GALS VS. GOOD OLD BOYS

Morrie Fisher was quoted in the Weekly: “They have a gal running the Public Works department now” [“Sour Gripes,” March 29-April 4]. What the heck kind of comment is that, Morrie?!?!

There are many reasons why Morrie and his cronies are no longer in positions of power in Pacific Grove, and now we can add blatant sexism to the list. —Misty Sherman | Pacific Grove

DRUGS CAUSE DISEASE

Your article “Hunger Strikes” [March 29-April 4], about allergic conditions like asthma, proves again that we cannot continue to allow big pharma to play God.  Fighting relatively benign infectious diseases with rushed, ill-tested, mercury/aluminum-laden vaccines will continue to cause epidemics of autoimmune chronic diseases.

Of course, all these true epidemics of autism, ADD, diabetes, eating disorders, asthma, etc., continue to “baffle” doctors, and they blame genetics. News Flash: there is no such thing as a genetic epidemic.

Let’s pretend to care, and throw more money for research on genes as the root causes, or blame fast-food joints for the obesity epidemic.

Vaccine damage manifests itself primarily as autism/ADD in boys and eating disorders in girls. But since Big Pharma, the controlled media, and Congress are all in bed together mandating vaccines, our children will continue to be victimized. Their greed knows no bounds. —Marcela Salaiz | Salinas

BRING THE WAR HOME

I was shocked to hear the conservative TV host Glen Beck devalue the loss of American lives in Iraq by using the word “only” when he referred to the number of GI deaths to date. He compared American deaths in Iraq to those of the Vietnam, Korean, and WWII deaths. Usually I find myself in some measure of concurrence with the quirky Glen Beck, but on this issue I’m appalled.

Tell the grieving parents, siblings, spouses, and children of those dead that there are “only” 3,000-plus dead so far. Tell all the returning wounded and disfigured soldiers that their suffering is “only” a small matter.

I am, ironically, in favor of re-instating the draft. The American public has no real emotional connection to this war because “only” a few families have been impacted. Only when every American household is vulnerable to the grief of war will our elected leaders be vulnerable to the democratic will of the people. —Jeffrey Van Middlebrook | Pacific Grove

SAVE YOUR JOB

Monterey County’s unique character and economy has been shaped by its agricultural heritage. The LandWatch Initiative directly threatens the agricultural industry, our county’s most valuable economic engine.

Agriculture supports-directly or indirectly-the majority of the residents.  Agriculture generously maintains its support of non-profit organizations, touching even more county residents. The payrolls, goods and services purchased by the industry makes agriculture essential to the quality of life in Monterey County.

Our citizens and workers deserve to have a future here. Our children are the seventh generation of our family living in Monterey County; please join us in maintaining the heritage and economic health of Monterey County by defeating LandWatch in June. —Alec Leach | Salinas

LET THE PEOPLE VOTE

I am a long-time local and proud to be from this magnificent county. When time came to qualify the Community General Plan for the ballot, I was happy to see a paid signature-gatherer so I could sign the petition during my lunch break.

General Plans, by law, are continually updated. If passed, the Community General Plan would be in place for a limited period of time. The result being that growth would be more orderly and if in the future the desire returns for more sprawl-type developments, land will still be left to build on. Who would be harmed by taking the more conservative approach?

Look at Marina, which has generated several quality new developments within its borders since the Urban Growth Boundary passed in 2000, limiting growth to inside the city limits until 2020.

Requiring a vote on non-conforming developments sounds OK to me, considering the negative impact daisy-chaining growth along Highway 101 will have on law enforcement, emergency response time, etc. —Tina Walsh | Marina