SQUID: BLOW UP YOUR TV

Please pass this comment on to Squid: The only thing more boring than watching local TV news is reading about it in the Weekly [“Squid on Local TV News,” Nov. 22-29]. Enough already. Please never do this to us again. —Mark Carbonaro | Monterey County

SQUID: PUBLIC ACCESS TV RULES

Squid, you really missed the mark. Access Monterey Peninsula (AMP) channel 24 is the best!!! Amy Goodman’s “Democracy Now” is on at 5am, 6am, noon and 6pm on weekdays for starters. Then, to name just a few: the Green Party meetings (Sunday 10am and 9pm), HOPE—Helping Our Peninsula’s Environment (Saturday 9pm), Inklings (Friday 10am), Earth Advocates (Tuesday 10pm)… —Darby Moss Worth | Carmel Valley

SQUID: KEEP YOUR DAY JOB

Squid alleges to have reclaimed its rightful place, which had been usurped by one “Octopussy,” a creature lacking the sharp beak the Weekly’s readers have come to fear and loathe [Squid, Nov. 22-29]. Clever, but the readers can’t be fooled.

In the cover story on local TV news, Squid stopped well short of mounting an appropriately venomous attack. Aside from some borderline nasty digs (putting the word “journalists” in quotes—that’s so clever), Squid went way too easy on the local purveyors of nightly news.

A majority of Monterey County residents get most of their information from these three stations. The giant media corporations that own them drain millions of advertising dollars a year from the local economy—as a matter of fact, two of the three are clones owned by the same media corporation. Meanwhile, they make little effort to provide serious coverage of local issues. We get sensationalism, boosterism and self-serving ads posing as news.  

This is a crime. In the weekly column, Squid occasionally reveals a refreshing take-no-prisoners attitude. On last week’s cover, Squid wussed out. —Leo Gendron | Salinas

FERRETS: NOT AS VICIOUS AS KITTENS

Thank you for the great article on ferrets [“Little Criminals,” Nov. 22-29]. I found it to be delightful and informative. When Miss Deangelo said, “Life with ferrets is peculiar,” that is very true.

I feel the ferret, as a domesticated pet, doesn’t receive enough positive press. All the press ferrets seem to receive is how destructive and vicious they are. Apparently, the people saying this haven’t had any dealings with a three-to-four-month-old kitten.

Thank you for this article. —Dianna Stover | Castroville

SUPES: DEAD SET ON SPRAWL

Supervisors’ sprawl-now-pay-later plan for Monterey County, GPU4, ignores and discounts many key things residents have said they want—and don’t want—in their new general plan.

GPU4 includes Rancho San Juan, earmarked to be built on agricultural land next to Salinas. Seventy-six percent of Monterey County voters rejected RSJ in November 2005, yet the Supervisors are determined to force this wasteful development on residents by any means necessary.

GPU4 sets no definite boundaries between urban and rural areas of the county and allows development on the outskirts of virtually all future developments approved by County government.

GPU4 grants 14 well-connected and well-heeled rural property owners in Monterey County approval to develop 3,000 acres of land, even though these properties are nowhere near existing communities.

GPU4 creates 16 new “Special Treatment Areas” which people know nothing about. However, the parcel owners who asked for such special treatment will now assume they’re entitled to develop their land and will pressure decision makers to approve it.

GPU4 allows major new residential development on the outskirts of Salinas, Marina and King City, with no consideration for impacts to these cities or that these communities have their own growth plans.

GPU4 is bad for cities and bad for residents. —Carolyn Anderson | Royal Oaks

The letter-writer is co-chair of the North Monterey County Citizens’ Oversight Coalition.

CORRECTION

In “Disc Golf Drive” [Nov. 22-29], the Weekly incorrectly reported the size of Don Dahvee Park in Monterey as nine acres. The park in fact comprises 36.8 acres. The Weekly regrets the error.