Travis Dugan, San Clemente
Our town is not the same. It’s being mistreated by people who supposedly know what is best for it. But the problem is these people only see dollar signs, not beauty. When locals see this town, they see beauty, they see palm trees, they see the Pacific Ocean, and most importantly, they see San Clemente. This town is different from most in that it has heart, it has culture, and the people who are running it don’t have the same feelings. In my opinion, it is more a case of reputation or ego. When should that ever cause an amazing small beach town like San Clemente to sell out? It’s us not giving into that corporate lifestyle that makes us who we are. Small, local, family business is what this town is built from. Since “whomever” decided for the Outlets to be built, it has been a big slap in the face, bringing in big corporate franchises. Is this a way to treat the longtime loyal locals of your town? Or are you just catering to out-of-towners? We should start focusing more on the locals than providing for the summer circus that plagues our freeways and streets with nothing but traffic and confusion. I hope this message will wake up our so-called “town leadership.” Just because there is a patch of grass somewhere, it doesn’t mean you have to build a Starbucks on top of it.
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