following comment: “I think the person who is building has every right to build whatever they want to build within the envelope. So, I...