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PANETTA NOT THE ANSWER

“Panetta in ‘10” by Ken Peterson [Sept. 6-12], rightly states that our state government is broken, unlike the ‘50s and ‘60s. As a tenured teacher in the 1960s, I can relate to his lament for the greatest public school system in the nation. Today, California rates 48th. Unsaid is that population was a mostly homogeneous 16 million in 1960 which doubled to a diverse 34 million in 2000. K-12 schools are now 48 percent Hispanic and 11 percent Asian, with dozens of languages and much poverty.

Projections by the California Department of Finance show 34 million in 2000 ballooning to 60 million in 2050. Common sense projects an ever more dysfunctional future with crises in infrastructure, health, education, highways, and you-name-it.

Peterson states that Leon Panetta would make a great governor who is interested in debate rather than posturing. Although Panetta has written, “The fundamental principle that has strengthened our democracy for more than 200 years is the commitment to give our children a better life,” he seldom, if ever, has mentioned the immigration-excess which is ravaging the future of us all. His popular lecture series hasn’t come close to debating immigration, the number one concern of Californians. In this crisis, we desperately need public servants who will speak the whole truth and lead us to a more informed, active citizenry. Leon Panetta is not that person. –Maggie Art | Carmel

ELECTRONIC VOTING NOT DEMOCRATIC

We appreciate your consideration of SAVElection Monterey County’s concerns about our Sequoia electronic voting system vulnerabilities and failures in “Election Redirection” [Sept. 6-12].

Our solution to let the people hand count all paper ballots at the precincts restores the now missing transparency and accountability required to maintain the integrity of democratic elections. We ask our supporters to call Simón Salinas and Linda Tulett to confirm their desire to return to all paper ballots hand counted by the people.

We encourage voters to join those many “absentee voters” who deliver their ballots to the precincts and cast their votes into the ballot boxes to insure they are properly received.

New Hampshire is proud to hand count 40 percent of their paper ballots. Germany, Switzerland and other technically advanced societies hand count their ballots without great difficulty. Many county residents have signed up to be vote counters.

Contact 641-0170, or myvotematters@yahoo.com for information. –Valerie Lane | Monterey

LOCAL WRITERS NOT RICH

I assume the Weekly was indulging in a bit of irony when it mentioned the upcoming Carmel Authors and Ideas Festival in a spread on endangered artists in our area [“Literary Legacy Bankrupt?,” Sept. 6-12]. Sure, it sounds fabulous – but $500 a ticket?

For us local authors trying to survive financially on the Peninsula, that’s at best a tantalizing prize or at worst a cruel joke. For this particular writer, $500 equals four month’s worth of gas to the day job, 142 loads of laundry or a two-year supply of Two-Buck Chuck.

Too bad there’s no way for local authors who have yet to hit the bestseller lists to earn a ticket by volunteering. Let’s see: $500 divided by the minimum wage of $7.50 equals 67 hours donated.

Oh, never mind. –Joyce Krieg | Pacific Grove

PG GALLERY NOT CLOSING

In the “Big Upheaval in Arts Landscape,” [Sept. 6-12], Ms. Davidson wrongly stated that the Lisa Coscino Gallery will be closing. This is untrue. I told her we were not closing but downsizing.

We have great client and artist relationships here and apologize to anyone who was surprised to incorrectly hear that we were closing. –Lisa Coscino | Pacific Grove

Editor’s note: As Coscino is quoted in the piece: “ ‘I’m not going away, just downsizing.’ ” But as the Weekly reported, Coscino is closing her Grand Avenue venue and “serving her clients from our office, curating changing exhibits at the Ol’ Factory Café.”

CORRECTIONS

“Election Redirection” [Sept. 6-12] misidentified Valerie Lane. She is not the founder of SAVElections Monterey County – Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom founded the group. She is a “proud” original member.

In “Big Upheaval in Arts Landscape” [Sept. 6-12], Mike Whittington was described as arriving at the Monterey Museum of Art from the Hide museum in Yokosuka, Japan. He comes from the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC. No word on his Far East travel plans.

The Weekly regrets the errors.