Your recent Jeff Davi op-ed touting Cal Am’s wobbly “three-legged stool” argument omitted important details. First, this stool is standing on quicksand and will be rendered inoperable due to its seven desalination slant-wells only having a lifespan of 25 years. Second, the well-heads will be covered with sand due to sea level rise and beach erosion with no relocation site possible. Third, this “three-legged stool” cannot stand because it does not have sufficient water rights to operate from the get-go, per the State Water Resources Control Board. Fourth, these wells would be installed in the critically over-drafted Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin aquifers. This disastrous slant-well placement will devastate the SVGB, contradicting the stated mission and goal to restore and revitalize these threatened aquifers.

Despite good intentions to cure the Peninsula’s water woes, this wobbly desalination proposal won’t stand. And 25 years from now just when we actually need more water it will become inoperable.

Public agency ownership of our water supply, as modeled in the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, Monterey One Water, and Marina Coast Water District, exemplifies water management perfection. These three public water agencies have provided ample water supplies for decades to come, including drought years – with no profit to a private corporation and its shareholders. We don’t need Cal Am’s exorbitantly priced, redundant and unworkable desalination plant to bankrupt us! And we don’t need their avarice giving us sleepless nights!

— Margaret-Anne Coppernoll, Marina

The attack on Iran

Our military is a group of haphazard Keystone Cops. Our guys may have shot down three of our own aircraft with friendly fire. Trump says those things happen.

No, they don’t! Not with a knowledgeable group of military leaders. But, Mr. President, you fired all those savvy men and women generals. You were looking for loyalty instead of quality.

Mr. Trump this disaster is all yours. Fix it now. Or resign.

— Dan Presser, Carmel

March is the anniversary of the unlawful, immoral invasion and destruction of Iraq. All of it was based on known lies. The U.S., UK, and NATO allies brutalized, tortured, and killed Iraqi citizens, permanently contaminated the land and the people with toxins including depleted uranium resulting in horrible birth defects, blew up oil wells (that was the U.S., not Saddam), stole and destroyed national treasures, including Iraq’s agricultural seed bank, destroyed the electrical, sanitary, and water infrastructure, and ended the country as it was.

Here we go again – same leaders, the same institutions lying repeatedly. “Democracy” and “human rights” are PR window dressing.

“Submit” is the name of their game, what the Washington and Wall Street gangs say to their victims. Republican or Democrat, it doesn’t matter. It’s about coming out on top and standing over the victim, briefly satisfied until they pick the next victim. They never have enough; they’re never satisfied. The goals are ceaseless empire-building, world and space domination, eviscerating nations, heritages, and communities, stealing resources, imposing American toxic products on virgin lands. Marine Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler wrote “War is a Racket” about this reality. Bush 1 said, “If the American people knew what we have done, they would string us up from the lamp posts.”

And this “hatred of life” ideology attacks us at home.

Peace, stability, respect for other nations’ sovereignty and security, coexistence, communication, truth, dismantling our weapons and institutions of war, starting at home, and valuing nature – that is the country I want to build. Stop the attack on Iran.

— Nina Beety, Monterey

State of the Union

It is hard to believe that the Democrat Party is still operating after their wild blunder at the Feb. 24 State of the Union Address. The President declared, “The first duty of the American government is to protect Americans, not Illegal aliens.” Nothing revolutionary, but almost every Democrat remained seated and silent even after the President asked everyone to stand and applaud if they agreed. The Democrats just scowled.

How can any political party side with illegal aliens over American citizens? Our government has no responsibility toward illegal non-citizens, many of whom just openly walked in. Our government’s primary duty is to protect U.S. citizens, period.

Interestingly, hardly anybody complained about President Obama’s deportation of more than three million illegal immigrants.

After watching this fiasco unfold, all I can say is that the Democrats must have a death wish.

— Lawrence Samuels, Carmel

I watched the entire State of the Union Speech. I think it would be more accurate to call it the State of the Disunion. Quite a  number of Democrats didn’t even show up, but the ones who did got gamed by President Trump. What fools they were to sit on their hands during the State of the Union speech, shouting insults, glowering, even sleeping.  One Democrat waving a protest sign had to be physically removed from the chamber. The Republican half, on the other hand, looked better. They were standing up, honoring or remembering American heroes in the past and present, cheering “USA” and having a grand old time. It was an American celebration. They were even dressed better than the disrespectful and obviously disengaged members on the other side.  I realize that California votes 60% with the Democratic Party in all elections. But let’s give this a second thought. There are two Republicans running for governor against nine Democrats in the California June Primary election. Please try to consider voting for one or both of these Republican candidates. California needs a break from those gloomy, pessimistic, badly behaved members in the other party.

— Carol Marquart, Pacific Grove

The debate about short-term rentals in Monterey County comes down to this: will we treat housing as shelter or a commodity?

