14 lagunabeachindy . com SEPTEMBER 16 , 2022
GUEST OPINION
How About That Initiative ?
BY MICHAEL RAY
People keep asking me to comment on the no-growth initiative , Measure Q . So , I will . It will stop anything new from happening in Laguna and the town would ( further ) rot .
You think retail vacancies are high now ? Measure Q would make them skyrocket .
Because that is what it does . The initiative ’ s tripwires are so restrictive and all-reaching that even a new coffee bar at a place like The Lumberyard would be stopped cold . To obtain approval , the owner would be required to submit the coffee bar to a vote of all the citizens of Laguna in a special election . That election would cost $ 100,000 +, paid for
by the proposer .
Would you spend $ 100,000 for voter approval for a coffee bar ? Duh , of course not . You would take your idea to Irvine , Newport , Tustin or Rancho Santa Margarita---some other place . You don ’ t need Laguna . It is a simple economic choice .
That is what the Measure Q , as created by Laguna Residents First ( LRF ), would do : stop cold any new commercial enterprise . Stop cold any remodels any upgrades , any new tenants , anything new of any kind . It will stop them dead in their tracks .
Measure Q is an outgrowth of the prevailing sentiment emanating from Village Laguna ( VL ), a Political Action Committee , that controlled this town for more than 30 years and stifled anything new . However , in the 2018 elections , VL candidates lost control of the majority on the City Council , did not regain it in the 2020 elections , and some sanity has returned to this town .
Village Laguna hates---hates----its loss of control , and like as modern-day Terminator , has risen out of the ashes to back Measure Q under the rubric that Laguna ’ s “ citizens ” should vote on anything new . During their thirty-year rule , such niceties were not considered necessary because , ah , ahh … because they were in control .
To justify their support , they promote The Big Lie that high-rise developers are poised to destroy Laguna---turn it into a type of Huntington Beach hell---and Measure Q is the only thing standing between our quaint town and their Big Lie .
Here is the truth . There are zero highrise developments proposed for Laguna , and zero possibility any could be built . No one wants it . No one .
As a political position , it is a Paper Tiger : a cure for a problem that does not exist , kind of like the medieval practice of bleeding patients to cure a fever .
It is also like the VL ’ s parallel Paper Tiger argument that new tenants are discouraged by high rents charged by greedy landlords . Give me a break . Our landlords are no less greedy than landlords in surrounding cities , whose rents are just as high . Our buildings are vacant because after Village Laguna spent thirty years enacting every more restrictive impediments for new tenants , hardly any new tenants want to run the gamut . But Village Laguna says it is not their fault . It is greedy landlords . Hogwash .
Measure Q is simply the latest action , a last gasp , to strangle the town that artists made famous . It is not needed and is pushed by the Big Lie . I would say to all those Measure Q supporters , who are extremely noisy on letters to the editors and local social media : go away . Leave us be .
Ray is a Laguna Beach resident and principal officer emeritus of Laguna Forward PAC .
Calvert
PAGE 12
Ranger starts this week .
Community outreach and engagement are a priority for the Laguna Beach Police Department and just one of the reasons why we are unique compared to other police organizations . We are only successful with the support , feedback and partnership from the people who live and work here . We pride ourselves that our relationship with the community continues to grow . Over the last year , it has been wonderful to meet and talk to so many of you at events like our Citizens Academy , two teen leadership academies , our Road Safety Expo , more than 40 E-bike education presentations , Coffee with a Cop , and the ice-cream social .
We have come a long way as a department over the past year because of our employees ’ creative ideas and willingness to work toward positive changes with support from City Manager and City Council . We still have a lot of good change coming , but one thing remains our mission to ensure you are safe , secure , and receive exceptional police service in the City of Laguna Beach . We ’ re optimistic about our future , and I look forward to introducing you to our new team members and celebrate the accomplishments we create together as a community . In community spirit , Jeff Calvert , Police Chief
Don ’ t Be Fooled by Measure Q
Bad for Taxpayers , Bad for Small Business , Bad for Laguna
Measure Q hurts small businesses , making it harder for them to succeed and driving them out of Laguna . But it ’ s not just bad for existing small businesses , it discourages new businesses from choosing Laguna too . Let ’ s not lose Laguna ’ s small-town charm .
HERE ’ S WHY WE ’ RE VOTING NO
• Measure Q isn ’ t just about over-development – it sweeps in most proposals
• Measure Q will keep small businesses out of Laguna
COMMUNITY LEADERS AGREE – VOTE NO ON Q
• Measure Q could cost the City – and therefore taxpayers – millions in fees and lost revenue
• Measure Q could mean lost revenue for our first-rate public safety programs
Mayor Sue Kempf Mayor Pro Tem Bob Whalen Councilmember Peter Blake
Small businesses , local elected officials and community members are all working together to defeat Measure Q . Visit CitizensforLagunasFuture . com to join our rapidly growing coalition against Measure Q .
To get involved , visit CitizensforLagunasFuture . com / count-me-in
CitizensforLagunasFuture . com Vote No on Q @ VoteNoOnQ
Ad paid for by Citizens for Laguna ’ s Future , FPPC # 1450234 .