14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY september 12-18, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Bus Ride Monterey-Salinas Transit, the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, State Sen. John Laird and other powerful interests persuaded Coastal Commission staff to support the SURF! Busway (“MontereySalinas Transit’s embattled SURF! project is now riding a wave toward approval,” Sept. 5-11). Staff insisted that to minimize impact to environmentally sensitive habitat, the busway had to be moved to where the railroad tracks are, necessitating the removal of miles of railroad tracks. Still, many acres of habitat would be lost as a 30-foot highway is much wider than a railroad track. The historic railway would be gone, replaced by asphalt, easily visible from Highway 1. The busway bypasses traffic where traffic flows best, the short three-lane section of freeway between Sand City and Marina. Converting one lane to a carpool lane would be more effective, inexpensive and not slow down almost all buses as the busway does. The Coastal Commission has reversed its position and now finds this alternative infeasible. The reason given: SURF! could be installed quicker. Bryan Rosen | Monterey This approval was, sadly, almost inevitable. I take the smallest consolation that the impact on environmentally sensitive habitat areas will be reduced when it could have been largely avoided. The Coastal Commission staff did note this unfortunate dynamic in their August report when they wrote: “... this is a classic symptom of the way transportation project funding in California often works, where funding tends to be allocated for projects well in advance of serious environmental analysis and entitlement processes… It is the funding that drives a particular course of pre-determined action, rather than an unencumbered evaluation of potential alternatives.” Hans Ongchua | Marina I am confident that this bus rapid-transit project will establish a faithful ridership that will later leverage the still-active light rail plan for this corridor. Thanks, Sen. Laird and Assemblymember Addis, and TAMC and MST members! Barry Scott | Aptos No Cake For You Thank you for your interest in the Soledad Community Health Care District and the recent opinions expressed by Squid regarding CEO Ida Lopez Chan (“Let Them Eat Cake,” Sept. 5-11). While we respect Squid’s views, several points deserve clarification. First, regarding the CEO of the Year nomination: Nominations for the Association of California Healthcare Districts awards can come from colleagues, board members or employees. In fact, two of our employees have confirmed they nominated Chan. The nomination itself acknowledges Chan’s leadership and contributions over the past four years, including expanded services, increased transparency and stabilized finances. On salaries and livable wages, SCHCD has made significant efforts to close equity gaps. Though we are still progressing, our staffing levels exceed legal requirements, and we take pride in our efforts. While some employees have expressed feelings of being unappreciated, their concerns, though valid, are subjective. We respect their voices and are working with SEIU 2015 to negotiate a sustainable agreement. As for the cake, it was simply to celebrate Chan’s 50th birthday. The cake clearly said “Fabulous 50.” She has never claimed to have won the CEO of the Year award. Any celebration of her nomination would be deserved, as she is the first woman, and woman of color, to lead the district. Adriana Gonzalez | via email Note: Gonzalez is communications coordinator at the Soledad Community Health Care District. Smoke and Mirrors Congratulations to the parents who reported unlawful sales of tobacco products to minors to the Monterey Police Department resulting in a $25,000 fine (“Hopefully, county officials fulfill a promise to revive tobacco enforcement,” Aug. 29-Sept. 4). It’s sad the Monterey County Health Department collects Tobacco Retail License Ordinance fees from retailers, but Monterey City has to use its taxpayer dollars to enforce illegal tobacco sales to our youth. Does our Board of Supervisors really expect our elected Monterey County sheriff, who doesn’t respect our speeding laws, to do decoy tobacco enforcement activities? Dale Hillard | Salinas Big on Blues Best of luck in this expanding endeavor! (“A dance and music venue in Seaside is expanding, and hopes to grow the nightlife scene,” Aug. 29-Sept. 4.) Chris Sierra | Monterey Absolutely amazing food, owned/ operated by the kindest people. Lisa Spence Koehlmoos | Seaside Making Waves Wave Street Studios is a Monterey treasure (“Wave Street Studios is finally able to expand its programming,” Sept. 5-11). I urge live music lovers to support it so it thrives for decades to come. Mari Lynch Dehmler | Salinas Hold the Meat Today’s obsession with crafting vegetable-based patties to replicate the taste and texture of meat is admirable, but it misses the point of what makes a vegetarian option truly special (“A few restaurants resist the processed plant-based trend with veggie burgers made from scratch,” Aug. 29-Sept. 4). In the 1970s, there was no pretense or need to disguise vegetables; instead, their freshness and quality were embraced. These sandwiches weren’t trying to compete with burgers; they were in a league of their own. The layering of crisp, raw veggies, occasionally paired with a slice of cheese or a dollop of hummus, provided a burst of flavors and a crunch that was both refreshing and satisfying. It was a celebration of simplicity, with each bite reminding you of the earthiness and vitality of plant-based foods. Bringing back those classic vegetarian sandwiches would be a revelation in today’s restaurant scene. John Thomas | Salinas Letters • CommentsOPINION Submit letters to the editor to letters@montereycountynow.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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