The Board of Supervisors took action to protect our local housing stock from corporate and out-of-town investors by banning them from operating short-term rentals, a sensible restriction. Unfortunately, the Monterey County Vacation Rental Alliance sued the County for those restrictions, claiming they unfairly singled out corporations and out-of-state persons, forcing the Supervisors to choose between letting the tide of investor greed continue to scoop up housing, or adopt a more stringent short-term rental ordinance that bans STRs in residentially zoned areas, regardless of ownership status. The Supervisors chose the latter, because it was the only way to protect local housing stock.

To be clear, we are not saying the majority of vacation rentals in unincorporated Monterey County are currently owned by corporations. What this provision sought to do is further stem the purchasing of properties in Monterey County as investments for anything other than homes for residents. The concern of a majority of the Supervisors is that powerful forces are aligning under false pretenses to further commodify housing stock. The story has gotten muddled in the news and social media. What’s important to understand is that the Board was placed in a difficult position by the lawsuit and chose the broader ban because it did not want to see an unlimited number of single-family homes in the unincorporated county to be aggregated, monetized, and treated as an investment class by out-of-area and corporate interests.

The County engaged in more than 10 years of public input, debate, and negotiation. What emerged from that long process was a delicate compromise that allows limited short-term rentals while drawing a clear line to protect housing for people who actually live and work here. The lawsuit filed by Vacation Rental Alliance completely disregards the years of public input and debate and forced the current, broader ban. The Board of Supervisors had to make a choice, and they made the right choice; treat housing as shelter, not as a commodity.

— Mary Adams, Jane Parker, former county supervisors

The power of love

Cheryl Harbour’s Valentine’s Day article on ways to speak love was a trip down memory lane. For those who remember World War II, mention of “Casablanca” was particularly reminiscent. Thanks to the Golden State Theatre’s recent, live-orchestral accompanied production of Dirty Dancing, our ears are still ringing with Jennifer Gray’s love line.

Gary Chapman’s book “Five Languages of Love” has resided on our bookshelf for decades. It is highly recommended.

Valentine’s Day is the only widely celebrated day dedicated to an emotion. Love is a powerful force. It permeates all things. It has a life of its own.

Cheryl suggests that long-married may express love by saying “you complete my sentences.” Perhaps the well-seasoned married may keep the fire burning by studying together. The Smithsonian’s course on the history of Valentine’s Day offers that opportunity.

Thanks Cheryl. All hope to feel love every day. Many see it in the eyes of their puppy dogs.

— George Brehmer, Carmel

Golf and celebrities

The Herald’s John Devine rued the current status of the AT&T Pro-Am in his recent column. Despite the frequent allusions to the fact that this and last year’s event were very successful, I have to wonder.

It seems that with continued evolving corporatization of the Pro-Am, which has allowed this PGA Tour event to now reach Signature Event status, its milieu has been altered to remove many of the very essences and traditions on which the tournament was originally founded and intended.

To name just a few, there are hardly any celebrities, but an abundance of those likely minimally interesting individuals willing to pay an alleged extraordinary entrance fee.  Even with only 80 pros, there should still be ample room to accommodate at least some of the celebrities, which many of the golf fans used to pay to see. Perhaps the price tag was too high for even many of them to afford.  Who really wants to see captains of industry hobnobbing and ambling along with their pro for two days?  The traditional Clambake is cooked. Why no spectators for the practice rounds?  These were often the most enjoyable to follow.  Too much work and expense to allow that to happen?  One thing has survived however, the volunteers still have to purchase their uniforms! Another cost-saving measure.

So, John, it seems at this time and given the PGA Tour’s financial climate, there is only a scant likelihood that the celebs will be back or that the event will return to its roots.  Too bad.

— Bob Cushing, Carmel   

Instead of the constant and financially wasteful probe into the 2020 Presidential election, why don’t we just declare Trump as the winner, thus of a second term, and therefore ineligible for this term, which would be his third term. That way, he could be gone, before indicating further damage upon our country.

— Bob Cushing, Carmel

Melania,  The Movie

Not since Jacklyn Kennedy , 63 years ago, have we had a First Lady like Melania with her intellect, fashion elegance and unapologetic patriotism.
Thank you Melania for producing a beautiful and telling movie that all Americans could and should be proud of.
And for those uninformed Trump hating citizens that elect not to see the movie they can always refer to their reliable source “The View” for a fair and unbiased
review of the movie.

— George Galakatos, Monterey

Winter Olympics

Good grief, according to the Herald, the U.S. is sending an ICE unit to the Winter Olympics. Somebody better tell them that in Italy not everyone is a U.S. citizen. Given their obvious lack of training, I’m worried that some ICE officers at an ice hockey game might drag the Zamboni driver out of his vehicle and pepper spray him at center ice. There may be no penalty box for ICE misconduct here in the U.S., but there may be in Italy.

