14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY february 1-7, 2024 www.montereycountyweekly.com Into the Frying Pan So sad. He is a talented chef (“Caterer Dory Ford is charged with defrauding the government out of $4 million in Covid relief funds,” posted Jan. 26). What causes someone to follow a path of dishonesty? Celeste Williams | Carmel Healthy Competition Thank you for your reporting. Kaiser coming in is excellent (“A new health care provider is coming to Monterey County. That’s great news or terrible news, depending on who you ask,” posted Jan. 24). They provide excellent service at an affordable price. Many friends and family of ours have Kaiser and are satisfied. No one should have to drive an hour one way for medical care. So, a big “yay” from us for competitive diversity in medical choice for our Peninsula. Barb Patchin | Marina Kaiser is a nonprofit and pays no taxes, including local property taxes. Per state law, this is so they may provide “community benefits,” mostly care to uninsured patients. But this is only done at Kaiser hospitals when uninsured patients enter the ER. Without a local hospital, in Santa Cruz and soon Monterey County they will “skim” the high-paying, healthier privately insured patients and not contribute otherwise to our health care system. That may please large employers but will destabilize our critical health care safety net. There is a simple solution: Santa Cruz County recently negotiated an agreement with Kaiser to require 2 percent of revenue be spent on community benefits like charity care or local grants. Santa Cruz County has a similar agreement with all large health systems requiring up to 7 percent of revenue for community benefits, and it should be fairly applied to all local providers. Two percent is far lower than the actual subsidy these health systems receive paying no taxes. Jason Johnston | Prunedale Oh great, Kaiser, the company most well known for overcharging and vicious litigation of medical debt. This should go well for our community. Are they still charging $10K-plus for a broken arm? (“Kaiser Permanente is at work on a Salinas location, and eyeing a spot in Marina,” Jan. 25-31.) Joseph W. Borawski | via social media Kaiser has been absolutely wonderful for us! I usually go to Gilroy or San Jose for care. • easy to get referred to a specialist • thoughtful, compassionate, and thorough doctors who don’t over-prescribe medicine • organized medical records • emphasis on preventative care They do a lot right!! They should be the model for overhauling the broken health care system. Monica Glatzel Williams | Prunedale In the Flow Who says there’s no good news these days? Thanks! (“An aquifer storage project is an example of a creative, workable solution to a problem,” posted Jan. 23.) Tina Walsh | via social media Service pay The Salinas City Council just gave itself a 300-percet salary increase while the folks in Salinas neighborhoods wait patiently for their streets and sidewalks to be repaired (“Salinas City Council approves increasing council compensation,” posted Jan. 25). It would seem there is a problem with the direction city funds are flowing. It would certainly be in the public’s interest to know the numbers reflected by the continuing success of the Downtown Vibrancy Plan, and give some sign of the city’s economic improvement over this period of growth, assuring its citizens that their local government is actually working for their benefit. Publishing these long-term successes would also deliver some overdue local governmental transparency and improve the relationship between the citizens and their city leaders. Kent Seavey | Pacific Grove Sleep Tight Thank you for your coverage and I would like to present an alternative that has proven highly beneficial for over 50 years (“Good sleep—in both quantity and quality—is the holy grail for a healthy mind and body,” Jan. 25-31). I sleep five-and-a-half to six hours per night with a 20-minute nap each afternoon. I wake fully refreshed each day and am accused of being the energizer bunny!!! Guidelines are one thing, however there are some of us that color outside the lines. Notice what works while being kind to your body. Annie Auburn | Del Rey Oaks Round and Round The Highway 68 Coalition is a joke (“A nonprofit was set to take over management of Laguna Seca Jan. 1, but the contract remains in limbo,” Jan. 11-17). Laguna Seca was established in 1957 to replace the Pebble Beach road racing which was becoming far too dangerous. Since its inception, the track has developed into a world-renowned track that has pumped millions of dollars into various charitable organizations as well as into our local economy. It’s called due diligence—research before you purchase your home. People move here for the prestige, then they say that one of the most prestigious tracks in the world does not belong here. Laguna Seca was here long before any of the new residents. Leave it be. If you don’t like it, move back to where you came from. All these Karens need to get a life! I now live in South County; our family purchased a ranch in between San Antonio and Nacimiento lakes. I have many fond memories of Laguna Seca, an outstanding, challenging track. Edward Alexandre | Bradley Note: Alexandre is a former racer of the SSCA Trans Am series and the IMSA Camel GT series, starting in the early 1970s. Democracy in the Balance Susan Romero writes, “I know Trump has his faults, but loving his country is not one of them” (“Letters,” Jan 25-31). Yes, he loves this country so much that he tried to overthrow the country, and destroy our democracy on January 6. Chris Romero | Pacific Grove 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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