martes, 12 de diciembre de 2006

Carta abierta al Editor

 
This time of peace on earth, good will to all, seems a perfect time to speak of an issue that has arisen between a new,gringo development and the smallest colonia in San Miguel. We live in the little, quiet, Colonia of Obraje. We have one small road both in and out of our neighborhood.

Recently, the development of Garumbullos has decided to turn one of our dead end streets into an access service road for bringing in their trucks, trash trucks, service trucks , etc. This dead end road is designated as a calle cerrada. There is a large expanse of land available to them that they own, including a large entry gate that should be used for this purpose. Perhaps they do not want to cause damage to their entry road with the future constant wear and tear of this traffic at the expense of the tranquility of Obraje.

They are in the process of installing a chain link fence all along the property line. They have put up razor wire to keep the neighbors out of the mountain that they have walked for years. They are a private, restricted development, and they do not want anyone to cross into their property.

This is their legal right however heinous.

However, legal is not fair. If this service gateway proceeds this neighborhood will suffer with noise, dirt, disruption, danger, and lack of parking on our streets because they want a separate service entrance.

Neighborhood children, always playing in the street, will not be safe to play.

Old people will not be able to sit outside as they do now and enjoy the tranquility of our colonia. When this one entry road falls into disrepair who will come to fix it?

We are not allowed to enter their development but they may run roughshod over streets (designated "dead end" )with big trucks and tear them up. Are not the neighbors of this development important, too? Does not the flavor and ambience of this colonia hold any importance?

Especially for those of us who are foreigners, it is our duty to facilitate peace and consideration for all, especially our Mexican neighbors. Our money and desires should never disregard others.

My Mexican neighbors all feel that this development will just run over them and their wishes and needs.

What an unfortunate precedent for the future development of San Miguel. In this time of peace on earth, good will to all, it seems a perfect time to speak of consideration for those with less money and no voice.

A concerned neighbor

1 comentario:

Anónimo dijo...

(I HOPE THE FIRST PART OF THIS LETTER IS ALREADY IN YOUR COMMENTS. IT JUST DISAPPEARED BUT IT WAS AN EXCERPT FROM A BOOK BY SIR JAMES GOLDSMITH. IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, I WILL SEND IT AGAIN.)

SO AS TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE SUCH AN ECONOMY. WE REALIZED THAT THE INEVITABLE RESULT WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD BECOME A MINORITY IN OUR OWN COUNTRY. AND WE WOULD NOT BE SPARED THE GROWTH IN CRIME AND DRUGS AND OTHER SOCAL TRAGEDIES WHCH SEEM TO BE THE INSEPARABLE COMPANIONS OF RAPID DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM AND SUBSTANTIAL IMMIGRATION. OUR ISLAND WOULD NO LONGER BE THE SAME.

THAT IS WHY I HAVE ALWAYS CAMPAIGNED THAT WE SHOULD BE CONTENT WITH OPTIMUM DEVELOPMENT, CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOOD EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR PEOPLE, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME MAINTAINING OUR WAY OF LIFE."

(END OF PRIME MINISTER'S ANSWER.)

I FIRST FOUND SAN MIGUEL 30 YEARS AGO AND THOUGHT I HAD FOUND PARADISE. I HAVE SPENT MANY WINTER MONTHS THERE AND ALWAYS WAS RELUCTANT TO LEAVE. THIS WNTER I WON'T BE THERE AND LAST WINTER I DID NOT GO EITHER BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH THE TOWN WAS CHANGING WTH ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION GONG UP AND IT SEEMED AS THOUGH ALL OF THE VACANT LAND WAS BENG TAKEN AND BEAUTIFUL VISTAS DESTROYED.

YOU SAN MIGUELEANS HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WAY OF LIFE. DON'T LET THE DEVELOPERS DESTROY IT. THEY WON'T LIVE THERE. THEY WILL JUST TAKE THEIR PROFITS AND RUN.

BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OF YOU. GRINGO GLORA MICHELS