— Glenn Nolte, Carmel Valley

Cal Am

Cal Am recently announced a 24.36% increase in water rates over next three years, way in excess of The Public Advocate Office report just out that recommends a 9 to11% increase over the same period. Monterey County already has the highest water prices in the country, despite (and perhaps because) it has one of the best records in reducing water usage. Cal Am is playing a shady game exploiting its ratepayers to reward its shareholders and executives. As we get better at using less water, it jacks up its prices to sustain its profits at our expense.

Strenuous efforts directed at regaining local control have been foiled by a greedy company trying to extract as much as possible. Cal is not really a public utility; instead, it is a private rip-off.

— Donna Manning, Allen Frances, Carmel

Higher stakes

Remember the hullabaloo of 1999? Panic! What will happen when the calendar goes around? Will banks crash? Will the world come to an end? Many people worried, some prepared. But for everyone, the calendar page turned. We adapted to writing all four digits of our birth year on forms. Someone made goofy “2002” glasses; banks and institutions survived.  The world did not come to an end.

On a much more serious note, something similar is happening again. For 250 years, the majority of U.S. voters were white; soon there will be no majority group. Some people (in and out of government) are fighting tooth and nail against the  inevitable – trying to control immigration, banning books, restricting voting rights, clinging to the past by ripping up the days that remain.

Even those of us who welcome the majority-minority transition acknowledge we haven’t done enough to prepare. “Fill in two digits for year” had an easy fix. Repairing a system where liberty and justice haven’t really been for all will take hard work and soul searching, but it’s vital.  The future is coming; this time if we don’t get it right the world really might come to an end.

— Helen Spiess Shamble, East Garrison

Too many employees?

For years Monterey’s population has remained fairly stable at around 30,000.  So it comes as a shock that the number of city government employees has exploded from 420 in 2021  to 488 in 2025.  The employment burden has busted the budget and the city council now insists on raising taxes.  The government could cut the budget instead, but this is not the way our government works.  Cutting the budget is always put off for some indefinite future.  So we will have two tax measures on the June ballot. They include an increase in the sales tax by 0.375 percentage points, which sunsets in nine years, and an 8-percent parking tax.

A new spending program was started in 2024.  The city government hired two additional full-time employees to do a rental inventory, with total operational costs of around $400,000 per year. The inventory is still underway. Will we ever get useable information? The goal of this invasive program is to survey residential rents in Monterey.  Sadly, representative rent estimates are already available from a number of sources, including Zillow.  The bill for this boondoogle, higher taxes, comes due in June. Let’s end the program and defeat the tax increases.

— Thomas F. Lee, Monterey 

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the battery fire at Vistra’s Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility. We here at Vistra recognize the fire was a difficult moment for many and we appreciate everyone who has contributed to the response and recovery efforts, both at the facility and in the surrounding community. I’d like to share an update on the progress we’ve made since last January.

Immediately following the fire, Vistra and the U.S. EPA began designing a plan to access the damaged Moss 300 building and safely remove batteries and debris, prioritizing worker safety, community needs, and environmental protection. After months of careful preparation, cleanup at the site began last August. To date, more than 12,000 batteries have been safely removed from the site and sent to out-of-state recycling facilities.

Later this year, cleanup efforts will shift from the intact portion of the Moss 300 building to the section that burned during the fire. Accessing this area of the building will help advance the investigation into the fire’s origin, as the damaged portion of Moss 300 may hold information that our investigators need to complete their work. We are all eager to have answers as soon as possible, but we must conduct this investigation thoroughly. That takes time. Battery energy storage is vital to the future of California’s electric grid, and a thorough investigation will help the entire industry enhance its safety practices.

The health and safety of our community have guided every decision we’ve made in our response, and we are pleased to report that air, water and soil testing by multiple agencies over many months have found no risks to public health or agriculture related to the fire. Additional monitoring and testing continues under the supervision of the U.S. EPA on site and the Monterey County Environmental Health Bureau in the community. The results gathered to date have been reassuring and consistent with previous findings.

The success of recovery efforts to date would not have been possible without the work of those who assisted the community during and immediately following the fire. We are especially grateful for the efforts of Chief Mendoza and the North County Fire Protection District and first responders across Monterey County who helped ensure that no one sustained physical injury during the fire. We would also like to thank the Community Foundation for Monterey County, United Way Monterey County, and the Castro Plaza Family Resource Center, which quickly mobilized to help Vistra implement the community assistance program for those impacted by the evacuation order. We would also like to thank the members of the U.S. EPA who have been a part of the response with us since the beginning.

We mean it when we say Moss Landing is our home. Our employees live and work here, and we care for this place deeply. We promise to learn from this event and ensure that these learnings strengthen our energy grid and the Moss Landing community.

As always, you can stay up to date on our progress by visiting MossLandingResponse.com.

