12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com CAPITOL CONNECTION I applaud Bradley Zeve for having the guts to ask Jimmy Panetta about his acceptance of AIPAC money, and for publishing his answer (“U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta on what keeps him up at night and how to fight for democracy in uncertain times,” Oct. 23-29). What I found specifically disturbing was Jimmy’s answer to the question about receiving pro-Israel campaign money: “They know how principled I am.” I wonder what principles allow him to vote for unconditional support of the Israeli government while Israel continues to justify the theft of land and resources from Palestinians, is completely sectarian in practice, is an apartheid government and is carrying out genocide. It is time to realize that AIPAC walks, talks and works as a foreign actor, and what we need is a truly principled congressman. Robert Gularte | Monterey I appreciate Congressman Panetta’s stated commitment to defend democracy against the unprecedented threats of this authoritarian administration. Yet his record reveals a troubling misalignment with many Monterey County voters, especially regarding Israel. In response to Zeve’s thoughtful question about more than $243,000 in AIPAC-linked campaign donations, Panetta replied: “These are individuals who choose to donate to me based on the values that I have.” He’s telling us his values align with those of AIPAC, a hawkish lobbying group out of step with the majority of Democrats. This is not simply about one bill, HR 9495, but reflects a pattern. Panetta’s AIPAC-aligned votes have helped send more than $16 billion U.S. tax dollars to Israel’s military since October 2023—millions of it flowing from our district to fund what a U.N. commission has deemed a genocide. Panetta has also consistently opposed ceasefire resolutions and conditions on military aid that would have discouraged Israel’s war crimes. He is undoubtedly on the wrong side of history. Kera Panni | Seaside I quickly gleaned at the cover and for a moment, I thought it said “View from Hell.” I laughed when I read the real title (“View from the Hill”), but my original reading is probably accurate as well. Thank you, Jimmy Panetta, for all your effort and work to help your constituents and our country. Celeste Williams | Carmel TO THE DOGS It’s the perfect location, is a business building not a house, and has fewer residential neighbors than the Pacific Grove house POMDR owns and quietly runs (“Carmel Valley residents push back on Peace of Mind Dog Rescue’s plan to house dogs,” Oct. 16-22). I think it’s a great addition to the properties of POMDR. Senior dogs need a place to lounge on a sofa and soak up the rays. Cheryl Dorsey | via social media You’ve got to be kidding me! Only cold-hearted grumpy people would take issue with this. They need the love of a dog. Celia Madison | via social media BUS LINE Thanks to their bait and switch of the SURF! line where they said they wouldn’t delete the tracks only to then go ahead and do just that, they can expect a no vote from us (“A new state bill paves the way for MontereySalinas Transit to ask voters for more money,” Oct. 16-22). Josh Stephens | via social media We should have expected this. Trying to offset costs of the new [SURF! busway] project. Brandon Kelsey | Marina POWER OF THE PRESS Regarding your assertion that local reporting is an important component of free speech, my instant reaction was that if local media such as the Weekly were to present a more balanced perspective as to what is happening in our society, some would be far more motivated to support the paper (“Free speech is our right. But we shouldn’t take it for granted,” posted Oct. 21). A perfect example is “free speech.” If that topic is to be breached it’s necessary to start where free speech came under the most severe attack in this century: 2020-2024. James Macfarlane | Big Sur PUSH BACK Robert McGregor’s letter takes aim at what he calls the “liberal far left” and a “do-nothing Biden administration” (“Letters,” Oct. 23-29). But repeating political talking points doesn’t make them true. President Biden’s term saw historic infrastructure investment, record job growth and expanded support for veterans—tangible actions that actually do something. As for his dismissal of protest—let’s remember that protest is not wasted energy; it’s the engine of democracy. The growing “No Kings” movement isn’t about chaos, it’s about accountability. Americans are saying, loudly and clearly, that no one—whether named Trump, Biden or McGregor— gets to rule without question. We can debate policies, but dismissing civic action and labeling fellow citizens as “misguided” is exactly the kind of arrogance that drives people into the streets. Democracy depends on dissent. It always has. Maggie Power | Salinas PATH FORWARD Such an amazing program! (“Rancho Cielo was an idea that wasn’t supposed to fly. Today, the school is soaring,” Oct. 23-29.) Rachelle Davi-Razzeca | Moss Landing SOUP FOR YOU So delicious! I love this place and they are so kind to my wild toddler who loves their food too (“Rice and Roots is the culmination of a chef’s passion for the flavors of Vietnam,” Oct. 16-22). Lauren DaSilva | via social media CORRECTION A story about Rancho Cielo inaccurately stated the number of students served in 2024-25 (“Rancho Cielo was an idea that wasn’t supposed to fly. Today, the school is soaring,” Oct. 23-29). It was 200 in that time frame, not 2,250—the latter is the number of students served over all 25 years. 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