Letters to the Editor 01.23.20

Up and Away

Can’t wait to fly one of these over town. Jetsons! (“Joby Aviation plans to build a massive factory for flying cars in Marina,” Jan. 16-22.) Shawn Adams | via Facebook

So instead of making on-ground electric transportation more accessible, we’re just going to make tiny helicopters that nobody but the wealthy can afford. Great. Alexis Maceira | via Facebook

More people, less housing and more rent hikes. Sounds wonderful. Katie Dominguez | via Facebook

Marina housing costs will rise, and I am wondering where all this high-tech skilled labor is actually coming from. Job creation is positive. But we all know it’s cheap land that is drawing them, not the awesome community. Caria L. Martins | via Facebook

That tech money is going to drive up local real estate, for better or worse. Adam Newman | via Facebook

Language Learners

Fascinating deep dig. Thank you Monterey County Weekly! (“Exclusive data from the Pentagon’s language school offers insight into America’s shifting foreign priorities,” Jan. 16-22.) Megan Whilden | via Facebook

As a DLI Arabic grad, I thoroughly enjoyed the article on language evolution at DLI! The graphics are fascinating and obviously a great deal of effort went into putting it all together.

I have one critique, however. The article discussed why the military doesn’t have many native-speaking linguists. One of the omitted reasons we don’t use native speakers is for security concerns. Not all native speakers are U.S. citizens, and military linguists must be citizens to qualify for the required security clearance. Even many citizens don’t qualify due to too strong of ties to their birth country. Julie Akey | Herndon, Virginia

Safe Streets

Yet they want to move these issues to Creekbridge, between the barrio and the working middle class that already struggles with gangs and trying to keep kids safe at the surrounding schools and parks. We get called NIMBYs when we want to feel safe (“After two stabbings by homeless men, an outraged community rallies to do something about homelessness,” Jan. 16-22). Andrea Garnica | via Facebook

It blows my mind that the elected officials want to put the permanent shelter near the new soccer fields. I mean who in their right mind thinks, “OK let’s spend millions of dollars to make something great for the youth and then let’s put a homeless shelter next to it?” I would love to see new people in our city government, because so many of their decisions make absolutely no sense. Paige Hufford | via Facebook

It’s got very little to do with true homelessness and it has everything to do with addiction and a small percentage with mental illness. Wayne Scholes | via Facebook

And dozens of violent crimes were committed in the same time frame by people who do have shelter or are living large in the upper echelon of society. Yes, it is horrible that people were stabbed, yet two such crimes done by a couple of individuals from a given population of over 3,000 does not warrant painting all folks who are unsheltered with the same brush. Don’t further foster those who are homeless as “the other” when they are our relatives, coworkers, former schoolmates, previous neighbors. From now on, how about this? Identify every person who allegedly commits a crime as “sheltered” or “with a home.” Ridiculous, right? And infuriating. Karen Araujo | via Facebook

Air Traffic

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!!!!! So glad I am not going to have to drive to SJC every time I have family and friends come to town! (“Alaska Airlines will start nonstop flights from Monterey to Seattle starting in June,” posted Jan. 15.) Stef Helbock Pummell | via Facebook

Very good news. Great job, [Monterey Regional Airport District] board. Mike Mora | via Facebook

Hooray! Marilyn Nergord | via Facebook

I will be visiting my mom more often! Anne Marie Olson | via Facebook

Both Sides

I read with interest the letter by Adam Bolaños Scow, candidate for Congressional District 20, the seat now held by Jimmy Panetta (“Letters to the Editor,” Jan. 9-15). I have both agreed and disagreed with Mr. Panetta’s positions, and wondered if Mr. Scow had something worthy to say. By the end of the letter, I realized that Scow was a Democrat version of Donald Trump: willing to provide misleading information (fake news) to achieve his ambition. Scow misrepresents Panetta’s positions on national security, Trump and Iran. He then pirouettes to asserting his goal “to solve the climate and affordability crises that threaten our very survival.” Has Scow read any of Panetta’s positions on these issues? Panetta has been a leader in both. I don’t always agree with Jimmy, but he always listens, he always shows up and he represents our district very well. Douglas Borer | Pacific Grove

Traffic Control

We need to decriminalize sex work (“Human trafficking is happening in Monterey County. A new coalition is trying to stop it,” Jan. 16-22). Victims of trafficking and sex workers who are otherwise abused are terrified of coming forward because the current law does not support them. Jessie Lillie Lemon | via Facebook