LETTERS to the EDITOR 11.23.17

Park n Sleep

I love the location of this safe haven parking lot! (“County Supervisors to vote on temporary parking program for homeless in Marina,” posted Nov. 13.) I sometimes think that our elected officials lose sight of the most important issues; by parking this homeless right outside their office, it is a constant reminder that long-term solutions must be found NOW! Stef Helbock Pummell | via Facebook

Thank you, Supes. Brian Higgins | via Facebook

A more appropriate place would be The Lodge at Pebble Beach, The Barnyard at the Crossroads Shopping Center or Sunset Center. With a unanimous vote in favor of our most needy, I’m not so sure it’s our elected officials that need a reminder of how many people are circling the drain. John Norman | via Facebook

Awesome. Now the Peninsula’s homeless problem is in Marina. That area gets trashed enough by CSU Monterey Bay students and others breaking glass and discarding garbage. How about a rotating parking area: Del Monte Shopping Center, Carmel Plaza, Rio Road. Cassady Elischer | via Facebook

Hopefully the campers will show appreciation and keep it clean. I saw one camper accumulate a huge mass of stuff that eventually caught on fire. Show thanks and blessings will continue. Neta Cobb | via Facebook

What FORA?

It’s strange to me that with so much work to be done, we can’t get anything done at all (“As the Fort Ord Reuse Authority Considers its future, there are more questions than answers,” Nov. 16-22). \Jaimeson Webster | via Facebook

This is a foregone conclusion. They will vote to extend FORA, and with no legal oversight for completion of deliverables (i.e., they can change any deadline at will), FORA will go on for 20 more years, or about half the duration that Fort Ord was open. Glenn Woodson | via Facebook

Thank you for writing the excellent article on FORA. It must have been a profound challenge distilling the history, complexities and nuances of FORA into your article. It is a very important issue for our local communities. Hopefully, more taxpayers will become educated about the current situation what is potentially at stake now and in the future. Greg Furey | Marina

Spain’s Gain

Only 37 percent of all eligible voters want full independence (“The Spanish crackdown on Catalonian independence is unlikely to resolve grievances – and might make the secession effort even stronger,” Nov. 16-22). Most Catalonians, often not as vocal as pro-independence counterparts, would like a better deal within Spain. Catalonia and California compare in that both are net givers, wealthy regions. We are less bothered about providing more than we receive than those in Catalonia looking for full independence, and Spain – just like the U.S. with California – will not be OK with secession. Catalonia will be less wealthy and happy if it ever becomes independent. Instead, I wish them to feel more comfortable in Spain. Besides, a new little nation in Europe today makes no sense at all. Angel Fierro | Seaside

I agree with most of the article, but I agree even more with Angel. Spain’s government could have done something else many months ago and not waited until the government of Catalonia crossed the line of the law. Both sides are responsible for today’s instability. I too want to see Catalonia happy within Spain, and Spain happy with Catalonia. Rosario Alvarez | Seaside

Dumping Ground

Sending Salinas trash to the Monterey Peninsula is a human injustice (“Salinas reckons with where to put the dump, and finds no easy answers,” Nov. 16-22). The Monterey Regional Waste Management District is currently importing about half a million tons of trash from Santa Clara County. Once that goes away, then the poor residents of Salinas will need to pick up the cost of their rates so that folks from Carmel, Monterey and Pebble Beach can have lower rates. MRWMD prides itself on being a dumping ground for other counties, but at the same time puts hundred of semi trucks of the road, creating pollution! This is an environmental injustice. Juan Camaco | Salinas

At the Seams

This is pretty sad (“Talbott issues layoff notices to 38 employees in Monterey tie factory,” posted Nov. 10). I wish more businesses would adapt to changing markets rather than shutting down. It would be cool to have a tie factory making ties for the next generation. Jessie Lillie Lemon | via Facebook

They only had 55 employees BEFORE they issued the 38 layoff notices?! Not going to end well. I feel bad for all of them. Going down to 17 to design, sell, produce, warehouse, process and ship is a significant blow – last gasp kinda thing. Patrick Golden | via Facebook

What are they Smoking?

I like his “insight” that people will be trying to get very rich very quickly (“Squid wonders what some cannabusiness people are smoking as the lawsuits begin,” posted Nov. 13). I think that EVERY pyramid leader experiences this; there will be a few more corporate/private jets at the Salinas and Monterey airports soon and rock concerts happening to celebrate birthdays, etc. Of course as with all these new enterprises, the tops will fall off and run with the profits, leaving the beaten hordes and migrant workers to toil until cannabis is like every other vegetable in our fields and Dole and Green Giant are the owners. Frank Savino | Salinas