POTSHOTS

I think Tom Dominy (“Letters,” Dec. 30-Jan. 6) is very naive to suggest mail order distribution would be viable “when pot is legalized.” Tom, if pot is ever legalized, the enormous tobacco industry will swoop in and take over manufacturing and distribution faster than you can say “don’t bogart that joint.” The tobacco industry is a huge machine, always desperate to expand, and would be more than happy to add legal pot to its product line.

Our society is actually amazingly tolerant of substance abuse, considering all the widespread problems booze already causes, but nonusers are loath to allow that pile of problems to grow even greater if pot were legalized. If adults could be forced to keep their drug use (and any other vices) strictly confined to the equivalent of old fashioned opium dens, then the government would gladly let everything be legal, because the tax revenue would be enormous. But drunk and stoned users always insist on being able to go out in public and (worst of all) drive, thereby screwing up things for sober folks, so don’t hold your breath waiting for pot to go legal. --Joe Snyder | Monterey

GOOD FELLA

Would Squid (“Gangster Chic Croces,” Dec. 30-Jan. 6) please remind me that when I pilfer $80,000 from someone unfortunate enough to share my last name, I should refrain from driving a bright red Ferrari? Perhaps my grandmothers’ Buick Century would be a more prudent getaway vehicle? --Jordan Garrick | Carmel

P.S. If I am soon swimming with the fishes, can Squid throw me a line?

FIX THE SYSTEM

My mother went without health care until she was eligible for Medicare. Several of my adult children have had to go without health insurance because of the absurdly high cost of such insurance for those with pre-existing medical conditions. I am worried that increasing premium costs will eat up my pension. The final health care reform bill that comes out of the Congressional conference committee should include something like a national public option providing real competition, greater choice, and lower costs for all of us of all ages. --Sharon Miller | Pacific Grove

HUFFINGTON POST?

Maybe if someone like Michael Huffington, who fought for faith-based initiatives legislation, were the local Congressperson in this district, we could “privatize” the county’s government educational instititutes and rename the University of Northern California? We might also have a Merchant Marine Academy that would train people for a “new” O.S.S. (Office of Strategic Services), for which I was educated at the Naval Post Graduate School for deployment to Asia. --Bruce Perry | Marina