MENCKEN LIVES

In her excellent review of The Informant! (Sept. 17-23, 2009), Marjorie Baumgarten writes, “Whitacre (Matt Damon) almost calls to mind a representation of Sinclair Lewis’ famous booboisie… .”It’s fortunate that she wrote “almost” because the phrase comes from H. L. Mencken, not Lewis.It’s a useful term in these days of Glenn Boob, Rush Limboob and the rest. –William Scott Hommon | Corral de Tierra

WHAT’S AT STAKE

Carmel residents and voters should be aware that there’s even more at stake in Carmel’s election than the sale of Flanders property in Mission Trails Park/Nature Preserve. When residents consider how to vote on this issue, they need to know that the city has already actively taken preliminary steps to persuade the volunteers, who care for Carmel’s Native Plant Garden, to move the garden from its location next to the Flanders property, to one of two other locations.

Why would the city want to do this? Perhaps the answer is that the Native Plant Garden could be developed into nine lots, according to Carmel’s former planning director. This represents a huge sum of money for a development of private homes or to create a major estate, if later it’s added to the Flanders property.

Sell Flanders and a precedent is set to carve up another large chunk of our park. The public loses recreational, educational and environmental treasures. And the city becomes a wealthy real estate developer, bent on selling our city’s assets.

I always thought that the city leaders were to be stewards of the public’s land, not the agents of their demise. I hope Carmelites will vote No on Measure I, saving our largest park by keeping it whole. –Margaret L. Purchase | Carmel-by-the-Sea

NOT AN OBAMA FAN

Thus far President Obama has accomplished nothing and has lied about everything he promised us. Remember his plans to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? How about the end of earmarks? Didn’t do that either. A more open government? Don’t think so. He has reneged on just about everything that he has said and knows that his supporters are too caught up in his moment in history to question him.

Save the adulation until he does something other than read the words on the prompter. For those who will call me a racist for expressing myself be advised – I am only as racist as you are. –Richard K. O’Mara | Pacific Grove