Letters to the Editor

A tale of alchemy during divisive diatribes: We were all dressed in black from neck to toe, waiting for our umbrellas in lines that twisted from multiple sites on Main Beach. Some of us came from town, and some from afar—each clutching our release waivers and hoping for one of...

Before the election is in the distant past, I want to commend both Stu News and the LB Indy for their fair and even-handed treatment of local election issues over the past few weeks. In a national climate where election issues are hotly contested, and the news media is vilified...

Whose idea was it to solve the homeless problem by bussing the homeless to the bus depot every day and pick them up before dinner time to take them to the shelter? After interviewing a dozen homeless people, it seems to me that their expectation is that all who show up get to...

I resent Fire/Police unions who try to sway residents into voting Yes on P to tax ourselves. Your unions just seek ways to intimidate and promote by fire/fear campaign at the City Council candidates at your recent forum, into whatever more you can coerce these new Candidates for...

The Sierra Club did not endorse anyone running for city office in Laguna Beach – not even those that claim to be sensitive to the environment such as Ann Christoph and Toni Iseman.  I wonder why? Have you noticed how much money is being spent this year on midterm elections?  Some...

This election comes at a critical juncture for our city. It’s a vote for new voices instead of the same old tired faces. Village Laguna has launched a vitriolic campaign filled with distortions and outright lies in their desperate attempts to cling to power and keep their puppets...

Most of us feel this place is special, and it’s not just the coastline. Unlike the towns around us, very few of our houses are similar, not many of our streets are straight, our Canyon is still pretty wild, each beach has its own personality, and our commercial districts are...

Ms. Zeiter (Letters, Oct. 26, 2018) wrote the Indy to report the theft of “No on P” signs by an individual described as “resident James Kretzschmar.” Mr. Kretzschmar was stopped by LBPD with no resulting arrest or citation, in spite of the stolen signs being in the rear seat of...

We know that four big fish real estate developers and commercial property owners have contributed almost all of the nearly $100,000 raised by the PAC, and that of that, $55,000 comes from related but opaque entities. (Theme for another day.) Their five issues are parking...

  Democrats’ gas tax costs Californians 12 cents per gallon on gasoline and 20 cents per gallon on diesel fuel. These costs are meant to cover rising transportation infrastructure costs but are really going toward Governor Jerry Brown’s high-speed railway system. The current...

We live in troubling times. Our country is riddled with anger and anxiety. Somehow, I naively thought we in Laguna were not subject to the same divisive tactics that we see at the national level. Yet, here we are. I’ve lived in Laguna Beach for more than four decades and...

I’m not aligned with Democrats, Village Laguna, or the Chamber of Commerce. I made small contributions to the City Council re-election campaigns of Rob Zur Schmiede and Toni Iseman. Late in the campaign, Rob bowed out, due to a family emergency, but this past week it was reported...

Political advisors know, the most deceptive lies are half lies, when repeated often enough, they will be perceived as truth by voters. “Laguna could have become another Miami” is the imminent threat that strangles this City at its core, and everyone keeps believing it. I ask,...

Since the early 1970s, when my first pieces were published, I have encouraged people to vote. Next Tuesday is no exception. To the women who didn’t like what they witnessed during the recent Kavanaugh hearings, I say vote. Ditto to the women who support the new Supreme...

A testament of just how well Judie Mancuso interacts and works effectively with others for the better good is her recent candidacy endorsement by her 2016 city council rival Councilman Steve Dicterow. Councilman Dicterow’s support of Judie to serve as our next city council member...

I’ve lived in Laguna longer than most people have been alive. There have always been homeless people here but only recently have they been so bold in their takeover of public spaces. Authorities seem helpless to respond. To pick one of hundreds of examples, today, Oct. 26, I...

“The Walrus and the Carpenter were walking close at hand; They wept like anything to see such quantities of sand: If this were only cleared away, they said, it would be grand!” With respect to Lewis Carroll: the “kind” intentions of the developer PAC, Liberate Laguna, and the...

CANDO, the Canyon Alliance of Neighborhoods Defense Organization, supports Measure P for Laguna Beach. Downed electrical wires were the leading cause of wildfires in California in 2017. As the number and intensity of wildfires goes up our risk is increasing, not decreasing. In...

Group of activists and rally goers gather around leaf that fell from tree. Activists plan to sue Mother Nature. What does Mother Nature have to say for herself? Woman calls police stating she saw what seems to be a homeless person sitting on a park bench during park hours. Turns...

I feel the need to publicly express my experience of the performances at two consecutive nights of the Laguna Dance Festival. I attended two different shows, on Friday and Saturday nights. They were fabulous! The curating of performers and styles, the execution, costumes,...

This election is quite unique. Never before = City Council Elections has two empty seats and third seat with incumbent who didn’t quit gracefully after 20 years of oppressing property rights, controlling HOA Mentality, Homeless Vagrants, unchecked Spending & Hiring, Bond...

Although most of what Anne Frank stated in her Oct. 12 “Guest Column” is factual, she has omitted material facts that explain why Laguna’s historical program is failing. Property owners know exactly what the ordinance states. They have been through the process and know firsthand...

Why would anyone vote for someone who has bragged that he has never voted? That someone is Peter Blake, who is now running for City Council. He has no experience or expertise, obviously doesn’t take his civic duty seriously, and wants to drastically change the look of Laguna by...

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...

Village Laguna has had a stranglehold on Laguna City Council for many years. Three current members were supported and financed by them to get elected. Three is the magic number to get anything passed or denied in City Council. Village Laguna and their lackeys are responsible for...