Opinion: Village Matters

Give our highest selves a chance

By Ann Christoph

We have the impression that politics is messy, and there’s the sense that something untoward and manipulative is happening behind the scenes. Sometimes we have the hard evidence—like Trump’s Access Hollywood tapes and now the recordings of Los Angeles councilmembers Martinez, DeLeon and Cedillo, who, in private conversations, insult the very constituents they’re purporting to serve.

“Let’s work together,” politicians say in public. In private, these conversations reveal manipulation for power for themselves and their chosen group. The comments were racist.

Mike Bonin, a councilmember whose black son was disparaged, spoke with inspiration as quoted by Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, “I am reeling from the revelations of what these people said. Trusted servants who voiced hate and bile. Public officials are supposed to call us to our highest selves…”

Laguna Beach is different. We don’t have to wait for revealing recordings of private meetings. The insults are expressed in public, in our case by councilmember Peter Blake.

We don’t have enough people of color in our town to make it worthwhile for a mean politician to insult. But we have plenty of insults and hatred just the same.

Blake has made up his own groups to denigrate—”ruthless political activists,” “house smock wearing polyester Bettys,” “Luddite followers,” anyone connected with Village Laguna, Laguna Residents First, South Laguna Civic Association, or any other residents’ organization that advocates for neighborhood issues at the Council.

Speakers fear Blake’s hateful attacks, and he has caused great harm to the positive atmosphere Laguna Beach used to provide and foster.

In Los Angeles, citizens marched to city hall demanding the offending councilmembers’ resignations.

Even the White House has urged the councilmembers to step down. The outrage in Los Angeles is justified and councilmembers’ resignations have already taken place.

Here in Laguna? Despite continual complaints about Blake’s behavior, despite fellow councilmembers censure and reprimands, his hateful attacks continue. We have the outrage, but Blake continues his hate-speech.

It’s unbelievable there are actually campaigns to re-elect Blake. Cindy Shopoff and Michael Ray have formed a Political Action Committee, Laguna 2022—more thousands of dollars to promote this damaging candidate.*

We have had leaders who inspired Laguna to open its heart, end discrimination, protect our city and surroundings, be kind, and be “our highest selves.” Can we restore Laguna’s soul?

Any of the other six candidates will at least try. With Blake gone, our council meetings would no longer be a continual forum for insults and hatred. Then we can all truly “work together” toward a compatible beautiful town, inside and out.

*Shopoff and Ray were founders of the Liberate Laguna PAC that supported Blake and Kempf in 2018.

Laguna 2022 PAC has produced not only a pro-Blake mailer but also a bizarre hit piece on candidate Ruben Flores.

They posit that beautification advocate Flores is an inappropriate representative for the city because they dug up some unflattering photos, while not mentioning that their man Blake has been censured by fellow councilmembers for his hostile public behavior–much worse than anything they have imagined Flores doing.)

Ann is a landscape architect and former Laguna Beach mayor. She is also a long-time board member of Village Laguna, Inc.