A recent letter to the editor in the LB Indy addressing the lack of real questioning at the local city candidates forums. Find the original letter here

Editor,

A friend recently told me he never believed in democracy, and that a benevolent monarch would be a better choice any day. No, he is not a Marxist or fascist.

What do citizens need from candidates that reflects our love for our city?

The six forums that I witnessed were all similar. Every candidate elaborated on their special projects. Even when asked about the future, the answer was about their projects implemented then. The rest was reiterating status quo issues or political pawns like the village entrance or low cost housing with more intangible solutions. Can’t we work on these endless issues after the election anyway?

Where is Laguna’s charm and its preservation? Many leaders of this town delude themselves with outdated memories of what this town once was. They are calling it charm, art town and preservation of the good old life, which all seem to be only real in our minds. When I walk downtown, I see a town that does not seem to care for itself, not charm or anything to preserve. Similar, the canyon and much of Coast Highway looks like they have little juice left before they turn Laguna into a ghost town. Don’t look at their form, but what Dana Point and Corona del Mar have done recently, shows that they care about their town and how fast one can implement restoration. Why can Laguna’s leaders not adapt revamping the city in the same vein as they did with Heisler Park and the Montage?

The reason why we are stuck in our minds as in our traffic is that our opinions are reactive instead of proactive. Everyone in this town has an opinion, which is good, but without defining what one would like instead, those opinions are mostly duds. Yes, it is easier to focus on what we don’t want, but it keeps us relying on a memory of a Laguna whose time has past.

Citizens look to have something in common with the leader they vote for. It is even better when a leader has a vision that captures a future that the voter desires and wants to see implemented.

That’s why we have to start proactively start thinking about our future or get a benevolent monarch that makes decisions for us.

Michaell Magrutsche, Laguna Beach