— Brad Masek, renewable operations director, Vistra 

Facism is here

My father, stepfather and my husband’s father all served in the U.S. military during World War II.  I was raised as a Quaker committed to non-violence, but I think of the war against Hitler to be a just one. The U.S. War Department in 1945 published a pamphlet to U.S. Army personnel in Europe with the topic of “fascism.”  The publication asked: what is fascism? The document explained that it “is government by the few and for the few.  The objective is seizure and control of the economic, political, social and cultural life of the state.”  Fascists “make their own rules and change them when they choose. … They maintain themselves in power by use of force combined with propaganda based on primitive ideas of ‘blood’ and ‘race,’ by skillful manipulation of fear and hate, and by false promises of security. Americans should not be fooled into thinking that fascism could not come to America, the pamphlet warned. And yet, the Trump administration certainly fits this description. I am grateful to my brother who sends me Heather Cox Richardson’s post every day full of deep dives into our history. You can read her Jan. 9 post for greater detail.

— An McDowell, Monterey

Dumb drug ads

Anyone else disgusted with those TV drug ads warning us not to take their drug if we’re allergic to it.  Well, duh!  How stupid do they think the American public is to ingest substances they know will produce harmful results?  Oh, wait a minute, they may have a point.  I forgot about our president advising us to drink bleach as a cure for COVID.

— Glenn Nolte, Carmel Valley

Monterey’s intent to bill residents for 911 calls involving an ambulance is unworkable, unfair, unconscionable and shameful coming at a time when many people are losing health insurance likely causing some not to call and therefore not receive emergency responses.

How would it work? Does the Good Samaritan who makes a call get billed? Do accident victims who can’t deny services get billed? If unconscious, how is billing information collected? Does the at-fault party in an accident get billed? Does this set off a maelstrom of legal suits to determine who should pay 911 billing? Do we really need a new 911 billing bureaucracy?

Billing for 911 unfairly places a burden on people at the moment of their highest vulnerability, and 911 services are paid out of taxes. It unconscionably places a barrier between the public and 911 services. It’s shameful because the city’s financial problems have been predictable for years, and result from poor leadership of successive mayors who’ve lacked the sophistication to understand and address city revenue in progressive rather than regressive means or who’ve kept the people in the dark about the budget.

Please do not place a barrier between 911 services and those in need.

– – Timothy Barrett, Monterey

Panetta on Venezuela

Thanks to Congressman Panetta for speaking out and opposing Trump’s illegal actions in Venezuela.  I appreciated him introducing legislation with other veterans in Congress over a month ago to make clear that there should be no war in Venezuela without Congressional authorization.  Our taxpayer dollars should be focused on issues like affordable housing and health care, not new military ventures in Venezuela or Greenland. I trust Panetta to stand firm and oppose sending troops or other illegal military action in Venezuela or elsewhere. Unfortunately, Trump is driven not by democratic values, but by dollars. I’m glad Panetta continues to stand up to Trump and for the Constitution.  We can only hope that Speaker Johnson and the Republicans in charge of Congress will do the same.  If not, we the people must hold Congressional Republicans accountable in 2026 and speak out loudly and clearly that we do not support military action in Venezuela or elsewhere.

— Elena Loomis, Monterey

Cartoon deeply troubling

I am extremely disappointed by the decision to publish Friday’s  “Cartoonist’s Take” involving ICE.

The cartoon’s implication of violence — specifically against a fleeing woman — is not satire. It is cruel, irresponsible, and deeply troubling. Normalizing or trivializing lethal force in this way contributes to fear and division, not understanding or informed debate.

Editorial cartoons carry influence, and with that comes responsibility. This image failed that responsibility and reflects poorly on the Monterey Herald’s judgment and values.

I expect more from a publication that serves a diverse and thoughtful community. I urge you to take this feedback seriously and consider the real harm such imagery can cause.

— Mary Johnson-Derr

PG&E rates 

Oh boo-hoo, the PUC recently voted to reduce PG&E’s profit level from the current rate of 10.28% all the way down to 9.98%, over the complaints of the giant utility that this cataclysmic reduction might deter future investors.  Gosh, I hope they can scrape by on such meager earnings.

— Glenn Nolte, Carmel Valley

Foreign policy

Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen’s recent argument published in the Herald relies on two familiar but flawed assumptions.

First, opposition to endless regime-change wars, perpetual bombing campaigns, and a permanent U.S. military footprint abroad is not “isolationism.” It is a judgment about effectiveness and cost. Rejecting discretionary wars does not mean abandoning trade, diplomacy, alliances, or deterrence. The last two decades—from Iraq and Libya to Afghanistan—demonstrate that maximalist military intervention has often produced instability, weakened U.S. credibility, and drained resources better devoted to genuine national interests. Prudence is not withdrawal.

Second, the essay’s concluding “if”—that if Trump succeeds in implementing this vision Americans will be “very pleased”—assumes a likelihood of success that recent history does not justify. Since 2000, repeated assurances that military force would deliver stability or democracy have been contradicted by outcomes. To treat success as the default rather than the exception is not serious analysis; it is wishful thinking.

A real foreign policy debate should be grounded in evidence, not slogans or conditional promises.

