Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008 | Dear Coastal Commissioners:
You are on the right side of history. You have defended the people’s right to their state parks, undisturbed by development and short-sighted “fixes.”
I am the son, grandson, and great grandson of Southern Californians. The Southern California of my forefathers is gone, irretrievably, and my own Southern California is under constant threat by the likes of the toll road pushers – and in the case of one of our crown jewels, Torrey Pines, by Caltrans. We who are in positions of influence today must know that these coastal resources are not ours to bargain away. In a very important sense, they are not ours at all, but only in the limited sense as stewards for the future.
Let’s not find ourselves singing the old tune “They paved Paradise… put up a parking lot.” The Coastal Act exists, first and foremost, to protect coastal resources, NOT to maximize impact on them by maximizing harmful “access.”
Thank you for your service.