The More Things Change


I lived in Monterey and Seaside for about five years in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, and looking at the Weekly shows nothing much has changed. The lead story by Tom Hayden pretends Jerry can save the state. (“Explosive debt, bad credit and a wealth of social ills have tarnished the Golden State’s glow,” Jan. 13-19.) California couldn’t elect a female Fortune 100 CEO who was (horrors) a Republican – instead you elected the man who got you into the financial mess in the first place. Not his dad. Him. A fine thing.


The column “Ask a Mexican” is new to me. A non-Mexican who wrote as he writes would be termed “hater” and “racist” in about five seconds; Mexico has no problems, all is the fault of gabachos. I wouldn’t doubt if the Weekly writes the questions itself.


And the water, as usual; To me, the outsider, I wonder where the water credits for the new houses on Fort Ord came from, when someone in P.G. can’t even add a bathroom without permission?


It’s all the fault of the wealthy in every story and letter. Yet as California slides toward union-made bankruptcy and drives businesses and citizens away in droves via taxes, regulation, and unemployment, let us hope that at some point sane fiscal policies will return. It is sad to see such a beautiful state so far down the road to disaster. - Jim Jones | Alexandria, VA


The People’s Choice


I (as a strong believer in The Bill Of Rights) appreciate your recognizing that firearms are not necessarily the issue,but that there are deeper and more difficult problems within our society that need to be addressed. (“Weapons and those wielding them are ruling with fear,” Jan. 13-19.) I note as an example thatin my sister’s and brother’s home state of Maine (the other state with twowomen senators) the homicide rate hovers at about 20 per year, with a population of about 2.5 million. Firearm ownership is extremely high and their gun control laws are very liberal – that is to say, lacking. Sadly, Salinas with a population of only about 200,000 hovers at about 30 murders per year. I don’t believe that gun ownership reduces crime, nor do I think it creates it. I believe itis an issue of social responsibility, opportunitiesand morality.


People are people, and residents of both states are neitherinferior nor superior to the other. Both states have many problems and difficulties to overcome, so what other possibilities could it be? I can attest that the political climatethere ismuch different. I think that perhaps most of our supposed representatives here in California/Montereyhave no true compassion or understanding, but are self-serving, two-facedand greedy. There is very little use from the collection of wealth from the citizens to fulfilltrue social obligations: Education, parks, community centers, youth programs, libraries, development of industry (business), environmental restoration, infrastructure,transportation, health, public services, etc.Justlook at our leaders and their sources of campaign funding and amountsdonatedto theircampaigns, the power of theirlobbyists/managers,the incomes, pensionsand choice of selectionsfor personal investments. Their hypocrisy is rampant.


Until “We, the People” wake up and unite to reestablish our “noble experiment,” our nation will continue to spiral downward. I dream of worthwhile candidates to chose from, but neither established party will produceany,since theyare too busy blaming the other for everything wrong in orderto maintaintheir perverted balance of power.They are like two gorillas throwing their dung at each other, and we are stuck in the middle. The entrenched powers will continue to separate,terrify andconfuse us in order to continuetheir repressiontothe benevolentadvancement of humanity. We are given only the choice of Burger King or McDonalds, Colgate or Crest, and Idesire atrue choice. - David Fairhurst | Carmel Valley


No On Ferrets


On behalf of the PETA foundation, we call upon California lawmakers to reject calls to overturn the state’s ban on keeping ferrets as pets. Ferrets are highly energetic and they cannot be kept continuously caged. Shelters and rescue groups across the country have to cope with the aftermath when people surrender exotic animals they once “had to” have. Many are euthanized. - Jennifer O’Connor | Norfolk, VA