— Thomas Lee, Monterey 

Dear parents, teachers and the community, thank you so much for the wonderful young people who came knocking at our door on Halloween.  Our visitors were a delight!  They were very polite and grateful for the candy they received.  I even had to talk them into taking more than one piece of candy!  Seeing them and talking with them gave me great hope for the future. Something we could all use right now.

— Nancy Ponedel Parsons, Pacific Grove

Preserving norms

Driving down a narrow road, oncoming headlights just feet away, my husband remarked that in this country we really do trust each other. You have to have confidence that everyone will follow the rules – especially the people who are going the opposite direction. And (barring a couple of nuts) most everyone does.

So you’d think we’d all yell when a bunch of rich guys drive their billion-dollar bulldozers right down the middle of the road, sending cars into the ditches left and right. No matter what your destination, we the people must speak up against this destruction of norms. Failure to do so quickly will result in ruined laws and shattered trust. Preserve and defend the rules of the road or we’ll all end up walking through rubble.

— Helen Spiess Shamble, East Garrison

Veterans Day

As Veterans Day approaches, we should remember what it was meant to commemorate: the end of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918, Armistice Day, a day to end all wars. In 1954, during another war, Congress renamed it Veterans Day, shifting its meaning from honoring peace to glorifying war.

This year, we can reclaim the spirit of Armistice Day by standing against authoritarianism and creeping fascism at home. Veterans For Peace joins all who defend the Constitution from enemies foreign and domestic. We know militarism abroad is tied to repression at home, when ICE kidnaps immigrant neighbors, when troops occupy U.S. cities, when voices for justice are silenced in the name of “security.”

Veterans know the cost of war. We say: No Racist ICE. No Troops in Our Streets. No More Wars of Empire.

Let us honor Veterans Day by demanding an end to endless wars and investing instead in health care, housing, and human rights.

To all veterans: join us in reclaiming the true spirit of Armistice Day. Come to the Peace and Justice Center on Tuesday, 5–7 p.m. for an open-mic and potluck gathering to share stories, food, and solidarity for Peace at Home, Peace Abroad.

— Justin Loza, president Veterans For Peace Chapter 46 

Venezuela policy

The Monterey Peace and Justice Center condemns continued U.S. aggression toward Venezuela. The Justice Department’s recent approval of Trump-era military strikes in the Caribbean Sea is unconstitutional without congressional authorization and violates international law.  Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

The build-up of U.S. military assets in the region, including the largest naval deployment in the Caribbean since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and covert CIA operations have nothing to do with combating narcotics. They reveal motives of regime change and control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves and have been widely condemned as violations of the UN Charter. Latin America is a designated Zone of Peace.

We call on the United States to end its crippling sanctions, stop illegal extrajudicial killings in international waters, and respect Venezuela’s sovereignty and right to self-determination.

— Catherine Crockett, president and Sidney Ramsdem Scott, vice-president, Monterey Peace and Justice Center

Washington has justified its hostility toward Venezuela by invoking the language of democracy and the war on drugs. Yet the true engine of U.S. policy has always been petro-politics, not narcotrafficking.

Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves — oil that, before Hugo Chávez’s nationalizations, was largely controlled by U.S. and allied corporations. When Caracas redirected that wealth toward domestic consumption and forged energy ties with China and Russia, it crossed a red line: independence in the oil market.

The “drug-kingpin” sanctions and rhetoric that followed have been a convenient moral cover for a campaign to reassert control over a critical energy source. Venezuela is not a major cocaine producer; it is, however, a major oil competitor. By freezing assets, blocking exports, and even backing coup attempts, the United States and its partners have deepened a humanitarian disaster while claiming to fight corruption and narcotics.

It is time to recognize that these policies are about power over petroleum, not purity from drugs. Honest debate about U.S. energy strategy—rather than moral posturing—would do more for both Venezuelans and Americans than another round of sanctions or imposed regime change.

— Thomas F. Lee, Monterey 

The East Wing

Watching in shock as a demolition crew tore down the East Wing of the White House, to be replaced by an unnecessary ballroom, I was reminded of President Trump’s solemn promise not to even touch the outer wall of the East Wing, out of respect and reverence for its storied history.  Then again, he promised to uphold the Constitution too, and that looks to be headed to rubble also.

— Glenn Nolte, Carmel Valley

I strongly object to your political so-called cartoon of Wednesday, October 22, which depicted “No Kings” protesters as rude and angry, with violent messages.  As anyone who attended the nationwide rallies or who followed the news coverage can attest, the vast majority of participants were peaceful and friendly while demonstrating their Constitutional right to assemble and protest.  We do not subscribe to the Herald expecting such MAGA lies.

