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They came from throughout the Inland Empire. From Temecula as well as the Victor Valley. From political and private sectors.  Elected officials from San Bernardino County sat with their counterparts from Riverside. Environmentalists sat with developers. The meeting in Ontario on Oct. 22 of this year was to discuss the Green Valley Initiative, a concept conceived by Ali Sahabi of the Dos Lagos project south of Corona.
The initiative, you should understand, is not a proposition to be voted on, but rather an idea that brings everyone together to allow growth in the Inland Empire based on sound environmental philosophies, hence The Green Valley.
Much is already in place. Hybrid cars, solar energy and recycling mandates. Yet all agree that there is much to be done. It seemed only fitting, here at the start of the 21st century, to declare a commonality among all how to share the planet. The Inland Empire could become the test tube, the prototype, for the new age of responsible development, for mankind to use the Earth without destroying it.
 If only.
While many gave lip service to the concept from the stage, there were those afterwards who agreed that disagreement still held sway. For one thing, there are two county lines that runs through our part of the world, and no fancy words in public will sway the political process that kept the 71 Freeway from funneling from a San Bernardino Freeway to Riverside’s Blood Alley, with Los Angeles County’s maze on the other end up near Interstate 10.
If you want a prototype of what the Green Valley Initiative has in store for it, drive the 71. Recognize the fact that no two political entities will let the other guy dictate to them. Not to mention the fact that internally, the High Desert would still like to separate from the flatland areas of San Bernardino County. Even as the war continues to rage between conservationists and environmentalists, the concept of two and a half counties, plus the 50 odd cities on their jurisdictions, getting along, gathering around the green campfire, singing John Denver songs of brotherhood and fellowship, simply is not going to happen.
Once again, even here in the Inland Empire, man will continue to get in the way of mankind.