Letters

Staff

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Grand Jury Report: Shame on the Messenger

Shame on you for the cheap shot at Alana Knaster [“County Planning Blasted—Grand Jury calls Planning Department ‘dysfunctional,’ ‘ineffective’ and ‘inefficient.’” Jan. 12-18]. Fill your space with facts instead of horrible photos and childish insinuations.

Alana Knaster isn’t the problem. I actually watch the Board of Supervisors’ meetings. Alana Knaster knows her stuff. She is well-educated and always has a thoughtful answer for the Supervisors. She knows this County. She leads as far as her bosses, Scott Hennessey and the Supervisors, have let her.

Give the Planning Department some decent staffing, salaries and support. The Supervisors should quit ignoring staff’s recommendations in favor of decisons that benefit a privileged few. Then maybe more of them will stay and have better attitudes.

Alan Bilinsky | San Benancio

Nasty Weekly: Shame, Shame, Shame

In the almost 10 years I have known her, I have never known Alana Knaster to be “lost,” either personally or professionally. I have found her to be a smart, hardworking, dedicated public servant whose job it is to balance the competing interests of environmentalists, developers, zoning regulations, and the public around the issues of urban development.

What in the world will prompt qualified employees to undertake this daunting and underpaid assignment if they are also to be savaged by the juvenile antics of newspaper writers whose only goal is to write sassy/nasty captions?

Shame on you.

Susan Alnes | Carmel

Soledad: Not Just Prisoners and Pedophiles

I would like to clarify Squid’s piece on Soledad’s town slogan. Actually it isn’t “It’s Happening in Soledad,” as the historical billboard reads, but “Feel the Momentum.”

As a resident of this town, I’ll be the first to admit that, no, we are not the bustling metropolis of Monterey; we are a quickly growing family-based community that is sick and tired of being the ugly step child of Monterey County. Did you know that there are actually families living here that have nothing to do with the prison? Not just a prison town, this town on the tracks is much like the little engine that could.

In the past five years, we have built commercially and residentially to our limits. We have a state-of-the-art high school as well as a brand new elementary school.

No, we are not perfect; and yes, we have a lot of room to grow, politically speaking. Our mayor could use a public-speaking course and we sure wish they would stop sending us all the pedophiles no one else wants in their town. That aside, for the many residents that have made Soledad their home, we are proud.

At the heart of “what’s happening” in this town are the hardworking, credible people of organizations such as the Old Town Beautification Association, the South County YMCA, Soledad Lions and Lioness and the teachers and staff at our elementary schools. We may not have the luxury of a hidden forest theatre in our town, but we do have the Pinnacles National Park in our backyard. Some of the most delicious wines are harvested from the vineyards in our town.

Before you scoff at our sign the next time you drive by, take a moment to feel the sunshine that hits your face.

I know it’s hard to get used to with all that fog over there. If the reporters at the Weekly want to send someone down here to find out exactly what is happening in Soledad, I’ll be your tour guide.

Thais Shubin | Soledad

We’ve Been Spared: God Loves Us

Pat Robertson and his God Squad mercenaries have been uncharacteristically silent over the wildfires devastating large sections of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Unlike the exhortations on New Orleans depravity being justifiably addressed by Hurricane Katrina, we hear nothing of God’s wrath visited upon the red state sinners by a wave of fire and brimstone.

Apparently progressives’ sins fall into a heavier category and demand a more punitive response. In that regard, if natural disasters are the direct response to human wickedness, we here on the Central Coast are truly blessed by our high moral values and sinless dispositions.

Bill Cox | Marina

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