16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 8-14, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com WORDS MATTER Part of [the work] is knowing the culture (“Defense Language Institute moves to remove perceived DEI language from classrooms,” Sept. 24-30). If you’re assigned as a [Foreign Area Officer] your understanding of culture and relaying that information to the command is critical. Shawn Poulin | via social media The DLI mission, and translators as a whole, are becoming completely irrelevant anyway. Super Intelligence (SI) can nearly perfectly translate and extract intel from transmissions and script faster than humans nowadays. And SI does not care about DEI, but is rooted in facts. Jason Harms | via social media I’m a graduate of DLI and learning the target language included becoming steeped in the culture where that language is spoken. DEI-type innuendo is a uniquely Western/American phenomenon and teaching such concepts to Americans being trained to interpret or even integrate into another culture is at best rather pointless and at worst a complete waste of time and resources. David Nicholson | via social media If you think other countries do not discuss diversity, equity, inclusion, LGBTQ+ issues or race, then you are about as ridiculous as the notion that we should make our linguists less educated in their target language. The languages taught at DLI are not just for SIGINT [Signals Intelligence], HUMINT [Human Intelligence], for FAO, even for the State Department. There is no valid rationale for diminishing education or resources, it’s purely based on the ideology of this administration. Adrian Stone | via social media [This is] how dictatorships work. Roger Kern | via social media Words matter. That’s why DEI advocates introduced these terms over time. Time to remove them and talk like we are intelligent adults again. Larry Lycett | Santa Cruz MAYORAL MAYHEM Witch hunt, check your closets for past skeletons (“Monterey mayoral candidate takes on the local press and suspected sources,” Oct. 1-7). Carolyn DiMaggio | Gardnerville, Nevada It’s called disclosure of facts, verified by public records. Truth is an absolute defense to a claim for defamation. The only one who is on a “witch hunt,” to use your misplaced phrase, is Mr. Malfitano who is fishing for production of personal records of unrelated parties to the current restraining order application filed against him. His mobster style campaign tactics of harassment, bullying and intimidation only confirm his questionable character, as does his past record. He chose to put both his character and record at issue when he decided to run for public office. Many national candidates have quit their races when similar records were discovered. Time for him to withdraw from the mayoral race. Kala Fossum | Monterey When someone runs for public office they open themselves and their past for public scrutiny, especially if it involves matters of public concern. This criticism is generally covered by the First Amendment. If a candidate doesn’t want their past history to be discussed and examined, they probably shouldn’t run for a public office asking for the trust of the community. Own up to the past and explain, or don’t run. Many voters do their due diligence and research a candidate before voting. Shelly Schmidt | Monterey MEASURE UP I appreciate that the Weekly editorial board introduced this article by suggesting that our local governmental system needs major reform, whether or not any particular ballot measure is a good idea (“Our endorsements on local ballot measures and state propositions on the Nov. 3 ballot,” Oct. 1-7). I’ve long felt we need a regional approach to problem solving, and the Weekly has gone one step further by suggesting a consolidation of our individual bureaucracies. We certainly do need to do something before the standard of living here is destroyed by poorly placed hotels, never-ending gridlock and underfunded public services. Corey Thornburg Brunson | Monterey I see you are very hard pressed to find any tax that you do not approve of. Two things you might consider: First, every time a tax is implemented, another hard-working person falls below the poverty line—every time. Second, the national debt is $40 trillion. In fact, I doubt you can find a single government entity in this country that is not deeply in arrears. We are broke. Richard Hellam | Seaside Your numerous endorsements for the tax measures that will be on the November ballot has again influenced my decision to do the opposite and vote NO! Vince Tuminello | Pacific Grove Monterey County Weekly editors’ logic: Let’s just support raising taxes across the board rather than holding elected officials, city planners and city managers accountable for their mismanaging of funds. Let the taxpayers eat cake. Jeff Perrine | Marina I can’t believe your logic for endorsing Proposition 40, the billionaire tax (“Our endorsements: Yes on Prop. 40”). It’s flawed and “the clear winners will be the lawyers.” Please don’t ask me to cheer for the dog running in a circle trying to catch its tail. The result of a California tax on billionaires will result in them hopping in their private jets and flying away. We need a national billionaire’s tax. When you have had good fortune in your life and you choose to build fences instead of making your table longer, you give off an odor. Say no to half-measures. Tony Amarante | Seaside Innkeepers helped establish the Hospitality Improvement District to attract overnight guests whose spending supports shops, restaurants and city services. The city has shared tremendously in that success (“Our 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. LETTERS continues on pg. 18
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