— Merry Nolte, Carmel Valley 

The Herald should be ashamed for printing the editorial cartoon in the Oct. 22 edition. In an attempt to claim (falsely) that the “No Kings” rallies weren’t peaceful, it depicts snarling people with hateful signs of a kind simply not seen at the thousands of peaceful rallies all across the country. The cartoonist clearly did not get his or her information by attending one of the “No Kings” rallies or even by watching on television.
The truth is that 7 million Americans showed up in costumes, danced to music, and brought signs that were often funny, but not hateful (such as “End Truth Decay” and “Aunt Tifa”). Here in Monterey, many protesters brought signs that said things such as, “Love, not hate, makes America great” and “Make America Kind Again.”

According to organizers, more than 9,000 of us showed up at Window on the Bay and extending a long way along Del Monte Avenue. We had a great time resisting all the awful things that the Trump administration has done and is doing, but our gathering was joyful and loving; anything but hateful. Readers should know that the “No Kings” movement is explicitly committed to nonviolence. We protest in the spirit of the words of Dr. King: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. And hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

— Rev. Craig Scott, Pacific Grove

MPC’s Wendy Bates

After reading the well-written article Oct. 17, regarding the impending retirement of Monterey Peninsula College Athletic Director Wendy Bates, I must add a thing or two!

I met Bates when she was the assistant women’s basketball coach at Santa Rosa Junior College where she also played as a youngster. She was dedicated then and that dedication led her to head coaching positions at Hartnell College, Feather River College and MPC. Her coaching career spanned over three decades.

Ask any player and their family members who Coach Bates/Dean Bates was and is to this day they will tell you she guided them on and off the court, pushed them to be the best that they could be academically and athletically, as well as, great humans. She taught them about integrity, dedication and teamwork. She watched them grow into successful women and was there for them through good times and bad times. And she still is.

If we are to write about Bates, we need to mention not only her accomplishments as dean of Athletics, but also as dean of Student Services and dean of Health Services at MPC since 2020.
She not only led her coaching staff through the pandemic, but also the staff and students in the other twp departments.  She has been a “ Trifecta Dean!”

Congrats to a coach, a dean, a mentor, a role model and a team player. Your upcoming retirement in June is well-deserved.

— Valerie Fern, Carmel

Kudos to Devine

This past Monday morning we counted seven articles by John Devine reporting on high school football scores and the Monterey Bay FC game.

For years, John has brought regional sports reporting to Herald readers with a focus on high school and local college games, standings, and features.

We can imagine how John must spend his Sundays!  Thank you, John, for years of great coverage including the many quotes from players, parents, and coaches. John Devine
is a regional treasure!  Bravo!

— Sen. Bill Monning (retired), Carmel  

Trump the pirate

For days now, instead of working with Congress to stop the budget shutdown, Trump has been raving about his plan to kill suspected drug smugglers by sinking their boats near Columbia. He’s said he saved 25 thousand lives for every one that got hit. As far as I know, nowhere in the Constitution is it written the president has the authority to kill alleged drug smugglers. All this time, he has the arrogance to say he deserved a Nobel Peace Prize.

Using the military to sink boats without an arrest or fair trial is more like piracy to me. If Trump continues to ignore our laws while our national budget and economy sinks, maybe it’s time for him to walk the plank.

— Bill Graham, Salinas    

Recently, my friend and neighbor suffered a serious medical emergency.  An engine and crew from Monterey Fire Department responded plus an ambulance from American Medical Response (AMR).  I cannot express enough how impressive the level of care delivered was.  The fire department paramedics worked seamlessly with the crew from AMR and provided advanced care with medications and an intravenous line.  Paramedic level care brings a great many of the capabilities of a hospital emergency room to the scene of an ill patient.  Paramedics can deliver livesaving medications, insert a breathing tube, establish electronic heart monitoring and defibrillation (electric shock), and provide a wide variety of care for any type of field medical emergency.

As a retired fire chief, I often get asked why does the fire department respond to medical emergencies?   This happens to bring the most rapidly available care to a medical emergency.  Also, working with the ambulance crew, there are sufficient personnel to effectively manage a serious emergency, such as a severe injury, cardiac arrest, stroke and many other emergencies.

All Peninsula residents should be comforted knowing the highest available emergency scene care is available here from our Monterey Fire Department.

— Demetrius Kastros, Monterey

Pebble Beach trail

Congratulations to Pebble Beach Company for completing the new and improved boardwalk from Asilomar Beach. The walk from Asilomar to Bird Rock and back was a favorite weekly exercise routine until the 2023 storm destroyed large sections of the boardwalk. Great to see that the new walk was moved farther back from the coast. My only complaint is the need for some stairs in two or three places for beach access. Dangerous for us old folks to be climbing up and down.

The bike and pedestrian safety stripe on the edges of 17 Mile Drive along the ocean have worn away and need to be re-painted to help separate the cars and busses from the pedestrians.

