While the debate rages nationally about the proper relationship between government and its people, here in Malibu we have our own unique circumstance. In one glaring way, local people have been crushed by expanded and dysfunctional bureaucracy. When it comes to property rights and freedom, the people of Malibu have gone from the cherished days of a generation ago when one could reasonably do what they wanted on their property-build as big a house where and how they wanted, landscape and expand when they wanted, design it all as they wish-to now when virtually every single decision is under the scrutiny of our government.
The California Coastal Commission, originally chartered with limited powers 1,000 feet off the shoreline, has grown into a massive bureaucracy completely out of touch with the people it is meant to serve. Nowhere else in America, no other time in history, as now in Malibu has a local community been denied the right to design their own general plan. The CCC forced theirs upon us. Their reach is now 5-10 miles inland.
In recent times, their unilateral expansion of power has meant they can decide for you whether you can have horses on your property or not, and whether a city can do a fireworks show (which they recently deemed “development,” and under their jurisdiction).
Their power runs completely unchecked. The governor and legislation, due to the make-up of the agency, are both powerless to bring changes to this Soviet-style behemoth. Only an occasional victory in court, when anyone dares challenge the CCC and has the money, is the only respite for any of us to their ever-encroaching edicts backed by its heavily funded PR propaganda machine. Edicts, by the way, that 90 percent of the time have little or nothing to do with environmental needs, public safety or public good.
The Pacific Legal Foundation is a rare source to bring pause to the CCC. The PLF, a nonprofit legal assistance organization, often fights the CCC in court to bring some measure of reason to the bureaucracy that regularly exerts often ridiculous extortionist demands upon thousands of Californians. How badly is the PLF needed here in Malibu?
We are very lucky that many representatives of the PLF are visiting Malibu on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 6:30 p.m., at the Events Center behind city hall off Stuart Ranch Road. Information and registration can be found on their Web site, at www.pacificlegal.org.
Rick Wallace