Letter to the Editor
Rocky Mountain Collegian January 20, 2016
As a resident of Todos Santos and project director of Tres Santos, I’m compelled to address the inaccuracies in Skylar (sic) Leonard’s articles on Todos Santos, the Tres Santos development and the role of CSU in the community. It’s clear that Mr. Leonard was hoodwinked by several professional activists who, for their own selfish reasons, don’t want to see any progress in our community.
Mr. Leonard erroneously reports that CSU cannot publish research or conduct work that could negatively impact MIRA. This claim is patently false. In fact, the article goes on to debunk this claim through email communications between CSU and MIRA. Why give credence to a baseless claim from a biased source?
In “Protesting fishermen highlight possible environmental harm from housing development,” Mr. Leonard includes the most egregious falsehood pedaled by the activists and their leader, John Moreno – that the government-approved environmental report, or MIA, is somehow illegitimate. Mr. Moreno’s only basis to make this claim is that his other tactics to stop our progress have failed. The assertion is also patently false.
Finally, and most importantly, Mr. Leonard writes that Mr. Moreno represents the red fishing cooperative and is supporting their efforts during negotiations with Tres Santos. In fact, the red cooperative leaders recently told authorities that they didn’t want Mr. Moreno representing them because they didn’t think he had their best interests in mind.
Mr. Leonard’s readers deserve both sides of the story, not baseless claims that with the smallest amount of digging reveal themselves to be untrue. Instead of giving voice to self-interested parties who have little consideration for the community of Todos Santos as a whole, why doesn’t Mr. Leonard investigate the positive impacts that Tres Santos will have on our community, including more jobs, improved infrastructure and responsible development of a town we all love and want to protect? His readers deserve to hear that side of the story as well.
Ernie Glesner
Project Director, Tres Santos
cathy stewart • Feb 23, 2016 at 10:57 am
I’m arriving late to this party, but just wanted to ask why CSU experts in marine biology and fish and wildlife conservation didn’t speak up about building a hotel at hide tide line and eliminating the acre of mangroves? If you are going down there to teach classes in these subjects, why didn’t you walk the talk with your Tres Santos partners and encourage conservation of these resources, instead of exploitation? If you couldn’t speak up publicly against Tres Santos, you could have at least guided them to take the higher path and do the right things for the environment. And how will you handle the complicity of CSU in these environmental impacts when you teach your classes down there? I hope your association with Tres Santos won’t prevent you from speaking the scientific truth.
Peter Obstfeld • Jul 14, 2016 at 12:51 pm
they have a contractual agreement that makes them keep their mouths shut under threat of forfeit In other words BOUGHT
Peter Obstfeld • Jul 14, 2016 at 12:55 pm
we’ve all seen the contracts between CSU and Tres Santos, obtained through the Colorado Open Records Act that specifically say that if CSU engages in “any action that materially prejudices the brand or reputation of Tres Santos” that property will revert to Tres Santos. This is an inexplicable breach of academic freedom, and CSU need to disassociate itself with Tres Santos. Of course, it will lose its property (which isn’t really theirs, anyway!).
Roxanne Sandy Sparks • Jan 22, 2016 at 11:13 am
I also caught the irony of “self-interested parties who have little consideration for the community of Todos Santos as a whole” … this whole project is so fraught with irony it is confounding. Many Todos Santos residents have been blocked from commenting on Colorado State University in Todos Santos Facebook page and the Tres Santos Facebook pages because they were pointing out problems and raising questions early on. Answers to these questions would have gone a long way, but concerns and questions have been met with the kind of answers you see in this article … non-answers and in some cases lies. The people who question the sustainability of this project are not doing so for some kind of personal gain, unless that might be having water 7 days a week instead of seeing potable water being used to irrigate the CSU town farm so that it will be blooming during tourist season. CSU is respected for being green with good reason. The “self-interested” parties here are the ones who want to use CSU to greenwash a project that has so far lied about their intent to use the town’s precious water and ruined the beach they claim to love. If they really loved the beach and Todos Santos and the fishermen they would have built that seawall behind the mangroves and natural vegetation and respected the Pacific Ocean, which is deep and treacherous with strong undertow where they chose to build their beach hotel. I would question anyone who builds a beach hotel on a pretty much un-swimmable beach.
Chris H • Jan 22, 2016 at 9:02 am
It sounds like there are many folks who are upset about the Tres Santos project as a whole. I am curious what the community thinks of having CSU in town. It would seem that there could be many positive impacts that CSU could have on the community and region if the right people were involved and engaged.
Amir Arberman • Jan 22, 2016 at 8:57 am
Ermie Glessner (sic) does not live in Todos Santos, that is his first lie. That there are activists in Todos Santos is his second lie. We are not activists, we are defending the destruction of our town by greedy foreign developers like Tres Santos. That John Moreno is the leader of the activists is the third lie. Mr. John Moreno is a lawyer that is taking Tres Santos to court, he is representing the legal rights of the residents of this town and the whole of México against depredatory colonialists. There is not a shred of truth in this article. The whole Tres Santos image is getting more and more tarnished by the day, and by trying the blame the messenger and the protesters Mr. Ernie shows his true colors. The real question should be, WHY HAS TRES SATOS NOT, REPEAT, NOT, SOLD ONE HOUSE YET ON THEIR ILL-FATED DEVELOPMENT?
