A Safer Laguna Canyon Road

The Laguna Beach Taxpayers’ Assn. is concerned that your article “Golly! Everyone Knew About L’Affaire Laguna Except Laguna” (June 25) may miscast the dramatic impact of its effort to bring about immediate action to create a safer Laguna Canyon Road.

There couldn’t have been any surprise to anyone involved because all concerned received copies, in a timely manner, of all letters leading up to the creation of the “Crisis Safety Team.” Therefore, we are surprised that anyone has to apologize to the City of Laguna Beach at all. The city government has known about the Crisis Safety Team since early June, as Caltrans sent a copy of its June 5 letter (about the team) to City Manager Kenneth Frank.

More important, we are disappointed that you cast this as a “political thing.” It is not. Our taxpayers’ organization was organized in 1947 and has as its objective the promotion of efficiency in local government. That is exactly what we addressed, and we achieved a result. How a Crisis Safety Team has anything to do with politics is beyond our comprehension.

We have watched for years, in frustration, while people are slaughtered on this stretch of highway, all during a time when politicians are still debating. It is time to get this out of the hands of politicians. That is why we made a non-political demand on the governor.

Now the politicians see this issue being taken out of their hands and given to professionals to solve. That is where it needs to be, and we are grateful to the governor for this courageous action.

JIM SCHLEGEL

President

Laguna Beach Taxpayers’ Assn.