You Can't Fool Mother Nature!
The recent landslide in the Bluebird Canyon area of Laguna Beach once again demonstrates that land, unsuitable for building, should not be built upon! It will be recalled that, back in 1978, this very same area suffered an almost identical fate.
And in early 2005, La Conchita, a small village just north of Ventura (CA), a devastating landslide in terms of loss of life and property, occurred. Again, it was this same general area that also suffered a similar fate, although not nearly as catastrophic, only a few short years ago. Now it has been revealed that this entire area was the site of an ancient landslide.
Neither should this revelation be surprising. For in March 1995, it will be recalled, much the same scenario occurred in Laguna Niguel, a city of approximately 65,000 people, located in south Orange County. Fortunately, no loss of life occurred in the Laguna Niguel landslide. Nevertheless, the property damage and displacement of homeowners was traumatic. And, it will also be recalled, the Laguna Niguel landslide took place on the site of an ancient landslide!
Coincidence? I think not. In all of thes cases, land, already unfit for building on or below, saturated by recent heavy rains, gave way to the forces of mother nature.
The common denominator? In none of these cases should the construction of homes have been approved on these sites. But greedy developers, aided and abetted by corrupt elected officials who chose to look the other way rather than do their job, got their project rubber-stamped anyway.
The lesson to be learned here? It may be easy for incompetent and/or unscrupulous individuals to fool a gullible and apathetic public, but they can't fool mother nature!
Eddie Rose
Former Laguna Niguel City Councilman
Candidate for Orange County Board of Supervisors (5th District)
"A Voice---Not an Echo"