Mailbag: Stalag V: shelter or internment camp?

Is the Laguna Canyon facility for the indigent a merciful homeless shelter or a thinly-veiled internment camp, a detention center?

After World War II, does constitutional law still allow the relocation and incarceration of legitimate U.S. citizens?

Why did the city only mention a minimal accommodation number (50), not a maximum?

Resembling an über-whacky episode of “Hogan’s Heroes,” our smarmy back-patting council congratulated themselves and their buddies profusely, then voted to create such a riddle Tuesday evening.

The city basically stated it can alter or ignore its own conditional use permit by fiat due to existent zoning (institutional land use according to the city attorney) and preclude any CEQA review, including input by the Cal Coastal Commission “” all without official notification plus comment period and Planning Commission hearing.

I was especially impressed with Canyon resident and wood artist extraordinaire Randy Bader who attacked them for repeatedly dumping the city’s troubles in that area. He was right in many other ways unanswered or addressed by the city.

Most disturbing is a complete, abject failure on the city’s part to procure a state-mandated independent initial environmental analysis to provide the public with the ramifications (Potential Adverse/Negative Impacts), the cumulative consequences of this increasing stress upon a specific zone where the Laguna Canyon Road constricts. This robs the public of due process and shrouds further adaptive management tactics or conflict resolution in self-serving, closed door city hall conferences.

This is also contrary to both the Brown Act and CEQA, which prescribe transparency, not stealth.

You will now have laborers and Ganahl Lumber traffic converging, clogging this constriction during the day; the “swing shift” (homeless shelter) coming on at sunset and after dark.

The homeless will supposedly voluntarily emerge and migrate to our streets and beaches as Ganahl and the laborers start their day. Now that’s a Chinese fire drill, a chaotic conglomeration of mixed-use activities!

Locking them up (or down) at night, bright lighting and guards for security, am I the only one who sees this as a knee-jerk, fascist solution?

These people don’t function well in very structured, organized societal situations, so who in their right natural mind believes they’ll follow Stalag V’s rules?

Well, our illustrious and obviously clueless city officials, that’s who!

Just like the day laborer site, City Hall asked itself:

Hey, CUP? We don’t need no stinking CUP!

CEQA review? What’s a “CEQA”?

ROGER VON BÃœTOW

Laguna Beach

Faith groups can support homeless

An open letter to Laguna’s places of worship:

This is an inspired proposal for your consideration: Since the homeless population in Laguna has reached critical mass, we have a serious suggestion for their ongoing accommodation: There is an empty retirement community (apparently with private rooms, bathrooms, dining hall, etc.) on South Coast Highway and it just happens to be for sale right NOW.

We propose that the leadership of all of Laguna’s churches, chapels, synagogues, temples, Kingdom Halls and mosques convene to make a perpetual commitment to help Laguna’s homeless population by buying the above property for their exclusive use. This property would then be operated, maintained and perpetually funded by a coalition of Laguna’s religious communities. The homeless would be housed, clothed and fed; all of their medical, dental and vision needs would be covered by this interfaith effort; daily maid service would also be provided. Additionally, the numerous jobs that would be created at the shelter by our faith-based institutions would aid the economy.

There should be no argument as to how much money each church should contribute to this noble effort. Apparently, one local/national denomination alone found $30 million to spend on a Biblical directive to change California’s Constitution in 2008; we think this church, along with the contributions of others, could and should easily be able to find at least that sum to fund a more urgent, noble and worthy Biblical directive to shelter Laguna’s needy people.

The vast sums of money that the faithful now intend to spend on upcoming initiatives in other states to also change their Constitutions and destroy peoples’ lives by denying them the right to marry, would be better spent here in Laguna to improve lives. The alleviation of human misery is clearly your province; you have the moral responsibility, divine authority, heavenly imperative, power and resources to effect change for the betterment of our community. We beseech you to take the higher path to salvation and devote and divert your vast resources to sheltering Laguna’s homeless.

If you will commit to complete this project, the entire community will be proud that it has at last found a long-term solution to this urgent human tragedy. The call for action to shelter the homeless is now knocking on the doors of our places of worship; will the faithful answer their doors? Your speedy action on this issue is required.

TED MOWERY

Laguna Beach

Trustees do not gain from efforts

The Laguna Beach Community Foundation had an inspiring meeting with Laguna Beach nonprofits Sept. 30. Inspiring, not because of our efforts to establish this community foundation, but because of the impressive and dedicated group of nonprofits based in Laguna Beach. This is truly a remarkable community.

We do want to correct one typo in the Our Laguna column: Peter Kote advised the audience that foundation trustees cannot have any financial profit or gain clients through their volunteer efforts with the community foundation.

We are committed to our mission, “To encourage philanthropy in the greater Laguna Beach area through its charitable organizations and residents.” Our reward will be seeing our local nonprofits prospering and fulfilling their missions. Please see our website for more information, www.lagunabeachcommunityfoundation.org.

LAURA TARBOX

Laguna Beach

Editor’s Note: Laura Tarbox is chairwoman of the Laguna Beach Community Foundation.

Homelessness from a canine perspective

I was pleased to see a canine named Buster on the front page of the Coastline Pilot (Oct. 9). He is not as handsome as me. I know that because my dad, Bob, often says, “Shadow is the best-looking dog in Laguna Beach.”

