Leaders seeking community ideas
By Joe LaCava
President, La Jolla Community Planning AssociationSkate park, beach stairs at Calumet Park, Independent La Jolla, Children’s Pool/Casa Beach, the business district, categorical exemption, PDO update. We certainly have no shortage of big ideas for our community to ponder.
Some of us will greet these ideas with excitement, others with trepidation or downright opposition. Some of the proposals will be fully supported; others will morph under community input until the fit is just right. Some will not be embraced but we will benefit as they open our eyes to new solutions to old problems. The good news is that we can engage in public discussion confident that the process will be transparent and inclusive.
We should not try to ignore these opportunities or try to foist responsibility on others. We have learned a lot over the past few years about how to act as a community and we are blessed that a lot of good people have stepped up in leadership roles. Let’s use that to our advantage to work together on these issues.
The CPA Membership (capital M for those who attend at least one meeting per year) peaked last year as our numbers were swollen by those who joined in more divisive days of the past few years. Now we find many of them retreating to the comfort of their other interests and we are down to our lowest numbers since 2005. The good news is that folks are comfortable with the CPA; the bad news is that folks are comfortable with the CPA.
I am not asking you to volunteer for the CPA or to tackle the ideas listed above — that is a luxury that not everyone can afford — but I do encourage you to find a way to participate. We need your voices. We need to know that the CPA and the other La Jolla organizations are representative of all of the diverse interests in our community. I encourage you to join organizations that meet your interests or represent your viewpoint; share your thoughts and opinions with those that sit on committees; come to community meetings when you can, and, cast informed votes every chance you get.