— Dave Whittick, Monterey 

Prop 50

Prop 50 has me feeling like Frodo and Sam from Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings.” I really wish the wizards would just defeat the Evil One for us (why did Gavin even ask us? Why not do something in the legislature like Texas did?). Other safeguards are falling: Rohan is still under the spell of Grima, Saruman has sold his soul for power, the elves are taking ship for the West (universities? the media? Congress? the Supreme Court?). So we’re left, the common folk of California, to make a deal with Gollum and carry this burden through Mordor. We’re trying to reach a Middle Earth that’s multicultural and peaceful, though we do not know the way.

This is where we part with Frodo and Sam – no one or two of us can get this done on their own. The tools we have only work if a majority of us take action: the power of the boycott, the strength of marching, and the ballot box with Prop 50. “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

— Helen Spiess Shamble, East Garrison

California is virtually broke.  Yet, instead of spending the limited funds they have on education or public safety they have decided to put a redistricting measure on a Special Election Ballot.  The last special election in 2021 cost taxpayers over $200,000,000!  It will cost even more this time.

Years ago, voters overwhelmingly voted to take redistricting out of the hands of the legislature and have it done by an independent, non-partisan commission.  Now they are spending a ton of our money to do a one-time override of what we voted on.  The reason is Texas’ boneheaded plan to redistrict.  Just because one state does something stupid, do we need to do the same thing?  There is a big difference, Texas does not have a non-partisan redistricting commission, we do.  It reminds me of the age old saying – “two wrongs never make a right.”  Please join me in voting no and send the message to Sacramento to not mess with the will of the voters.

— Rick Heuer, Monterey 

No desal source water

While accepting the CPUC’s decision that the Peninsula will need 2,618 acre-feet more water per year by 2050, Cal Am has failed:

1. To acknowledge Coastal Commission findings that its slant wells, which supply the source water for its desalination facility, only have a lifespan of 25 years at most

2. To acknowledge that sea level rise will bury these slant wells due to anticipated climate-change beach erosion

3. To disclose that it has no relocation site for its slant wells

4. To admit that it has no water rights to its declared source, the critically over-drafted Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin

5. To reveal that its planned massive over-pumping will decimate these endangered aquifers.

Cal Am’s 25-year demand estimate meant to justify desal is moot because by 2050 this desal plant will have no source water supply available. Meantime, Cal Am ratepayers will be heavily
burdened with an unnecessary and useless desalination facility’s exorbitant costs, while Marina will endure intolerable environmental injustice.

If the CPUC denies a Phase 3 hearing on Cal Am’s desal, how and when do they plan to look at the Coastal Commission findings and consider the smaller 4.8 mgd desal plant CalAm proposes
to build?

— Margaret-Anne Coppernoll, Marina

Name change

I suggest a name change.  You should call your newspaper the Monterey County Democrat.

— Robert Hellam, Seaside

The California Public Utilities Commission is supposed to regulate monopolistic utilities so that they serve the public interest, as well as their investors.  To say that it has failed to do that with respect to water and power utilities would be a giant understatement.  That is obviously the case with respect to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company and the California American Water Company.

The CPUC has literally let these two utilities get away with everything short of murder.  The CPUC has let PG&E make ratepayers pay for the forest and other fires it has caused by irresponsible management.  The CPUC has let Cal Am raise its rates on the Monterey Peninsula every year so that we residents are paying the highest unit cost of water in the nation for a customer base our size or larger, which is my concern here.

The excuse for that rise is to inhibit our use of water, while retaining the company’s annual income as it has failed to increase our legitimate water supply.  That ruse has worked so well that we now no longer need additional water, particularly from the desalination plant proposed by Cal Am, which would increase our unit cost of water even further.

Not only do we need no additional water now, but we also are very likely to need no additional water 25 years from now despite what Cal Am has led the CPUC to predict, in opposition to the voices of its own Public Advocates Office and four local public agencies:  the City of Marina, the Marina Coast Water District, Monterey One Water, and the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, all of which are currently seeking a rehearing on the issue by the CPUC.

Among all the information ignored by the CPUC, what is most disturbing, at least to me, is the simple fact that we do not need a desalination plant now for a highly questionable need 25 years from now, especially when the plant’s wells have less that a 25-year life expectancy.  What has long both amazed and irked  me is how the legions of attorneys at the CPUC are so adroit at using the law that they have almost always  managed to triumph over what is simple common sense.

— Ron Weitzman, Carmel 

Prop 50

As a Christian pastor, I believe our faith is not only about private devotion but also about how we shape the life we share together. The prophet Micah calls us to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8). That means ensuring that our political systems are fair, so that every person’s voice matters.

Proposition 50 is about justice and fairness. It responds to partisan gerrymandering that distorts representation in other states and threatens to silence communities here in California. Fair maps are one way we live out the biblical vision of protecting “the widow, the orphan, and the stranger” — those who are most easily overlooked.

Critics worry that Prop 50 shifts power from California’s independent redistricting commission to the legislature. That concern is valid, but Prop 50 is temporary, expiring in 2030, and includes safeguards to restore the commission afterward. It is not an abandonment of reform but a practical step in a difficult moment.

