Letters to the Editor 03.30.17

Push and Pill

Dr. Kolinsky was directly responsible for keeping me alive when I was in horrible neurological pain (“After three patients overdose, a Monterey doctor stands accused of overprescribing narcotics,” March 23-29). Yes, he would prescribe painkilling drugs when and if he was convinced that they were needed to treat debilitating pain. But I was waiting in his lobby on more than one occasion when I heard him firmly turning down requests for narcotics. It is wrong to blame Kolinsky for a couple of patients who may have taken their own lives through overdose when we don’t blame gun shops or car dealers when their customers use their products in a destructive or irresponsible manner. Curt Chaffee | via web

I am a patient of Dr. Kolinsky. Without his help I would be in chronic pain. The stretches he has taught me in conjunction with shots and pain medicine has made it possible to live a productive life and continue to work. Many people across the U.S. abuse their medicine, many resulting in death. It is not the doctor’s fault. Adults are responsible for their actions. Instead of focusing on the deaths, focus on all the people he helps! Cynthia Birch | Seaside

Cats and Dogs

You have a lot of photographs in here with dogs in restaurants (“Best Of Monterey County,” March 23-29). I believe we have enough issues with dogs that are not service animals being in restaurants anyway, for those of us that might be allergic or prefer not to eat with animals. This promotes bringing non-service animals into restaurants and I just don’t think it’s appropriate. Anonymous | via voicemail

Kittens and puppies are darling BUT having them ON tables with food wasn’t a great idea for showing off appetizing dishes. Especially the one where the puppy is actually licking the gourmet food on a plate. I’m really surprised your staff didn’t object. Pamela Wagner | Carmel

Up in Arms

Kids shooting kids… unreal (“Second King City shooting on same day leaves three wounded,” posted March 22). The witness who followed the car and reported the suspects – you are awesome, considering nobody ever says anything when crimes like these happen. Thank you. Robin Ryan | via Facebook

Horrible! (“One person shot at King City High School,” posted March 21.) Time for metal detectors. Nicole Nancy Amaral | via Facebook

Tastes Like Chicken

Food is great (“New family-owned charbroiled chicken joint El Pollo Rey opens in Seaside,” March 20). Love the chicken. Last time I tried it was in Sinaloa. Perfecto. Jaime Silva | via Facebook

Oh I’m going! Shawn Adams | via Facebook

Race and Class

Thank you Marielle Argueza and Nick Rahaim for the amazing piece of enterprise reporting (“Data shows public schools are resegregating. Here’s why that’s a problem for the next generation,” March 9-15). I spent 28 years as a journalist. Since 2015, I’ve taken up teaching in the Alisal Union School District. The district claims to be 96.1-percent Latino, but that figure is more like 100 percent in the classes I teach. White teachers, including myself, are often the only exposure my kids have to other ethnicities, and I worry about that.

I went to a predominantly white high school before going to San Francisco State. Once there I realized how much I missed out on learning about and celebrating other cultures while in high school. The economic reasons that keep districts like mine in poverty are counter to the stated goals of the state, to ensure adequate funding to all California public schools. But as your article pointed out, when districts in Pacific Grove can spend $2,000 more per student than my district, the system is broken.

Resegregation will be a tough nut to crack, but it is critical we do to maintain the multicultural values we in California share. Dennis Taylor | Salinas

Magic Carpet Rides

I have lived in Pacific Grove for over 40 years, and am a plein air painter who has painted the Pink Carpet for the past 20 years. The non-action of the Pacific Grove city government last year, when the oxalis (yellow flower) was going crazy, brought about the crisis this year (“Squid Fry,” March 23-29). I went to my first City Council meeting last month to explain how stupid it was to let the icon of Pacific Grove slip away, akin to San Francisco letting the Golden Gate Bridge slip into the Bay. It is on every calendar, post cards, and other publicity for the city. I think the management of the city of Pacific Grove needs to be contracted out to the city of Monterey, which would undoubtedly function better. Diana Howell | Pacific Grove

Health and Taxes

Well, the Republican, conservative capitalists’ conspiracy has again failed to push human evolution back into the 19th century. Their Band-Aid medical solution to internal bleeding was defeated.

Their efforts to benefit the pharmaceutical industry, insurance industry, corporate hospital and corporate medical industries, at the expense of the sick, disenfranchised and lower-income population, has been blocked again.

They would like to get rid of all Medicare and welfare programs for the rest of us! And let’s not forget their efforts to weaken our public educational system, so that they wouldn’t have to explain their dictatorial and greedy activities to people who are better educated than they are.

I applaud the Republicans who remembered that they are Americans and voted against the poison pill prescribed by our faux president. John McCleary | Monterey