Not Everyone Likes New Squaw Valley

Bob Lochner’s profile of Alex Cushing, Squaw Valley USA’s owner and developer, painted only half the picture. I grew up in Squaw Valley from the age of 6 in 1971. It was quite a unique place to form your view of the world, and most of the people who lived there realized what a special place it was. Unfortunately, that Squaw Valley is fading away, and if Mr. Cushing has his way, the specialness of Squaw Valley will be gone forever.

Mr. Lochner wrote of the many plans and improvements Mr. Cushing has initiated, but left out much of the other side of the coin. Legal battles with homeowners and the county, Environmental Impact Report violations, county ordinance violations, protests--these are not isolated, small wrongdoings or mistakes, but based on serious and repeated offenses.

It would be nice if California’s new “Big Green” initiative outlawed people like Alex Cushing, but that probably won’t ever happen. When is our society going to realize making money and having lots of leisure time in our lifetime isn’t going to mean one iota to the people 50-100 years from now trying to live on a crippled planet?

JONATHAN PAYNE, Hermosa Beach