14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY september 26-october 2, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Taking a stand Thank you so much for your eye-opening coverage of this principled man (“The local NAACP asked Ben Jealous, Sierra Club’s national leader, if he was willing to acquiesce to Chevron. He said no,” posted Sept. 19). Ben Jealous is on the right side of history for sure. June Henry | Monterey Integrity, so rare! Zoya Scholis | Seaside Vote Count Thank you for rebuking the recent attempt to undermine our elections (“Squid Fry: Party Line,” Sept. 12-18). Readers should be aware that United Sovereign Americans (USA) is a national organization with a nationwide strategy to create doubt about American elections, an effort shared by and financed by adversaries like Russia, China and Iran. Christopher Wray and other U.S. officials have warned us repeatedly to be alert to an increase in such efforts, whether it’s online propaganda or supported by groups like USA. It’s also a part of a homegrown strategy to challenge the 2024 election results if Trump loses. Do not be duped. As Squid proposes, tour or volunteer with our hardworking Monterey County Elections Department to see for yourself how we register citizens, manage elections and count their votes. Christina Lund | Pacific Grove Water Slide The Sixth District Court of Appeal confirmed that the Monterey Peninsula Water District is not entitled to collect the water supply charge, which has amounted to tens of millions of dollars from ratepayers (“Squid Fry: Water Way,” Sept. 19-25). Time for us to reconsider pursuing Measure J that, in my opinion, will end up costing ratepayers additional tens of millions of dollars in related legal fees and achieve nothing. Voters were told it was “a feasibility study that will cost us nothing.” That is far from the truth and there is reason to question the way MPWMD collects and spends ratepayer money. John Tilley | Pacific Grove No Fixed Address And we all need to get a Real ID by May 7. It seems like the people with multiple homes really don’t care about the rest of us who may not be able to get a Real ID because we have no address (“Some charming, oldschool ways of life are worth holding on to. Is not having an address one of them?” posted Sept. 20). I tried to get a pair of shoes sent to me but the company that makes them declined to sell them to me because they could not verify my UPS address, as it’s not linked to a residence. I pay for both a P.O. Box and a UPS box and it’s still not sufficient. I asked one of the mayoral candidates, “What are the benefits of not having an address?” Do you think he had an answer? Of course not. Claire Fay | Carmel I love the charm of Carmel-by-theSea’s address system. It is like a little code to be solved. When we lived in D.C., the city sent each home a small metal, reflective “license plate” with our house number. We could stick it in a front window or put it on a gate, wherever an emergency vehicle could find it at night. Something like that could be a simple solution—assigning a street number to homes for emergency, insurance or delivery purposes, while keeping the current P.O. Box system in place. Sharon Houy | Pacific Grove Share the Growth I read your coverage of the Beacon Economics report, that we need more housing to be able to diversify with industries other than ag and hospitality (“A first-ever report shows Monterey County’s economy needs to diversify,” Sept. 19-25). In Marina we are building not only new affordable homes but we are building a brand-new state-of-the-art coastal community with new upscale dining and drinking establishments, a Trader Joe’s is coming, and we already have a state-of-the-art movie theater and an REI, all within walking/biking distance from these new homes. Marina is now leading the way with housing and the new future in travel at Joby. And we have more land space to grow in the techno-industrial industry where you might find higher-paying jobs. Perhaps nowhere on the coast of California is another city growing the future like Marina. I think Marina is the future here in Monterey County. Scott Paul | Marina Boogie Nights The Oldtown nightlife scene hasn’t been this lively since the 1980s (“Salinas’ nightlife scene invites people to have fun while also celebrating the city’s historic downtown,” Sept. 12-18). Miguel Banda | via social media 201 Main is definitely the hottest actual nightclub! Randall Maldonado | Salinas Quiet Time I learned to meditate about 50 years ago (“An invitation to join your neighbors in taking a collective deep breath in trying out meditation,” posted Sept. 18). It is something I do every day no matter what. It has proven to be the most important and rewarding investment I ever made…in myself. I urge you to find the time and make the time...for you. E.A. Singer | Carmel Valley I’d like to share my own experience with transcendental meditation, in the hope that it encourages more people to explore this practice. After years of gentle encouragement from Jo Ann Gesner, a respected local TM teacher, I finally embraced TM on Oct. 4, 2010. Within just 10 days, I realized I should have begun much sooner. Meditating for 20 minutes, twice a day, brought a sense of calm to my restless “monkey mind” almost immediately. But beyond the quiet moments, the practice transformed how I navigated both my business and personal life. Stress gave way to a steady joy that infuses all parts of my day. The benefits have only deepened over time, and I wholeheartedly recommend TM to anyone seeking balance and peace. Patricia Hamilton | Pacific Grove Note: Hamilton serves on the advisory board of Meditate Monterey County. 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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