14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 1-7, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com PAY TO PLAY It’s nice to see that East Carmel Valley Road will get long-overdue repairs with private funding from Fox Creek Ranch and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Sadly, the county of Monterey has let the roads deteriorate and now we’re in a big pothole without funding to dig ourselves out (“Monterey County is now letting private landowners fund road repairs near their properties,” May 25-31). What’s next? Carmel Valley Toll Road so we can all chip in and help pay for the repairs? This is what happens when poor planning and management by the Board of Supervisors and lack of leadership to obtain funding for the Public Works Department to maintain and improve our roads and other facilities. Where is their plan to get us out of this mess? This is a serious issue that affects all residents of the county and our quality of life. Tom Jakaby | Carmel Valley I very much agree with your point that we should be debating private spending on public functions (“Three (private) million for three (public) miles,” posted May 27). The debate, though, is muddied in this instance because community foundations are effectively tax shelters for the wealthy, subsidized by taxpayers. So you could argue that in a roundabout way that it is indeed the taxpayers helping to build a road that will benefit mainly a small but elite group of landowners out in Carmel Valley. I know it’s probably not a good idea to be critical of “charity,” but I’d welcome an article which looks into funds at community foundations. Some never disperse a dime, but shelter wealthy individuals from taxes— taxes that could help repair roads. Christina Lund | Pacific Grove SCHOOL BLUES It’s disheartening that, on top of all these students have endured, they’re bullied at their new school (“Pajaro Middle will remain closed for the next school year; students endure bullying at their new school,” May 18-24). Many attempts to stop bullying, while well intentioned, make matters worse. Some of the best resources are from Barbara Coloroso (author of The Bully, the Bullied, and the Not-So-Innocent Bystander). Coloroso has resources in Spanish and English. Mari Lynch | Salinas MARSH MENTALITY Wonderful news, well presented (“New funding will help protect and restore the coastal wetlands at Elkhorn Slough,” posted May 16). Don Scott | Carson City, Nevada Years ago, my husband Harry Holman Hicks sold [a part of] Elkhorn Slough to his friend David Packard for the purpose of saving it for future generations. David told him that it was his “favorite purchase ever,” and promised him to make sure it was protected for the future. I alway thought it was a shame that nothing was named in his honor. Harry Holman Hicks died June 28, 2019 at 98 years old in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and as a World War II veteran, was buried with honors at Golden Gate National Cemetery. A member of the legendary Explorers Club, polo player until he was 75, and given a title from the King of Malaysia, he was one of the most amazing and interesting men in Monterey County history. There is much more, but I digress. Back to Elkhorn Slough. Perhaps he could be memorialized for his early effort to make sure that the land was protected, saved now for Monterey County’s and the world’s future. Dede Whiteside-Hicks | Carmel FRACK ATTACK This is outrageous (“Measure Z, Monterey County’s ban on new oil wells, heads to the state Supreme Court,” May 25-31). The world’s scientists know we must move away from fossil fuels to save us from complete destruction within a few decades. California usually leads the way in progressive, needed action. Further, before we hear any crying about how much we need the oil, we need to stop shipping U.S. oil out to other countries. The issue is simple. Saving Monterey, America and the world, versus corrupt profits to operations that are killing us! John Thomas | Salinas POWER DOWN The Earth is not and never will be controlled by humans. So-called climate change is a political ploy, inspiring fear in order to control the citizens (“An opportunity to be a leader in our climate future,” posted May 22). Pushing this theory is pure propaganda. Roger Vandevert | via email What makes you feel “disempowered and hopeless” is the mind-numbing stupidity of people who don’t realize that EV charging stations are charging incredibly toxic lithium-ion batteries containing components that are finite and massively pollute the planet when they are both mined and disposed of, and which charge them almost exclusively with dirty energy generated by burning coal. “Oh, I have an EV car! I don’t use any fossil fuels!!” God protect us from idiots that vote. But by all means, let’s print a few more trillion scrip dollars to please AOC, and do away with the most reliable energy source ever known to man, and the entire driver of our economy and prosperity and national security, instead funding bird-annihilating wind farms and electric grids that don’t work when the sun doesn’t shine. I don’t know what’s worse, that people with these ill-formed, unresearched, unscientific, fuzzy-thinking, gibberingly illogical febrile notions have any kind of power or authority, or that they can breed. Norm Morris | Salinas FESTIVAL SEASON Great cover design (“Deep Roots: Cali Roots returns this weekend for its 13th year, bringing colorful fashion, good causes and diverse array of reggae talent,” May 25-31). Eric Palmer Sr. | Monterey LET THERE BE LIGHT What an outstanding portrait you did of Martha! The lighting is sublime (“Two exhibits present photography fans with a chance to immerse themselves in the work of Martha Casanave,” May 18-24). Steve Zmak | Marina LETTERS • COMMENTSOPINION Submit letters to the editor to letters@mcweekly.com. Please keep your letter to 150 words or less; subject to editing for space. Please include your full name, contact information and city you live in.
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