14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 4-10, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com COST OF CARE I am no expert, but the high cost of living means those hospital workers need to make higher wages (“A state investigation concludes a lack of competition is behind the county’s high hospital costs,” Nov. 20-26). Debra Gill | via social media And they should [pay higher wages]. But the corporate greed runs rampant. The chief of surgery at Natividad made just under $1 million [$871,400 according to the California State Controller] last year. J.R. Walker | East Garrison [Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula] could lower the prices. Cashpaying patient here—my husband’s [pulmonary function test] was $4,700 at CHOMP; at SVH, $500. An MRI $3,000; SVH $400. Cheryl “Rebelle” Robinson | Prunedale Is this why Blue Shield of California is quoting nearly $3,000 for a high-deductible bronze plan for our self-employed family of three in order for us to have access to Montage and CHOMP? We have looked into Kaiser but they don’t seem quite established here yet. I don’t love the idea of having to drive a sick kiddo to Watsonville for urgent care through Kaiser. Erin Drake-Prior | via social media SOUND UP Thank you for highlighting the Whistlemania event that took place at JACL (“Monterey County joins the Whistlestop campaign to alert people of potential ICE presence,” Nov. 20-26). As volunteer Catherine Fanoe put it, “Our immigrant community is the hardest-working community in Monterey County. Trump is the real threat to this country, not immigrants working to feed their families to make a better life for their kids.” There will be many more of these events where volunteers can assemble kits with whistles and know your rights information to do their part to stop the Trump administration’s racist and short-sighted targeting of immigrants. Joanna Gallagher | Monterey WATER WAY Thank you for your outstanding article (“Politics, law and reality collide in pursuit of relief on Peninsula water woes,” Nov. 27-Dec. 3). This whole water issue has been so confusing but thanks to your article, I think I now understand. Everyone has been so eager to add new water meters and build, build, build but the State Water Board has yet to lift the cease-anddesist order. I was under the impression that one can now get all the water they want. Questions remain but at some point there must be a solution. I wonder when that will be. Nancy Ponedel Parsons | Pacific Grove Your article about the tangled mess of Cal Am and all the other water actors is superbly written. That level of journalism is rare. Especially clever was Tyller Williamson’s quote about aliens. I’m continually impressed with your paper’s excellent reporting. Carl Alasko | Monterey GIFT GIVING Since at least early adulthood, I’ve not been a gifts person (“Today is Black Friday, but you can rethink gift-giving as a charitable endeavor,” posted Nov. 28). I’ve never given birthday or Christmas gifts to my children, now adults. I’m confident that my children nonetheless firmly believe that I love them. As an extended family, we stopped exchanging gifts years ago. Once my basic needs are met, I think my charitable giving should exceed my self-indulgent spending. This practice does not feel sacrificial, but joyful and liberating. Eugene Loh | Pacific Grove I am 85 and homebound. Last year my family told me I had to give gifts. I resisted and then realized I did have something to give. I read a lot and went through my books to pick out detective stories from foreign countries. So I wrapped 11 books and gave them out on Christmas Eve. We talked about each book as it was opened. Wonderful conversations happened. My family loves to travel and I was sharing how I travel through reading. This year I plan to give out some of my medical books. I am sharing what I have learned about medical care as an old person. I really don’t expect them to read them, but I like the conversations that come up when the gifts are opened. Kathy Whilden | Monterey GIVING IT ALL What began 25 years ago as the Monterey County Weekly Community Fund and now exists as MCGives! deserves a shout-out (“Monterey County Gives!,” Nov. 13-Dec. 31). The MCGives! effort loves its numbers— days, hours, minutes remaining to donate, total donors, amount raised and number of nonprofits as examples. What is probably an unidentifiable and massive number is the actual number of individual people, and animals, in the County of Monterey who have directly benefited in some way from what was originally the “Big Idea” of one person, Weekly Founder & CEO Bradley Zeve. What Bradley has nurtured to blossom in our county is reflected in Margaret Mead’s quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Bravo and thank you. Peter Hiller | Carmel WAVE MACHINE Thank you to Ellie Salameh for such an informative article (“Elementary school students are putting into practice what it means to be environmental stewards,” Nov. 13-19). Ocean Guardians is an ongoing program at Forest Grove Elementary School, thanks to NOAA and Ms. Kari Serpa, a fourth-grade teacher. Ms. Serpa has worked tirelessly, with countless hours of her own time, to bring and keep this program going for the students at Forest Grove (and beyond). The program’s student-to-community connection is changing lives, as Ellie wrote, and it takes a dedicated educator like Ms. Serpa to make it happen. Thank you, Ms. Serpa and NOAA. Jeanie De Tomaso | Pacific Grove 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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