Gil Ferguson and His Critic

As one who never misses your editorial page, it has been my misfortune to become quite familiar with one Tom Alexander of Laguna Beach, whose letters appear with great regularity. The subject and stance of each is utterly predictable: that is, growth and his mission to “stop” it.

Usually, Alexander’s target is the big bad Irvine Co. and those other greedy land-rapers. (Isn’t it just awful how developers twist people’s arms to move here?) This time, though, Alexander tries taking to task our assemblyman, Gil Ferguson (Dec. 21). In fact, he’d like to put Ferguson on notice that his legislative seat is in jeopardy.

Why? Because Ferguson suggests that there is something more to the Constitution than protecting the rights of criminal suspects and free speech for Communists.

That is, the rights of ordinary people to keep and use their own property.

What got Alexander’s dander up was a Commentary piece by the assemblyman (Dec. 14). But, in keeping with his usual negativism and solution-less ranting, Alexander’s comments amount to nothing more than a diatribe.

With obvious sincerity and consistency, Ferguson once more affirmed in his article his support of local control over community development. So why would Alexander so completely dismiss this affirmation, and instead charge that Ferguson advocates “state” control?”

The answer is quite simple. Ferguson, a conservative, asserts that government power over the individual is limited. There has to be a vital and verifiable reason before our individual rights can be taken by any political institution.

That belief sums up the differences between liberals and conservatives, and tells us why Gil Ferguson was overwhelmingly elected here, in the first place.

ANN LUNDY

Balboa Island