The interest in my last article has been encouraging from all those Veterans, North Americans and Canadians that are making their homes in Puerto Vallarta. Many property owners, both National and International, are now under assault from developers as they blindly overbuild and over extending the capacity of the City utilities.

This results in the undermining of both the natural beauty and livability of Puerto Vallarta. In order to maintain the infrastructure before it is overwhelmed by new demands we must focus on an environment with balanced growth. How much water do we have, how much sewage can be treated, how many new Humvees and luxury S.U.V.'s can one entry point handle?

How can a one-lane, steep, cobblestone road be expected to handle ten times as many construction trucks in addition to cars? The fact is - anyone who gets to Hacarandus Road (which is entered off of Highway 200 from the Edificio Escalas frontage road, up beyond the Vista Grill 20 ft., veer right, up to Hacarandas Rd.)

On this road, I can tell you of cement and dump trucks losing control, skidding backwards with tires burning rubber, trying to gain traction up this steep grade. In another location above Highway 200 one of the several hundred dump trucks that are carrying off thousands of tons of soil and rock, finally loses its brakes and shoots across Highway 200 into a condo building - just missing the people inside.

The result? The building gets a patch, and all continues on as if nothing had happened, except for the affected residents who live in the dangerous location and are scared of what will happen next.

Because we are the biggest buyers of Condos in Puerto Vallarta, the English speaking residents have a special responsibility. The original Puerto Vallarta community does not have the support systems in place, nor require developers to post bonds to cover the cost of enhanced service support for the local infrastructure.

It is creating a Massive Impact on all of us for those needed road improvements, sewer capacity upgrades, water supply additions and an electrical supply that should have lasted for years. These questions have not been acted upon, or really considered, by the City. The tax structure is so low that any funds generated by homeowners does not begin to cover the cost of the new construction's impact on available support systems.

I expect that there are a few of you out there that would sign a petition to ask these questions for the sake of Vallarta. I know that many more capable, experienced people have years of experience that could save this city.

Last Friday, we had thirteen city officials on the mountain to see for themselves the current destruction and the ecological concerns that come from the ripping apart of the jungle. This morning, Senator Ava Contreras Sandoval of Puerto Vallarta and L.C.P. Miguel Angel Preciado Bayardo (Regidor) of Presidente de Justica y Reclusorios, stopped by to view the monster development behind, on both sides, above and across from us. It is a spectacular array of destruction by construction at no small cost to our quality of life here in Puerto Vallarta.

VETERANS NEWS

The most sought connection between Agent Orange is Parkinson's Disease, as a result of exposure to Agent Orange. It has been awarded as service connected to two separate individual Veterans recently. The battle was won on appeal as a result of the Veterans eliminating toxic paints or heavy metals. The screening exams were free of the possibility that the disease was a cause of these metals. I suggest that those of you that served from mid 1962 to May of 1975 in-country Viet Nam and have developed Parkinson's get a heavy metal screen and get back to me with the results by email as soon as you can.