Christian discipleship requires us to make choices that defend the common good. A Yes vote on Prop 50 does not serve one party over another — it serves democracy itself. It ensures that California continues to stand for fairness, representation, and integrity.

For people of faith, the ballot box is a place to practice neighbor-love. So I’ll be voting Yes on Prop 50.

— Rev. Mark Peake, Sr. Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Monterey

Health care

On this Peninsula we are blessed to have very competent, quality care. My wife recently died after several years of suffering from two ailments. We visited two Mayo Clinics, Stanford, UCSF and other out of area medical facilities. None could alleviate her symptoms. Neither could our doctors here.

What we did receive here starting with our primary care physician, the excellent ER department at CHOMP, the fifth floor doctors and nurses, the superb rehab unit on the fourth floor along with Sutter Healths physical and occupational therapy at home was support. Also having the wonderful Hospice of the Central Coast care at home allowed us to keep my beauty at home, which helped to relieve so much stress and gave us our last days together in a calm, peaceful setting that we love.

I want to thank everyone who took care of my better half. She is missed dearly but the caring and kindness that her nurses, doctors and caregivers showed to us will forever be remembered and appreciated. Hospice continues to call and ask how I am moving forward and if I need help. Once again, thank you to all of you who worked so diligently to help. You will always be remembered.

— Tom Williams

Monday marks a major milestone in the history of the Peace Corps. On this day in 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed into law the original Peace Corps Act, which formally authorized this unique and independent agency that has become one of the most recognizable examples of U.S. goodwill to millions of people around the world.

Now, 64 years later, nearly 250,000 American citizens have proudly served the United States in more than 140 host nations. This includes over 300 current Peace Corps Volunteers serving foreign nations and about 32,500 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV) who call California home – the most of any state. I am a proud RPCV who served from 1979 to 1981 to help the Government of Barbados establish its first marine protected area. Many of the RPCV from our area are members of the Northern California Peace Corps Association (https://norcalpca.org/).

The Peace Corps has a long history of strong bipartisan support, and while our current political and social dynamics present unprecedented challenges, that support continues today. In its budget request to Congress, the Trump administration has requested level funding of $430 million for the Peace Corps in the upcoming fiscal year – a good sign. Meanwhile, Republican and Democrat lawmakers in the House of Representatives and the Senate, are coming together to introduce legislation to honor the distinguished work of Peace Corps volunteers with the highest civilian honor – a Congressional Gold Medal.

At a time when our country and the world yearns for more peace and understanding, more civility, and more cooperative engagement, I urge Senator Alex Padilla, Senator Adam Schiff, and Representative Jimmy Panetta to support efforts to recognize the selfless, inspiring work of our past and present Peace Corps Volunteers, and provide the agency with the resources it needs to continue and thrive in the years to come. Public support for the Peace Corps is also needed, especially for women and men who want to volunteer for two years of service.  You can visit the Peace Corps’ website (https://www.peacecorps.gov/how-to-apply/preparing-to-apply/) for more information about becoming a volunteer.

— Patrick Cotter, Pacific Grove

Prop 50

I’d like to thank former Sen. Bill Monning for his interesting letter in support of Prop. 50, but there are still two important reasons I won’t vote for it. First, at least 90 percent of the state is already represented by Democrats. Even if 50 passed, there wouldn’t be enough districts to replace changes made by more than one other state.  Second, having two dictators running Washington D.C. and California with guard troops and redrawn districts doesn’t make one dictatorship right. Vote No on 50.

— Bill Graham, Salinas 

Thank you for printing David Brook’s commentary “What money can’t buy. Why I am no longer a liberal” on Sept. 9. His main point in the article is that money (in the form of cash advances, rent subsidies, food stamps etc.) does not necessarily improve the lives of children from such families. Yes, we know Karl Marx saw social dynamics from a materialistic perspective. Some people think that factors such as race, gender and zip code determines the future lives of children from poor families. But whatever happened to the belief in social mobility? A young person starting out working at McDonald’s doesn’t STAY at McDonald’s, but goes to school, learns a trade or a profession and moves on. Low income families don’t have to stay low income and live in low income housing permanently. Providing guaranteed income and other government subsidies is just another excuse to keep poor families in their place, relegating them permanently to the underclass. The social welfare system is paternalistic and doesn’t always solve the problems it is trying to alleviate. Liberals take notice. David Brooks is no longer a liberal.

— Carol Marquart, Pacific Grove

Trump, the pirate

Avast, Mateys, shiver me timbers, this is your Captain Trump speaking, ruler of the 7 seas.  We blew that Venezuelan ship out of the water without even giving them a chance to walk the plank.  They belong in Davey Jones’ locker for whatever they did, whether it was smuggling drugs or just displaying a Biden poster.  Too bad we sunk it though, because I haven’t seen that much booty since the last Epstein party I attended.

— Glenn Nolte, Carmel Valley