Letters to the Editor 08.15.24

Pull the Plug

I think it’s a great idea and totally necessary for students to not have access to their phones during school! (“Salinas Union High School District to implement a cellphone-free campus in middle schools,” Aug. 1-7.)

It might not meet with as much resistance if the students could have their phones back for their lunch break or something like that. Kathy Lambert | via email

About time. Cell phones are brain rot for kids. The people who developed that technology don’t even want their kids to have it. Cliff Pilcher | via social media

All schools should be cell-free. Maureen Wruck | Salinas

Doctor’s Office

Loved Kaiser when we were in Sacramento (“Kaiser makes it official: The health care giant will offer services in Northern Monterey County in 2025,” posted Aug. 1). Desiree Bedard-Utterback | via social media

Kaiser Experimente. Rose Russo | via social media

Almost killed me when I was delivering my first child… don’t recommend! Laurie Hamilton Ehlke | via social media

I don’t know why people are trolling Kaiser. I’ve had them for 10-plus years and they’re great. Mike Foster | via social media

There’s a lot of haters here. I for one have had stellar health care from them. For those with bad experiences, just realize you’ll have the same type of thing (statistically) with every provider.

I hope the haters don’t sign up. That just makes it easier for me to get appointments. Dougie Hampton | via social media

A Rail Tale

I totally appreciate your comment about restoring rail service to our region, preferably Monterey – Santa Cruz (“Monterey-Salinas Transit hopes to change the Coastal Commission staff’s view on a proposed busway,” posted Aug. 6). It would help terrible commuter traffic, reduce carbon emissions and capture tourists’ fancy. What an opportunity! Paul Blum | Monterey

I listened to a presentation on the proposed bus route. Unfortunately, I came away convinced this is another “bridge to nowhere.”

The bus line would never be utilized as envisioned by its proponents and it would hardly make a dent in the traffic backups.

It seems that bringing back railroad service is more compelling from a potential user perspective and a more cost-effective use of the existing rails. Buses in this area are underutilized and only of interest to those that run them. Tom McCullough | Sand City

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Thank you for the article about the Coastal Commission’s recommendation that the permit for MST/TAMC’s very bad proposal be denied! For so many reasons, the SURF project was going to be environmentally destructive and hardly accomplish anything that couldn’t already be done by turning the third lane of Highway 1 into a bus-only lane. Money not spent on SURF could instead be spent on greatly expanded bus service.

Maybe someday we will finally get a light rail solution to some of the overcrowding on Highway 1 coming into and out of the Peninsula. Keep on writing about this! Sidney Ramsden Scott | Pebble Beach

Engine Roar

The ever-expanding “Car Week” (now 10 days) is upon us (“How to beat the Car Week traffic blues and stay on the right side of the law,” posted Aug. 8). Over 100 private jets expected, hundreds of diesel 18-wheelers hauling expensive cars, many without smog emission controls because of their age, and an estimated 85,000 visitors driving to and from multiple venues.

And, while we applaud the diversion of some of the revenues to charities, the work of so many volunteers, and the uptick in temporary jobs, one still must wonder at the carbon footprint of this annual event? How about an additional fee for the many millionaires participating to support a carbon offset? Or, a special tax on all auction sales (many of which pay no tax to Monterey County or California) to support a carbon offset?

And, juxtaposed to the many millionaires enjoying their expensive cars is the fact that 15-30 percent of children in Monterey County are living in poverty.

Enjoy the festivities as California and the world record the highest temperatures ever! Bill Monning | Carmel

Last Drop

Every single drop of water that has ever existed on the planet still exists – the idea that you are doing a “green” service by conserving water is a brainwashing campaign that is really quite insulting and angering (“A water conservation game reveals how much our decisions beyond water matter,” posted July 31).

Water “exclusivity” is a tool to quell growth and prevent others from being able to live on our beautiful Peninsula. Please don’t continue this false narrative. Frank Lloyd Jenkins | Carmel

Back in Time

Thanks to David Schmalz for this week’s cover story on Amah Mutsun Indigenous ancestry and the genuine efforts of Anthony Mondragon, Anne Marie Sayers, her daughter Kanyon and others unnamed to gather the remnant threads of their history (“The great-grandson of the last full-blooded member of the Mutsun is trying to find the tribe a home,” Aug. 8-14).

Sadly, much has been lost, but the effort to preserve and decode what remains may yet be a gift for us all. The garden of Popeloutchom still has dormant seeds which, with the whispers of ghosts, may yet lead to its blossoming again. Michael Baer | San Jose

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An awesome article on Ascencion Solorsano and the Mutsun Tribe. It is so cool to read and learn about the rich history of local areas.

Thanks for sharing this very educational information. Ed Ramirez | via email