mlts22 wrote:
Slab City isn't on my list of attractions, but I'm curious about it for the dynamic, and with the economy as it is, it can be likened to the canary in the coal mine of what will happen to the rest of most of America if we keep on this road.
If water is denied, the canal is water that isn't potable... but it can be made drinkable by boiling, filtering, or distilling it, and I'm sure that would be the way people would go if water is denied to them from Niland.
The real hurt on Slab City is going to happen in 2017 when the requirement for keeping water flowing into the Salton Sea expires, and the water gets diverted to San Diego or LA. Once incoming water is stopped, it will only be a few years before it becomes a dry lake bed again. Hopefully, LA residents will like the rotten egg smell from that area, since it will be coming at them in force in the years to come.
If I owned either the gas station or the restaurant, I'm sure land around there is inexpensive, so I'd buy a quarter acre, add a few sets of water and dump stations. The money spent for that would be far less than what it costs to get rid of garbage at the Slabs. The gas station would get a decent grocery store added with the essentials of outside life, such as basic things (tents, fans, solar panels) for survival out there.
I'm not a hippie, but if something can be done to make people's lives easier, it is a victory for everyone.
I thought the land belonged to the Federal government, but apparently it does belong to the state, which gets me wondering how long it will be before the land winds up sold or leased to some company whose only purpose in buying the land would be to shoo everyone away or turn Slab City into some "Into the Wild" theme park trying to sell to the "hip" crowd.
From my posting on page 2...
"things are changing over in Slab-land. There is a move afoot to arrange for ownership of the land itself. The folks that reside there have had conversations with the state about that, and are moving forward. The Salvation Mountain is already owned by that same 'Foundation'.
There is some resistance to the lease-purchase plans, some people are not trusting of the Committee that is heading the move, but they seem to have few choices. If they don't take control of the ground, they stand too find that ownership has been awarded by the state to a power company, or mining outfit...or whomever. Then they'd have to move.
The people that have lived on the Slabs have never been given reason to feel that they are unwanted or trespassing. The cops are thru there often and Border folks and the military. State has never suggested that they should move..until they began making noises about selling the land, so the Slab folks took matters into their own hands."
As far as investing a penny in the area, existing businesses are just...there. There is no-one that is going to buy more land in Niland, put in tanks and dump stations. The pace is dirt poor and much of that is as a result of the pressures itinerant snow-birding RV's put on the available services. The RV folks tend to not spend a cent in Niland and really, once you have seen the place, you'll understand.
And now that I recall...there is water and a dump at the municipal park...the thing is? There are two levels of ability to pay. RV'rs can but don't, they just move on down to the Ca Rest Area, that is closing this year, for free water and dumping. For the people that actually call The Slabs home..money is not plentiful. But I dare say, it is their money that does support Niland. But, in return, Niland offers food support and also hot day shelters for all.
Gary Haupt
