I'd like to thank the Weekly for Traci Hukill's article on the Buena Vista Land Co.'s massive rent hike ("Home Breaker," 12/7-13). As a resident of the Olympia Grove Apartments mentioned in the article, it should be noted that the burden of skyrocketing rents--$200 per month or 23 percent, in the case of the four Monterey-area properties referred to--is not only borne by the elderly and those on fixed incomes. There are also many middle-aged and young tenants with families at the Olympia complexes in Pacific Grove and Monterey, and they too are reeling from the shock and suddenness of this huge increase, at a time of low inflation and minimal cost-of-living increases.

These massive rental increases are not only a tenant issue, but one which affects businesses throughout the area, as they struggle to attract and retain employees, whether public school teachers and social workers or blue-collar wage earners.

We continue to have faith in the mediation efforts of mayors Dan Albert and Sandy Koffman, Supervisor Dave Potter, the Conflict and Mediation Center of Monterey, and other officials who have attempted to intervene on our behalf. We, along with the 60 percent of the residents in the city of Monterey who are renters, will continue to work for the implementation of voluntary annual rental increase guidelines tied to the Consumer Price Index, and the provision by landlords of their rental increase history to all incoming tenants, two initiatives which have existed for many years in thousands of jurisdictions throughout the United States, but not in Monterey County.

SAM LIPSKY, PACIFIC GROVE

Good Ideas Don't Die

The current ill-conceived proposal to dissolve the Water Management District ("Down the Drain," 12/7-13) fails to identify a viable alternative.

The WMD was initially formed to address the lack of a responsible water policy. Its mandate was expressly designed to expand its powers beyond the traditional augmentation role to a far-reaching management capability which would include conservation, reclamation and protection of the natural resources, i.e., the Carmel River.

The reason we have no dam is because the community is irrevocably divided over its potential for unsuitable growth inducement.

In 1987, Cal-Am proposed dredging the existing dams to produce 80 percent of the yield of the proposed new San Clemente dam, at one third of the cost. If these dams could be restored to their original capacities, the pressure for a new construction would disappear. Ancillary projects could make up any deficiency.If it could be done in 1987, why not now?

JANICE M. O'BRIEN, PEBBLE BEACH

Eat More Tofu

What is this meat frenzy we Americans are so consumed by? Is it those brainwashing ads about falling in love with burgers? Surely we aren't as silly as those ads take us for. Or are we?

Eating meat has become an evil thing! Animals are being dismembered and skinned alive in the largest meat-processing plants.

Pigs, lambs, chicken and ducks are being electrocuted and Americans think it's humane! How many of us can't wait to stick our fingers in a light socket? To believe that electrocution is humane and painless is a cheap way to allow ourselves to eat a cruel and unnecessary food source.

I cannot help but think something demonic is happening to the human race. How can any decent person eat meat and not do their best to ensure that animals had a good life and a good death?

We do not need meat and there are millions of healthy vegetarians to prove it! So why continue?

"Thou shalt not kill." Stop the cycle. Eating meat is bad for the environment, bad for our bodies and bad for our animals.

LORNA MOFFAT, MONTEREY

Cover Your Assets

Here are some helpful hints on A.) getting traffic tickets and B.) avoiding being involved in traffic accidents.

Before entering vehicle, review priorities:

No. 1: To get where you are going, and to return, without either causing or being involved in a traffic accident.

No. 2: Write down, so you won't forget (like in court, for example) any particularly good reasons for not driving in a safe manner on that particular day.

After starting engine, assume that this happens to be the day that:

A.) All traffic control officers in the whole state are having a big contest to see which districts and which officers can write the most tickets, and

B.) 343,271 other drivers, in your part of the state, are trying to get involved in an accident that might look like your fault--so they can get you to buy them a later model vehicle.

MEL VERCOE, MARINA

Thanks a Lot

The staff and Board of Directors of Carmel Performing Arts Festival (CPAF) would like to express their sincere thanks to all the valuable volunteers, grantors, sponsors, marketing partners, supporters, performers and audience members who made this year's festival a resounding success.

We look forward to your support and the growth of our community programs in 2001. Please mark your calendars for October 11-27 for CPAF 2001. Thank you again for all your enthusiastic support.

ROBIN MCKEE,
PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CPAF