Buster, though, is a suitable representative of our species and it’s good to know that PUP (Protecting Unwanted Pets) is working to find homes for street dogs and cats. I am allergic to cats, myself, and they behave strangely, but I appreciate that they deserve homes. My empathy for local animals stops with snakes. I’ve seen several near my home, and a neighboring golden retriever was bitten by a snake “” twice.

Homelessness is terrible. I am fortunate to have always had a soft cushion in my crate and two square meals every day. And, while I haven’t met any homeless dogs, I’ve known a couple of homeless people. They were nice and treated me with respect. Miniature schnauzers are sensitive to that, and we are good judges of character.

The situation this year at Heisler Park saddened me. It should not have come about. The dean of law at UC Irvine had no business intruding in the affairs of Laguna Beach. Churches, individuals and even the police department did a good job of looking after the local homeless people.

The lawsuit by the dean and the ACLU created a situation that brought about underserved special privileges and bad behavior by the homeless at Heisler Park. I’m certain that the bad behavior was conducted by homeless immigrants who hurried to Laguna Beach from other places.

I’ve heard Bob say, “If I were homeless, anywhere, and I heard that Laguna Beach would allow me to pitch a tent and romp on the beach day or night, after being fed by the city, I’d move there right away.”

Bob doesn’t dislike homeless people, but he was angry about the decline of Heisler Park, an increase in local crime and new expenses for the city. I got angry too. Bob stopped taking me for walks near Heisler, and that had been my favorite place to go. I’m not an aggressive dog, but I wanted to bite the leg of that UCI dean.

Now that the city is going to construct accommodations for the homeless in Laguna Canyon, I hope to walk again at Heisler Park. Lots of dogs and people from Laguna Beach will be delighted to have the homeless move from Heisler and the beach. What we are not happy about is that hundreds of thousands of dollars are required to build and maintain the new Canyon facilities. Just thinking about it makes me want to bite the Law School Dean’s other leg. The expenses will cut deeply into the city’s budget.

There are, or were, many projects that the city will have to cancel or postpone. Laguna Beach, for example, takes pride in its public art. I’ve anticipated that one day the city would approach Bob to say that a sculptor wants to create a larger-than-life bust of Shadow. I can imagine that bust being placed in front of the animal shelter as a tribute to the canines of Laguna Beach. Even such a worthwhile project will surely be placed on hold owing to the lack of funds.

SHADOW SCHNAUZER

(Transcribed By Bob Harman)

Laguna Beach

Cities should share homeless burden

I would like to express my support of our city for doing its share to tackle the homeless problem (at least on a temporary basis), and my disappointment in the ACLU for selectively targeting Laguna instead of including all Orange County cities in its suit. Rather than working together to provide necessary shelter for the homeless, other Orange County cities (all with challenging budgets) now have no hard incentive to do anything other than simply direct homeless here.

Why not condition settlement of the ACLU lawsuit on its immediately pursuing other Orange County cities in the same fashion so that every city is doing its fair share instead of singling out one community to solve this national problem?

ROGER KEMPLER

Laguna Beach

VA care example of ‘public option’

I have the best health care anywhere and it is run by the federal government. It is call the Veterans Administration. The cost per patient is a fraction of private insurance. My doctors do not have to get permission from a private corporation that is interested in taking in more money than it pays out; profits are the bottom line, not my care. I have nothing to gain on this issue. I just want to see the right thing done for my fellow Americans.

MICHAEL R. EVANS

Laguna Beach

Peace Prize based on presidential posture

Re: the Nobel Peace Prize: It has been given to Barack Obama, in my opinion, not because of what he has done or for what he hopes to do. It was given for the change in perspective that the United States has as our place and relationship with the rest of the countries on our planet.

He has said that every country has common desires for its citizens for peace, freedom from fear to provide access to resources in order that their people can provide food, shelter, clothing for themselves and their prodigy.

Our country has been one the leading national powers for the last 80 years, based on resources, technological knowledge, economy and economic capacity, the stability and facility of our political system and most assuredly by our military strength, particularly due to atomic capabilities. There are many more now who have many of those requirements in various degrees.

The joint common challenges are proliferation of atomic capabilities, dwindling resources and access to food, water and the distribution of them in a world whose population is growing, climate changes that are affecting the entire world, the rise of terrorism as a means to an end for power for any ideology, and the need for lasting sources of power other than oil, coal, etc.

Obama has said let us all cooperate to solve or, at least alleviate these life-threatening problems to us all. He has insinuated that the U.S. sees the countries of the world as “we,” not “us over you or better than you.” We have previously told the world that we are “good,” some of you are OK and some of you are “evil”; therefore by our standards it will be done our way or else the highway for you, and we won’t negotiate to reach a common goal.

I gather from the opinion polls that only 43% agree with Obama wanting to share world decisions with any other country other than those that agree with our ego-based superiority. Therefore, this perspective is his, not those of a majority of U.S. citizens. However, it seems there are many countries who welcome this attitude change and are hopeful that it has possibilities to indeed change the world dynamics.

BARBARA PAINTER

Laguna Beach