Letters to the Editor 06.13.24

Trade Up

This will be the icing on the cake for this upscale living, shopping, dining, development called The Promenade on the Dunes (“Trader Joe’s is opening in Marina’s new Promenade development,” June 6-12). Chris Sierra | Monterey

Grrrrr, what about Salinas!? Jay Donato | Salinas

Closer, so awesome! Kymm Navarrette | Salinas

Did they pick a spot with the smallest parking lot ever? Carolyn Davi | Carmel

Of course it will have yet another horrible parking lot situation. Dougie Hampton | via social media

Damn, so they actually design and build the parking lots to be the worst you’ve ever encountered in your life? Ruby Sprengle | via social media

YESSSSSSS, who cares about the parking? Be grateful it exists! Francine Fernandez | King City

Why do all these damn companies go to the “fancier” areas and not to where people actually need them like SALINAS!!! It’s the most populous city in the county, yet we’re always getting overlooked. Javier Flores | Salinas

Many Trader Joe’s fans are excited about a new Trader Joe’s coming to Marina. That would have described me until recently, when I learned about the company’s hostility to labor unions.

Having seen a decline in hours and wages, a group of Trader Joe’s workers started an independent labor union in 2022, Trader Joe’s United. The union faced retaliation from Trader Joe’s, which sued TJU for trademark infringement. The U.S. District Court rejected the company’s claim. Soon after, the National Labor Relations Board criticized Trader Joe’s anti-union tactics. Workers at multiple stores faced heavy union-busting efforts. These efforts ranged from intense surveillance tactics to threats of job termination.

Local customers might wish to think about these things before their next trip to Trader Joe’s. Arlen Grossman | Del Rey Oaks

Paddle Hard

Amazing group of women! (“A team of four women gets ready to row from Monterey to Hawaii, hoping to set a world record,” June 6-12.) Dionne Ybarra | Pacific Grove

In Context

In On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder says the exact same thing and urges us to support our institutions! (“A conviction for a former president proves that no one is above the law,” posted May 30.) I would add that to the wonderful words you had in Monterey County Now.

Thanks so much for reminding readers to trust their government! Not saying it’s not fallible, but we must trust in the systems we have set up for the rule of law. It’s not who you know or who you are, it’s what you do in life that is judged.

Great article! Keep up the good work. It matters. Cheri Miller | Monterey

History, Revisited

I had no idea [of the Indigenous village in downtown Monterey], thanks so much. Let there be a fruitful resolution to this (“Indigenous history doesn’t always look the way you might expect it to,” posted June 4). James C. Jeffery | Carmel Valley

For Freedom

Thank you for your thoughtful reminder to all of us about the sacrifices made on D-Day (“News of the allied landings in France caused a noticeable response on the Peninsula,” posted June 6). Onnette McElroy | Pacific Grove

On the Road

The problem is overuse and over population in general (“Who and what is Highway 1 in Big Sur for? It depends on who you ask,” posted June 2). The only solution is regulated access. The suggestion that Highway 1 through from Big Sur be made into a toll road is one with which I disagree. An alternative is day-use permits for Big Sur so that the total number of stopping visitors does not exceed the real “carrying capacity” of the area.

This cannot be such that one needs months or years in advance to get a permit, nor that the permit be priced so that many simply cannot afford it. Yasha Karant | via email

Oil and Water

I support incentivizing renewable energy sources, and I believe that overuse of fossil fuels harms God’s creation (“Monterey County’s Measure Z was approved by voters but killed by the courts. State law could change that,” May 30-June 5).

However, some industries will be dependent on fossil fuels for decades to come. California produces the mostly highly regulated petroleum in the U.S., probably on the planet. If we shut down California’s oil production, we will import oil from places where environmental and human rights regulations are far looser, like Saudi Arabia or Texas.

Which is worse for God’s creation? Let’s continue to diminish our dependence on fossil fuels, but eliminating them altogether isn’t realistic. Susie Brusa | Corral de Tierra

Short and Sweet

The practice of trimming and stunting a tree so it stays tiny – I don’t admire the result, in fact it breaks my heart (“For over 60 years, a local club has been learning about the ancient art of bonsai trees,” May 30-June 5.) These trees are not allowed to reach their true height, potential and beauty.

Women’s feet were once stunted too. Both practices are/were barbaric. Nancy Tuckwab | Monterey

Correction

A column about the Taylor Farms building in Salinas going up for sale (“Squid Fry: Shark Tank,” June 6-12) inaccurately stated that Taylor Farms is selling the building. The company sold the building to an unaffiliated investment firm called Taylor Salinas Property Management Co. in 2015; that company is now selling it, asking the same amount they paid for it, as reported.