For over 40 years I have had the privileged opportunity to lead groups of 30 to 1100, with budgets of near $300 mil/year to seek the best projects for the people. For the last 12 years, I have been doing this free for the poor in Africa, Asia and here. It is more than refreshing to find that 60% of what I recommend is acted upon. The same could be the case for 20, 50, or 100 others Lakeside that have experiences and talents to offer. It is easy to see that even one can make a difference here.
There is a wealth of mature, experienced minds from other worlds residing in Lakeside that can offer ideas to which the Mexicans who staff governments have never had exposure. Needed most for the betterment of the community is to gain an audience with those that are responsible for action. The lowest cost engineering solutions should be submitted for consideration to cut waste on gold plated solutions and projects.
We Could:
Convert some undeveloped areas within villages into very much needed public playgrounds and parking areas, maintained by the government, until owners, often absent for decades, apply for a building permit and make use of such land. Those that do not wish to allow the government to use their land for public areas might be required to keep them perfectly clean, free of weeds, trash, rats and other conditions detrimental to neighbors. Villages many years old have developed with often little more than a plaza for children to play.
Mexico remains a third world nation because up to 80% of its rural children do not get beyond primary school. The key reason is the lack of free school buses to bring the children from the villages into the capital of each municipio where the secondary schools are. The privatized bus system does not permit fares low enough for a family of five children to send more than one to secondary school. Little Bluebird-like yellow buses are needed.
Create at least 500 meters of wetland around wastewater plants so that natural biological processes will reduce the nitrogen and phosphorous released to the lake. There should be random biological testing at the outlet from wastewater plants to assure they do not cut back chlorine needed to prevent bacteria entering the lake (11,000 fecal coliform were found at Mezcala one day. The safe level for recreation is 240.)
Creative efforts could be exercised to develop the recreational offerings of the lake so that there might be an immense increase in jobs for the native people. Develop selected beach areas so users may wade into the lake without encountering large and/or sharp rocks, mud or dangerous debris.
There could be a clean, well maintained, ordered set of communities with a harmonious mix of native people and retirees from the north, preserving the native influence by a requirement that no more than 80% of any block in an area of a village that is older than 200 years be sold to or occupied by other than native people. Some might help to develop a 20-year plan for each municipio and village so priority needs are seen and so growth results in optimal evolution of Lakeside
One thing to work on would be an attractive, tourist walkway along the lake, with an equally attractive 4-lane boulevard to address the real and future needs of traffic Lakeside. In 1900 boat rides to the villages sufficed. By 1950 the carretera was created essentially above the existing villages. While that way offered a 40-meter wide right of way, pervasive encroachments have limited that width to less than 15 meters. In 2008 it is clear that this 8-10 m wide ribbon of paving is insufficient. We can provide relief for the next 5 years if we widen the paving to 12 meters, but we have to begin now to plan a real second way, along the lake, or out 500 meters into the lake. Maximize the traffic flow possible on the carretera by maximizing paved width, renewed sidewalks and needed restrictions on parking during high traffic hours.
For a lake whose perimeter exceeds 200 KM and whose average depth is less than six meters (20 ft), it makes perfect sense to plan an attractive mid-lake crossing so that one may reach the far side in ten minutes rather than 60 minutes
List ten things you feel are needed Lakeside and see if you have anything to offer.
For example: What can be done about non-functioning, dangerous traffic lights. Why does it take days to replace a traffic light bulb? Why not buy long-life bulbs?
Uneven, broken, less than attractive sidewalks? Let neighbors compete for the best ideas.
Replace ugly electric, phone, TV, cable lines under the sidewalks in the village centers to enhance the 500-year old character of the area.
Encourage the creation of Mexican businesses. Stop the proliferation of businesses operated by Americans and Canadians. Why deny wages to the poor?
Find, identify and publicize those that direct their sewage into the lake and are not connected to a pubic sewer.
With a Spanish speaker, make a citizen survey of a village, or a single block, to understand what the people feel the government should do in their area. Present it to the government. Those that surround the leaders of government are there for political reasons and as such they too often use their office for personal gain rather than the wishes of the people. If the president does not have a list of the real wishes of the people, he is left to the mercies of his staff.
My ideas are of course biased by my engineering life. Many here come from other disciplines that have welcomed offerings.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Todd Stong has struck a positive chord with many people in this community, but these are his personal ideas only. He welcomes feedback and on-going discussion of the ideas he is suggesting. This is a starting point -- not a set of final plans!
