16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 9-15, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com WATER FLOW Thank you so much for the extensive explanation (“It’s a critical year to pick a solution to save Monterey County’s aquifers. The questions are how, and who pays? June 25-July 1). I don’t remember seeing another article that put as much effort into explaining the situation as you did here. I still have questions, but it will be a very helpful resource to keep handy as a reference. Susan Courrejou | Salinas PRISON TIME This would have a large financial impact on Soledad! Sounds like it will happen (“To cut costs, state legislative office suggests closing a Soledad prison,” June 25-July 1). Jay Donato | Salinas TEACH IN I’m afraid this new principal is holding these people accountable—and [would] like to give our children some foundations to stand on instead of letting them run wild. They want to blame everyone else but their poor teaching abilities (“Pajaro Middle School teachers and parents demand the principal’s removal,” June 25-July 1). Pajaro Valley [Unified School District] has been a circus for years and people wouldn’t want to come work with teachers unions who don’t even come to the table. They go out, cry, boycott and still come up short in state test scores. They get upset and just babysit our kids vs. teaching them what they’ll need in real life. Alex Rivera | via social media This headline is the equivalent of: “Baristas and some customers demand removal of coffee shop manager.” Since when do some teachers and parents get to decide who the boss is? Jim Knowlton | Beaufort, South Carolina Teachers know best. Parents don’t work there. Elizabeth Marisol | Salinas Can the students read and do math at grade level? Maybe it’s the underperforming teachers that need to go. Larry Lycett | Santa Cruz PAY TO PARK Pacific Grove leadership continues to focus on finding new ways to generate more revenue from our visitors (“P.G. City Council approves further study of paid parking; adopts ParkMobile for existing spaces,” posted June 18). Tens of thousands of tourists come to our coastline each year and that the City bears the cost of maintaining roads, parking pullouts and beach access. If attracting and benefiting from tourism is such a priority, then why hasn’t leadership made providing adequate public restrooms at our most visited destinations—from Lovers Point to Asilomar—a priority as well? Before asking how to collect more money from visitors, shouldn’t we first ensure we are meeting one of their most basic human needs? Public restrooms are not a luxury—they are essential infrastructure. If City leadership is serious about promoting tourism, then investing in basic amenities should come before discussing new ways to increase visitor revenue. Christie Italiano-Thomas | Pacific Grove PAY TO LIVE No one disputes that the cost of living is a serious concern. But when Councilmember Kim Barber asked to agendize a discussion on creating a task force to study Monterey’s affordability challenges and develop practical solutions, I about lost it (“Squid Fry: Double Standard,” June 25-July 1). While well-intentioned, the proposal seems disconnected from the realities of what a city government can actually accomplish. What meaningful impact could a “Cost-of-Living Task Force” realistically have on affordability? The primary drivers of affordability—housing prices, inflation, grocery costs, gasoline, utilities, insurance, interest rates—are largely regional, state or national issues that a city simply cannot control. While Monterey is operating with a structural budget deficit and is considering increased fees and other revenue measures to balance its finances, I doubt whether a task force would produce any meaningful results. Deborah Roberts | Monterey For once, Squid got the headline exactly right. Its “Double Standard” column perfectly describes the column itself. Squid dismissed Councilmember Smith’s request for a discussion of a red, white and blue crosswalk while portraying Councilmember Barber’s request for staff to develop an affordability task force—with no defined plan, budget, funding source, timeline or measurable outcome—as a “valuable use of city resources.” What Squid omitted is equally telling. Questions have been publicly raised about taxpayer-funded maintenance of the rainbow crosswalk, and the City Council has already voted to agendize a discussion of how that maintenance occurred and whether it was authorized. Perhaps Squid should spend less time reaching for the shrimp-flavored popcorn and more time taking notes. Lori Mazzuca | Monterey LEADER SHIFT He sounds well qualified, with a strong physics background (“CSU Chancellor appoints an interim president to replace the departing Vanya Quiñones,” posted June 18). Walter Wagner | Salinas TROPHY SHELF Congratulations on the impressive number of honors you received at the California Journalism Awards (“This awards season provides good reminders to celebrate a rockstar team,” posted June 24). I rely on the Monterey County Weekly not only to stay informed about what’s happening in our community, but also for the thoughtful, in-depth reporting you provide on issues that matter to Monterey County. At a time when we should all be concerned about protecting a free and independent press, the Weekly continues to serve our community with integrity, insight and professionalism. Well done, and kudos to your entire team for providing such exceptional local journalism. Your work not only brings tremendous value to our community but also reflects a level of excellence recognized by your peers in the industry. Ann Kern | Monterey 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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