Editor,
Three years ago when the Pípila with its traffic circle was finished, there was a huge bump because of the unevenness of the street leading out toward Celaya. Then, the new administration took office with a young mayor who seemed eager to improve matters in San Miguel. The huge bump disappeared overnight. One could see matters were being taken in hand and streets and sidewalks, among other concerns, were being taken care of. It seemed San Miguel finally had a mayor with a vision to change things for the benefit of San Miguel.
Now, three years later, it seems these superficial improvements were done to keep us, the citizens and residents of San Miguel, blind. Big business was carried out behind closed doors. Since there is no transparency in what the government does (despite the fact that the federal government of the same party campaigned for more transparency), San Miguel was totally unaware of the monster developments and projects they planned for this town. We are paying a heavy price in many aspects: visually, economically, and ecologically. Unfortunately, the past administration showed no vision at all aside from greed and the longing for power.
What we see is not only a “Celaya-zation” but the same thing that happened to the magical towns of Taos and Santa Fe in New Mexico: a few blocks of history in the center of town and the rest taken over by real estate developers and Wal-Mart and the like.
San Miguel with its unique character is facing the same fate if we don’t put a stop to these developments. One step toward more control would be to oblige the local government to make public any commercial or private development exceeding a certain size and call for a public forum.
Claudius Ruile
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ME PODRIAN DECIR SI ESTA YA PERMITIDO EL QUE LOS EXTRANJEROS OPINEN SOBRE EL DESEMPEÑO DE LAS AUTORIDADES MEXICANAS AUN SIENDO SOLO DE LOS PRESIDENTES MUNICIPALES?
ESTA ES LA ENCUESTA CON LAS DIVERSAS OPINIONES PUBLICADAS EN EL SEMANARIO ATENCION SAN MIGUEL Y QUE NO PUSIERON EN ESTE FORO JUNTO A LOS DEMAS ARTICULOS
Vox Populi
Residents speak out on condos, construction, demonstrations and development
Rodrigo Treviño Lozano
Authorities forced the gas station to build a colonial façade, while on the opposite corner there is El Pollo Feliz and Comercial Mexicana with modern, enormous signs. The condos are being built over a natural stream, which will cause floods when it rains. When I built my house near Parque Juárez, they forced me to change my plans, but they let the Araiza family do all kinds of construction.
José Javier González Castañeda, owner of La Piñata restaurant
I do not support the condo project because it contrasts with San Miguel’s colonial style. I agree with the demonstrators.
Luis Felipe Ojeda
It was time to have a demonstration like this.
Marcos Carrasco
I do not agree with this kind of demonstration. I do not consider the condos, the sidewalk widening and all the rest as a destruction of San Miguel. On the contrary, the wide sidewalks will be a benefit for pedestrians, and the condos and the shopping centers will bring money to San Miguel. These people should mind their own business and stop shouting that they represent the sanmiguelenses. They are just a small group, and most of them gringos, who should not be participating in this. I personally think Luis Alberto Villarreal benefited the city a lot.
Gerardo, taxi driver
I agree with the demonstration because the authorities are going against San Miguel’s colonial style for the benefit of a few people.
Cristina Arteaga
I do not consider it a destruction of the city, but progress. Comercial Mexicana is generating lots of jobs.
Francisco Tello
The condos are a job source for sanmiguelenses. These people are protesting against progress. San Miguel must grow, but in an orderly way.
Gloria
I do not agree with the building of the condos. I am against tall, modern buildings. I am participating in this demonstration, but in peace. I am against any kind of violence.
Toño
Everybody has the right to express themselves, but I think they are not well-informed.
María Teresa Valenzuela
I totally agree with this demonstration. I would have joined, but I did not know about it. The authorities are destroying San Miguel. San Miguel is the whore of Mexico, because it has sold itself.
Enrique Guerrero, taxi driver
I think it is all right to forbid bad development. We do not have enough water.
Norberto Chávez, taxi driver
But they wanted the PAN party!
Elena Chávez
Whom do the modern buildings affect? I think they are job and money sources for San Miguel. People are happy to go shopping at Comercial Mexicana; it is crowded every day. As long as the construction companies respect the downtown area, I think they can build anywhere they want, if they do it in an orderly manner.
Delfino Muñoz
I am not against progress in San Miguel, but I think urban development should proceed in an orderly way.
Ángel, student
Most of the demonstrators are gringos, and the buyers of the condos will be gringos. I think this is a contradiction.
Sebastián, construction worker at El Caracol condos
Christmas is coming, the Three Kings are coming, and our families will not have dinner or toys. What the demonstrators are doing has severely affected us.
Carlos López, construction worker at El Caracol condos
We are losing our jobs. What are we going to do, considering that we are in the Christmas season? We are waiting for an explanation.
Oye Senor Ruile,
Did that bump going away make SM more magical for you?
My advice to you is to get involved in social group or church and not worry about the big issues.
Step aside and leave the "big" business to us and oh yeah, be good and remember to pay your taxes.
D Sanchez
Oye Senor Ruile,
Did that bump going away make SM more magical for you?
My advice to you is to get involved in social group or church and not worry about the big issues.
Step aside and leave the "big" business to us and oh yeah, be good and remember to pay your taxes.
D Sanchez
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