VIEW FROM CASTROVILLE

Thanks for the fine article (“Gun Control,” Jan. 14-20). Why are taxpayers paying Fred Garcia while he is suspended for three months? That is stupid: Either fire him, or put him back to work.

The next thing: LULAC. If they love violence so much, drop them off just across the border at El Paso or San Diego. They should last a good 15 minutes.

I have no respect for Sheriff [Kanalakis]. He took an oath to defend this country against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. He has failed drastically. He has failed with immigration.

As far as his stint in the Air Force, don’t let his story about him being the man with his hand on the switch fool you. There are prior military personnel out here that know better. --Benn A. Murray | Castroville

ENOUGH ALREADY!

A number of letters/articles in the Weekly over the past few months cast very negative and unfavorable aspersions against Joe Russell, former mayor of Del Rey Oaks. Let me remind readers that Joe resigned the mayoral position in the interest of saving the integrity of the Del Rey Oaks City Council and its citizens. The “case” against him was not heard in a court of law or other formal proceeding. The complaints were lodged by a group of disgruntled city employees hell-bent on seeing that Joe would lose his position on the City Council.

Joe has endured a lot in recent months. Let a “dead horse” lie. Enough already! --Brooks and Judy Merritt | Marina

CLOUD OVER CARMEL

Carmel Mayor Sue McCloud recently stated that she and her fellow female Councilwomen Paula Hazdovac and Karen Sharp “wouldn’t tolerate sexual harassment.” But how credible is that statement? All three councilwomen are cognizant of the complaints of former Assistant City Administrator Greg D’Ambrosio, former Sunset Center Director Brian Donoghue, former Library Director Margaret Pelikan, former Executive Assistant Sandy Farrell and on-leave Human Resources Manager Jane Miller about harassment and being forced into early retirement by the city. Moreover, two of the three, namely Mayor Sue McCloud and Councilwoman Paula Hazdovac, approved all of the former city employees’ settlement agreements. And yet they have the audacity to profess that they deserve to be reelected to the City Council in April 2010. And why shouldn’t they? There has not been a groundswelling of support for Jane Miller. Carmelites have not circulated a petition calling on the council to place City Administrator Rich Guillen on administrative leave pending the resolution of Jane Miller’s legal complaint. Why do Carmelites tolerate a city government oblivious to the city’s Ethics Code? Is our expectation of city government so low that we have collectively rationalized and, in some cases, accommodated to our corrupt city government, rather than confront reality and demand ethical and responsive city government? --L. A. Paterson | Carmel-by-the-Sea