Letters to the Editor 08.09.18

Free Lunch

No such thing as free. The money has to come from somewhere. My guess: taxpayers (“Salinas Union High School District is feeding all their students for free,” posted July 31). William Marbach | via Facebook

What’s wrong with parents now? We ate cold cereal for breakfast and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. There were five of us and my mom managed to get us breakfast and lunch every day before she went to work, and my dad was a truck driver. It was a treat to buy lunch at school. Unbelievable; nothing is free. Julie Garcia Richards | via Facebook

Fresno schools feed kids for free, and let me say it’s a blessing, especially for us single mothers. All the things our taxes get wasted on… I think it’s wonderful. Erika Nicole | via Facebook

I’d rather my taxes go to feeding kids than paying the salary of a politician or building another parking lot. Katy Annigoni | via Facebook

Car Weak

The Peninsula does not have the infrastructure to successfully sustain and support this event. Clearly (“For Car Week, tips on avoiding traffic snarls and a plea to focus on the good things,” posted July 30). Pam Clark Hansman | via Facebook

I hate Car Week. Mich Hernández | via Facebook

Car Week is best week. Jean Girard | via Facebook

Here’s an idea, [County Supervisor] Mary Adams: Put Car Week somewhere else where it doesn’t snarl our traffic and impede emergency vehicles. We DO NOT have the infrastructure in place to host an ever-growing event of this size. Why don’t your beloved visitors ride the bus to these blessed events?

We residents pay the taxes that support this area 365 days per year. We work here, we live here… this is our home. Car Week is Hell Week around here. I would be thrilled to see it move to an area where it doesn’t cause so many problems. It needs to go. Susi Allen | via Facebook

Thinking Big

I’m very interested to see what comes from exploring this concept (“Faced with a housing shortage, Seaside looks to an innovative solution: tiny homes,” Aug. 2-8). Looking into innovative solutions is a good start. This could be a showpiece project for cities struggling for solutions. Maury Treleven | via Facebook

It’s great to see our economic development team move Seaside forward with such energy, expertise and vision. Catherine Crockett | Seaside

What a great idea. This is awesome. I hope it takes off! April Trussell | via Facebook

As a Realtor and a human being, I applaud this move! Greg Hamer | via Facebook

Terrific creativity and leadership by Seaside! LandWatch supports infill, accessory dwelling units, “tiny houses,” mixed use, and multi-family developments as alternatives to low-density residential sprawl and strip malls. Michael DeLapa | via Facebook

Editor’s note: DeLapa is executive director of LandWatch Monterey County.

Salinas, On Camera

How exciting! I’ll be sure to visit and support. Congratulations on your first solo show, Carlos! (“A young photographer shows another way to see his home of East Salinas,” Aug. 2-8). Kelly Galleguillos | via Instagram

East Alisal is the heartbeat of our city… a cultural thing of beauty. Kymm Navarrette | via Instagram

East Salinas has produced excellent entrepreneurs. Overall, we have great excellence in this town. Jose Belman | via Instagram

To the Left

He ran unopposed in his Democratic primary, which means he was anointed, not elected (“Congressman Jimmy Panetta is reaching across the aisle,” July 19-25). If we had a real democratic process in our district, instead of Leon Panetta’s son being chosen by party bosses, we would have a real progressive representing us.

And for how many decades have our congressmen been from Carmel? Is that a job requirement?Jason Johnston | via web

Disaster Response

Whether losing it all by fire or facing water shortages and extreme temperatures, we all now know climate change is very real. Sea level rise will change the location of beaches and oceanfront properties. In the Salinas Valley, climate change will be felt by saltwater intrusion into important agricultural aquifers that will limit crop production.

Our “natural disasters” are becoming unnatural. The last time carbon dioxide levels were this high, humans didn’t exist. It is now incumbent upon us to protect the planet for future generations.

A good first step supported by economists is the pricing of carbon emissions that accounts for the true cost of burning fossil fuels such as the resulting environmental and health costs. A price on carbon will use the market to level the playing field for renewables and move us quickly to a clean energy economy. Will Gibson | Pacific Grove

Payroll, Heads Roll

Unfortunately those of us who lost money from this loser will likely get nothing back! (“Pinnacle founder is headed to prison after his payroll company misspent $7 million,” Aug. 2-8.) Kelly Brady-Favaloro | via Facebook

He’ll get no sympathy from me. He got off easy in my book! Chris Sierra | via Facebook