Bonnie Somedy • Jan 21, 2016 at 8:03 pm
Perhaps you could add some specifics to your claim that “professional activists” (whatever that means; nobody is paying Ricardo Madrazo for his work in exposing this mess, or any of the rest of us ordinary folk who live in Todos Santos and do not want to see this environmental disaster continue) don’t want to see “progress” occur here for “selfish” reasons. First of all, let’s be clear that one man’s progress may be another’s destruction; try to define your terms more precisely. Secondly, you do not offer any reason, selfish or otherwise, why those of us who live here would stand in the way of decent employment for the locals or a thriving community. Indeed, we who have built our homes thoughtfully, with respect for the sharing of beaches and native environments and employing local workers, have been the best face of progress. We go to great trouble to use water sparingly and we do not disturb the native flora or fauna. The construction at Punta Lobos flies in the face of all sensible sustainable development. The mangroves that protect the beach were uprooted and destroyed. The local fishermen, who provide a sensible, sustainable source of fresh seafood, have been insultingly shoved to one small section of beach, depriving them of the right to enter and leave Punta Lobos safely. The rocks that were deposited in front of the badly designed seawall in order to keep wave action from undermining the wall have become a hazard to the fishermen, causing great harm to their boats and motors. Lastly, Tres Santos has misled investors into thinking this will be a high end lifestyle for those who buy in, when in fact, they are risking their lives by doing so. Were you here during the CAT 5 Hurricane Odile last September? If so, you would have seen the arroyo in which TS has built turned into a raging river. Anybody who builds that close to the water is asking for a disaster and anybody with common sense knows that. But you don’t care about human lives. All you care about is profit.
Karen Wyman • Jan 21, 2016 at 6:23 pm
The unintended irony of this quote: “…giving voice to self-interested parties who have little consideration for the community of Todos Santos…” HA HA HA Mr. Glesner and Tres Santos ARE the self-interested parties who have little consideration for the community of Todos Santos. “Why give credence to a baseless claim from a biased source?” HIS claims are baseless and HE is a biased source! (Did the irony really escape him? It would be funny if the issues were not so serious.)
Another of his absurd claims: “Mr. Leonard was hoodwinked by several professional activists…” Professional activists??? No, no, no, these are residents of Todos Santos; Mexican nationals and gringos alike, and Glesner knows that quite well. And if standing up to protect one’s community makes someone an “activist”, well, then, that title is an honor, not an insult.
Saying that these people (activists!) “don’t want to see any progress” is untrue. (How can the Tres Santos development can be described as “progress”?) Todos Santos residents, visitors, and friends are not against progress (which might include regular water for all residents?) nor even against development. They’re just against the Tres Santos project. There is such a thing as rational, sustainable development; and there are many examples of tourist businesses in the area that are making a profit without ruining the town.
Mr. Glesner says, “…in our community.” Mr. Glesner may live in the Todos Santos area, but it is a lie and an insult to use the cozy-sounding “our” when referring to Tres Santos. OUR? No, Tres Santos is run by out-of-state and out-of-country developers who don’t even speak Spanish. They are not community.
Glesner’s “response” is hardly worth responding to. But…I was so mad, I did.
Ricardo Madrazo-Sechrist • Jan 21, 2016 at 3:11 pm
I took Skyler and Ellie around town to conduct interviews. I know this firsthand, Skyler reached out to the company and was met with either stonewalling or fluffy press releases, never with an earnest (pun not intended) desire to truly engage in dialogue. I have been covering this issue for months for Baja Sur TV and never once has the company or their representatives accepted an on-camera interview to “hear the other side of the story”. Ernie, I have called your office several times. You hide behind the receptionist. You know where to find me if you ever decide to come out of hiding, 612-169-3763. bajasur.tv@gmail.com
Sandra Sutphen • Jan 21, 2016 at 1:32 pm
Sorry, Ernie, but we’ve all seen the contracts between CSU and Tres Santos, obtained through the Colorado Open Records Act that specifically say that if CSU engages in “any action that materially prejudices the brand or reputation of Tres Santos” that property will revert to Tres Santos. This is an inexplicable breach of academic freedom, and CSU need to disassociate itself with Tres Santos. Of course, it will lose its property (which isn’t really theirs, anyway!).
And by the way, living in Pescadero is NOT the same as living in Todos Santos!
Peter Obstfeld • Jan 21, 2016 at 12:47 pm
Ernie deserves a bonus for this piece of whitewash!!
Geraldhall • Jan 21, 2016 at 12:15 pm
Ernie don’t you live in Pescadero?
Geraldhall • Jan 21, 2016 at 12:13 pm
the so called “other side” of the story consisting of lies and “greenwashing” is readily available to any potential sucker reading the slick promo’s put out by tres vandals….