Fish Food


This author’s premise of “conservation efforts that put a stop to heavy pumping” is short-sighted and ignores what an increasing number of scientists and fish agencies are reporting (“California’s booming salmon season belies the species precarious future,” July 19-25). Ocean conditions, including warm water temperatures and lack of an adequate food supply for salmon, have been identified as a major cause of the dwindling salmon numbers in recent years. A review of past years reveals that salmon populations fluctuate in 7-10 year cycles.


There has been no “outcry from the National Academy of Sciences condemning the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.” The most recent report from the group indicated there are multiple factors impacting fish populations and the habitat in the Delta. The group recommended that any effort to resolve a single stressor would result in failure; thus a multi-prong approach is needed. - Mike Wade | via Web


(Editor’s note: Mike Wade is the president of the California Farm Water Coalition.)


Baroque Bach Schooling


Nice cover story on the Bach Festival this week (“Bach in Action,” July 12-18). The next story to be written was hidden in the subhead: “Music education in the schools still lacks.” - Music Makes You Smarter | via Facebook


Ord-inary People


I’m enjoying reading your article on Fort Ord (“An unapproved trip into the belly of Monterey Downs,” July 19-25). I agree with everything except the last paragraph. I think that development should occur on Fort Ord, in the area of the previous footprint of development. The barracks area, deserted and crumbling, needs to be razed and improved. I agreed entirely with Gordon [Smith] that the training track area would be a magnificent site (its development was already there) to memorialize the men that trained there. We did nothing but improve a pre-existing site. Monterey Downs would do nothing to the land needing redevelopment (the barracks area); instead, Brian Boudreau’s race track would destroy thousands of trees and completely destroy the habitat of birds and animals in an existing oak forest.


I can only repeat the words of President Reagan: “There is an absolute necessity of waging all-out war against the debauching of the environment. The bulldozer mentality of the past is a luxury we can no longer afford.” Our efforts reflect his words: We waged a little battle, honoring good men and making a statement against a tree-stripping, bulldozing development that honors the dollar above all. - John Hutcherson | Monterey


(Editor’s note: U.S. Navy veteran John Hutcherson M.D. participated in the June 24 act of civil disobedience on Fort Ord’s track.) 


Weapons Check


It’s gotten to the point I’m reluctant to go online every morning to check the BBC World News website because it seems there are massacres occurring all over the world. If not in Syria, it’s in Colorado.


I was a gun owner until recently when I divested myself of my last remaining rifles. I still support private gun ownership as it was our founding fathers’ guarantee to keep our government honest. A well-armed citizenry cannot be oppressed as we see all over the world where private gun ownership is illegal. America is not inherently immune to those who would overtly oppress us if given the chance, whether the oppression is from the left or from the right.


However, how can we prevent such massacres as occurred in Colorado? Look at Norway, where private gun ownership is strictly regulated and yet that lunatic killed over 70 people there last year using automatic weapons. Ban all legal gun ownership and the black market for guns will flourish. A no-brainer! Ban guns and lunatics will use machetes and swords and fire bombs. You are never going to stop crazy people from committing mass murders, guns or no guns.


I simply see no rational, workable solution. The standard bell curve of human sanity will always have those at the down-sloping margins intent on killing others, and 99 percent of the time they will succeed. Long before guns existed, mass murders occurred and with frequency. Read your world history. - Jeffrey Van Middlebrook | via Web


It’s interesting to hear Mitt Romney state that new gun control laws would not make a difference in tragedies like the Colorado rampage. Perhaps he can try to argue the old philosophy of “guns don’t kill people; people kill people,” but the facts are the facts. The suspect was legally able to obtain high-powered assault rifles and a ridiculously large amount of ammunition through retail establishments that followed the letter of the law. Romney’s stance on gun control has moved from misguided to downright ludicrous in one fell swoop. When politicians stop fearing right-wing voter fallout because of stronger gun control laws, maybe tragedies like this will be a thing of the past. - Thea Durant | Seaside


Wet Logic


After rereading Sara Rubin’s article, it appears that Carmel Mayor Jason Burnett had nothing new, original or substantive to communicate to warrant a face-to-face meeting with PUC Commissioner Sandoval (“Peninsula mayors consider staff, budget for new JPA water; Burnett cozies up to the PUC,” July 19-25). It is looking more and more like Jason Burnett is trading on the good name and reputation of his late grandfather to gain access. And once he gets access, he has nothing meaningful to contribute. It also appears that [Squid]was spot on in calling Jason Burnett a glad-hander. - Observer | via Web


Talking Frack


Tonight at the Aromas Grange, GraniteRock sent over their rep/hack to attempt to reassure the community that GR would “do the right thing” (“Seismic testing in Aromas could be precursor to oil exploration and fracking,” July 12-18). Who wouldn’t explore the oil opportunities if they had it? Mr. West says, and Granite will decide, what they want to do, in order to preserve the legacy of the Wilson quarry, blah blah blah. As though the county they’ll drill in has no say in the matter.


Mr. West, the GR hack who admits he’s not a geologist and who stated he “knows nothing about fracking,” was GR’s attempt at PR? What an insult to the community. Do you think corporate could’ve sent their staff geologist or the exec who cut the deal with Freedom Resources? You bet. Did GR think the community was less informed than Mr. West? You bet.


This planned PR attempt was a failure and only creates more mistrust, which is well deserved. - MontereyFormation | via Web