Letters to the Editor 07.12.18

Beyond Borders

I read and very much appreciated your piece (“Californians are working their networks to fundraise for migrants stuck in border towns,” June 28-July 4). Two Wednesdays ago – the longest day of the year, literally, and felt like it with the barrage of bad border news – I just had it. I had to do something and I didn’t know what. On a whim, I decided to go to the border. I reached out to my small social network and, within two days, local friends and strangers had given me enough to make 60 “border kid kits” with stuffed animals, journal writing materials and PayPal donations. I drove to San Diego last week and delivered the kits. I also sat in on some asylum hearings at the immigration court at Otay Mesa Detention Center.

Reading your piece made me happy to see that you’re spreading the story of locals saying, “I don’t know what I can do, but I have to do SOMETHING.” It helps encourage and educate people to become involved. My next step is to reaffirm with the donors the impact they made and send out information on how we can continue to help and continue to stay informed when this issue inevitably becomes backburner news. Vanja Thompson | Marina

Pot Pays

I played a tiny part in pulling you from the brink, Del Rey Oaks. You’re welcome (“Cash from cannabis taxes has pulled Del Rey Oaks from the brink,” July 5-11). Jon Kenda | via Facebook

With more dispensaries opening up, sounds like a wise strategy. Phil Castillo | via Facebook

Are you reading this, city of Pacific Grove?!? Stuart Newhouse | via Facebook

Alternative headline: “Struggling City Council Turns to Drug-Dealing to Make Ends Meet.” David Herring | via Facebook

The taxes on legal marijuana businesses should be as minimal as possible. It is absolutely essential that the legal industry put the black market growers out of business. Only then can we end environmental destruction in our wildlands, national parks, streams and rivers, ending the poisoning of animals, fish and birds. This must be a justly and fairly regulated industry. Which includes not killing the “golden goose” with onerous, unreasonable permitting conditions and high taxes. Frank Emerson | via Facebook

Plus this is an industry that can offer a way for next-generation farmers to afford to stay in places like Big Sur, if the powers that be would only allow small outdoor growing operations in appropriate areas… but no, we only support expensive energy – and water-intensive indoor operations. Once real farmers can compete I think we really can get the black market out!Martha Diehl | via Facebook

Editor’s note: Diehl is a Monterey County planning commissioner.

Sugar Rush

Government submitting to blackmail in order to be able to pass tax measures with a simple rather than two-thirds majority is hardly less corrupt than the efforts of Big Soda (“Squid gets a sugar high (then low) watching the soda industry try to strong-arm policy,” posted July 2).Andrew Allison | Carmel

A Poet Among Us

Thank you for the article about Langston Hughes (“Celebrated poet Langston Hughes spent quality time in Carmel, with the help of a wealthy local patron,” July 5-11). I read him in college (by choice, not assignment) and loved his work, and now 30-something years later I am rediscovering him, spending part of the summer reading one of his poetry collections and two books of his wise and funny “Simple” stories.

I didn’t know that Hughes had spent time in Carmel and it was fun to discover his local connection – though, as the article points out, it certainly wasn’t always fun for Hughes to be in Carmel. Todd Strauss | Seaside

Ordering In

We are finally getting Uber Eats! (“Morsels: Closings, opening, name changes and plenty of beer on the local menu,” July 5-11.) Lindsay Duplechain | via Facebook

DoorDash just started up, they’ll deliver tons of choices. I downloaded the app, so many choices, way better than Uber Eats. Cindi Grisham | via Facebook

Meatless Mondays

Monterey has a long way to go when it comes to vegan options (“Meat-free sandwiches are making a name for themselves,” June 28-July 4). If you want a true meat-free sandwich experience you have to travel all the way up to The Butcher’s Son in Berkeley. It is entirely vegan with 27 different vegan sandwiches… not just some sandwich shop that happens to offer one vegan option which may or may not just be grilled eggplant.

El Cantaro Vegan Mexican Restaurant is packed most days so vegan is popular yet it is the only dedicated vegan restaurant within miles. Rob Weiher | via Facebook

Corrections

A piece about the Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s eminent domain action against American Supply Company in Salinas misstated the increased payment by TAMC (“Bad Week,” July 5-11). It increased by $1.2 million, not to $1.2 million, resulting in a total of $1.99 million.

A story about the Page Turners Book Fest implied Central Coast Writers organized the event (“A local authors book festival puts writers and readers within reach of each other,” July 5-11). They were a participant, but Monterey Elks Lodge member Margie McCurry was the organizer.