20 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY december 21-27, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com The Doctor is In Good job Monterey County Weekly! Big Sur Health Clinic is so key to so many! (“The good news is that a news story can inspire someone to take positive action,” posted Dec. 18.) You all do a wonderful job—I so appreciate the Weekly. Elizabeth Murray | Monterey What a great story—I was wondering what was going to happen to Big Sur Health Center and I’m sure many people are breathing a sigh of relief that Dr. Margaret Simon will be taking over beginning Jan. 2. Thanks so much for the follow-up. Diane Rowe | Seaside Truth and Lies In your most recent anonymous hit piece, your reporter writes: “Squid has been waiting to see what unfolds in Pacific Grove City Hall” (“Squid Fry: Inquiring Minds,” Dec. 14-20). However, instead of reviewing City Hall documents, your reporter decided that comments from Facebook are all that “inquiring minds” require. Your reporter willfully misrepresents the facts by claiming the proposed ordinance (Codifying Council’s Inquiry Authority) would bypass the city manager and “codify harassment.” If your reporter had read the agenda report and watched the council video he/she would have known that the proposed ordinance specifically leads to policy that would establish “rules of the road” for submitting inquiry. The agenda report and video for this proposed ordinance are both available online. In the latest beg letter to raise cash for your operation, your publisher claims the Weekly is a bastion of “truth and light” (“All of us vs. the darkness,” sent Dec. 14). How does lying about an elected official and his work support truth and light? The Weekly routinely chooses innuendo and misinformation over truth and light. This week’s Squid column is just the latest example. Finally, “harassment” has a very specific legal meaning and the investigation prompted by Ben Harvey’s claims against me did not sustain “harassment.” You have published at least six articles that erroneously claim “harassment” was sustained. I have requested retractions under separate cover. Luke Coletti | Pacific Grove Notes: Coletti is the P.G. councilmember who introduced the ordinance. The Weekly stands by its reporting and there is nothing to retract. Squid criticizes the “pattern of Coletti emailing employees demanding information.” “Demanding,” really? He’s doing exactly what he should be doing as a City Council member— seeking information and accountability. Yes, councils usually concern themselves with policies, but if the City’s employees are not managed well, then council members have the right—and obligation— to ask hard questions of city staff. The failures of the former P.G. city manager are numerous, among them failed Project Bella, incorrectly worded tax measure, a skate park that benefits few, luxury housing development to the exclusion of affordable housing, and the failure to even come close to the targets of the housing element. Given the history of poor management and lack of oversight, council members should be able to make direct inquiries to city staff. At council meetings I’ve attended, Coletti is the most prepared and familiar with issues and asks the hard questions. I wish all the other members were as diligent. Joe Aki Ouye | Pacific Grove We get it: The Weekly doesn’t like Luke Coletti. We were happy when he was elected and plenty of us are happier still that he’s doing what he said he would do. We didn’t elect the city manager and it’s taken us years to get rid of him. Mary Jane Perryman | Pacific Grove Helping Hands It’s nice to have a safety net such as The Hub (“CSUMB’s basic needs program reveals desperation—and a simple fix,” Dec. 14-20). Being a student is a full-time job and then some. I averaged 60 hours/week with classes and homework when I was a college student. It would be nice to see this type of program operating nationwide. Walter Wagner | Salinas Christmas Crab? It’s a good time to take care of the whales and other creatures (“Fishermen are reeling from closures that threaten the outlook for the local industry,” Dec. 7-13). Fishing has always been fraught with uncertainty. Victoria Banville | via social media Hobby Lobby Thanks for your comprehensive article on the Peninsula’s water history (“Nearly 30 years after Cal Am was ordered to cut back on its pumping of the Carmel River, solutions brought by public agencies might finally end the Peninsula’s water poverty,” Dec. 7-13). Please, however, do not call the hard work of public advocates opposing Cal Am a hobby. Taking on a corporation that’s a subsidy of the biggest water company in America is not a hobby, but consistent and difficult work. Measure J passed due to advocacy, and the expansion of Pure Water Monterey. This was also a big factor in conditional approval of its costly environmentally damaging desal plant. The success of the buyout could finally give this area a legacy gift of an honest public water agency along with sufficient water…no small potatoes! Susan Schiavone | Seaside THANK YOU to David Schmalz for your work at the Weekly. So many of your articles have been very much appreciated for the effort put into them, not the least of which was last week’s water piece [and board game]. I won the game with the non-Cal Am option, which I surely hope is the real result! Doug Rogers | via email Correction A story about developer Shangri-La cited outdated figures for Homekey projects in California (“The developer behind Homekey housing projects is defaulting on bills and loans,” Dec. 14-20). It has created 14,000 homes, not 6,800, and the total awarded for homes built or in progress is $3 billion, not $2 billion. 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.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==