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oppose any public expenditure , some businesses won ’ t want competition , and neighbors who may be impacted will vote no . Approval isn ’ t in the bag .
So , here ’ s why you hear inconsistent messages from Q . Since I and others have been calling out the serious problems with Q , its authors have been struggling to explain away Q ’ s flaws . At the same time , Q supporters are going door to door , contending Q only impacts large developments when we know Q sweeps in the smallest . The recently approved coffee shop , the ice cream parlor , and the sandwich shop are each an example of very small projects which would have required a public vote under Q . And they ’ re each the kind of projects that will delight us .
Ask any of the three people opening these three small spots if they would have proceeded if they had to endure the time , cost and risk of a public vote .
Here ’ s a further example of the problem with Q . I recently stopped at a Q table outside the farmers ’ market . I asked about Q ’ s several flaws . Their answer - flaws can be corrected later . Really ? Changing literally anything in Q requires a public vote with a possible two year wait . And if a vote succeeded , would Q supporters
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look to a provision buried in Q that requires a majority of the electorate to make a change . That ’ s a majority of the people eligible to vote , not the majority who actually voted . Nothing would ever pass .
Q ’ s authors now say the term electorate is misunderstood and they meant those who voted . If so , electorate should never have been used . There are loads of major provisions in Q just like this one that weren ’ t sufficiently thought through or intentionally inserted to mislead .
This is why our signs say , “ Don ’ t Be Fooled – Vote No On Q .” Q may initially have been well-intentioned , but it ’ s morphed into something flawed , and it ’ s now too late to be changed . Instead of pulling it and coming back with a more sensible version , its authors are making excuses for Q , which simply don ’ t fly .
We all love our town , including Q supporters . It ’ s the stringent process that has given us what we love . The process works most of the time . Sure , we don ’ t agree with every Council decision .
But that ’ s how a representative democracy works . The town we love is a product of a process that works ! Q is wrong for Laguna . Vote No On Q .
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me at the summit with my camera . He obliged . Then I looked down at his footwear ; he was wearing Allbirds Tree Dasher running shoes , the same model and color as mine . I told him--Andy was his name--our younger son is a senior product manager for Allbirds , headquartered in San Francisco . These durable , sustainably constructed shoes are made from Eucalyptus fiber with sugar cane-derived soles while the laces are manufactured from recycled plastic bottles . Merino wool comprises the heel lining .
The company is working on sustainably disposing of worn-out shoes to keep them out of landfills . I apologize , dear readers , for my digressions . Coming back down from the peak , I marveled at the wonderful stairway that now makes it possible for this geezer to return safely to my once regular hikes up to the peak . The experience made my day . I ’ m sure my wife will want to join me on these Valido Trail hikes when she returns home from the East Coast . Yes , she assured me she was returning home .
Before signing off , I want to remind readers and all Lagunans about the upcoming Art Museum ’ s annual “ Art & Nature ” program in November . I know of no other
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event in town that so aesthetically and evocatively captures Laguna ’ s singular fusion of its natural endowments with human renderings of the same on canvas and in collages and photographs . Anyone unsure of Laguna ’ s identity and culture in these topsy-turvy times will doubtlessly come away enlightened . For all others , the program will likely offer up the same provocative art and intellectual stimulation as always . In keeping with the theme of “ The Sea Around Us ,” the featured speaker will be famed oceanographer Dr . Sylvia Earle , often referred to as “ Her Deepness .”
Until then , I hope to see you on Laguna ’ s trails and hiking in our treasured Greenbelt . While you ’ re at it , try the Valido Trail up to Aliso Peak , especially in the morning . Then send an email to OC Parks Supervisor Ranger Bryan Valladares and express gratitude for the trail work that makes those hikes doable and enjoyable at bryan . valladares @ parks . com .
Tom Osborne is an environmental historian writing a history of California ’ s environmental leadership . He and his wife , Ginger , co-lead the Laguna chapter of Citizens ’ Climate Lobby . Contact : tomosborne @ cox . net .
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