As you sit in your luxury concrete and steel condominium, bywarren, are you sure you want to live in the San Pedro of old? Wouldn't you be living in a thatched hut spearing fish for food or something? Do you now own a golf cart? Is that how people here got around 20 years ago? Shouldn't you be....perish the thought.....WALKING?

Forgive my little outburst. I do see your point about development without destroying the ecosystem, but isn't anyone who relocates here part of root of the problem? As long as there is the need (or want) for new condos, new homes, new shops, roads, more electricity, more services, more of everything, there will be a problem with development that outpaces environmental protection. Bear in mind that the new housing project is there because wealthy people want to live here on the beach and it's cheaper to hire less wealthy people to build for them. Land market values on AC (which are set by the wealthy folk who buy it) far outstrip what working class people here can afford, so the government has put together a housing project to give working people a chance to own their own home relatively cheaply and easily.

I've said before that the new housing project has its faults, (the land desperately needing more fill being the most pressing) but when there is no alternative for poorer people (and there isn't) isn't it best to make the best of what there is? Provided each home is insured against hurricane and fire (which is the case) isn't it a better home than what a lot of them are living in now? Go and see where some of them are living right now....it isn't pretty.

Of course, bywarren, you're welcome to buy up some land here and see if you can build semi-decent housing that poorer people can own for under 45,000US per 900sq ft home (land included) and accept payment over 25 years with no deposit.

Or, we could knock your and all the other condos, hotels, concrete houses etc. down and turn the clock back....trouble is we'd have to hire workers to do that as well.

I see your point about environment, but, just like many other things in this world, it's no good looking back for blame, we have to look forward to making the best of this project. If the new owners work together to make the area beautiful and if the government FILLS the land properly it will be something better than many could have hoped for. And the monthly payments for something they can OWN are completely reasonable and fair.

FYI, DFC are here on the island, people are looking at the new homes which are now almost finished, and THEY ARE SELLING LIKE HOTCAKES. The DFC salesman sold 5 in one day last week. I only hope that it is real working people who want to live in them who get them and not relatively wealthy local people looking for a 3rd home to rent out....to working people.



[This message has been edited by truebelize (edited 05-24-2002).]