SEX AND THE CITY


During Sue McCloud’s last run for re-election, she told voters that neither she nor Carmel’s other two female council members would tolerate any sexual harassment in Carmel City Hall. Mayor McCloud was then re-elected, just barely. 


Approximately five weeks after being sworn in to a new term as mayor, she and other members of the Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council met and shockingly approved payment in the amount of $600,000 dollars to settle sexual harassment claims involving Carmel City Administrator Rich Guillen.


We now learn that Mayor McCloud and Councilmember Paula Hazdovac want to keep the city administrator on the payroll; that Councilmember Karen Sharp, by her silence (which speaks volumes) must want to keep him on the payroll; and that Councilmembers Ken Talmage and Jason Burnett want Guillen to resign.


So what we have is a city council in which the three female members want to keep Guillen on the city payroll and the two male members want him out. What exactly is going on? - Mike Brown | Carmel 


POLICIES OF POT


Richard Rosen’s article “Climbing Pot Mountain” (“The Local Spin,” Feb. 3-10) hit the nail on the head. Local and government and police agencies have been very hostile to medical marijuana dispensaries. Many city councils in Monterey County have passed blanket banks on medical pot dispensaries although nobody had applied for a use permit. At a Salinas City Council meeting, an official with Homeland Security threatened the city council with the loss of federally funded anti-gang programs if they did not ban pot clinics outright. I have spoken at a number of these city council meetings in support of allowing patients to get the medicine of their choice, but few have listened. 


The Foundation to End Drug Unfairness Policies (FED-UP) in Monterey County has supported efforts to establish a cooperative or club to provide this medical service, but the local politicos keep blocking the intent of Prop. 215. Hopefully, this will change in when people discover that our government is more interested in picking pockets than letting citizens provide for their own health. - Lawrence Samuels | Carmel 


IN DEFENSE OF MILLER


I don’t know what Kalita Smith was smoking when she blasted Sheriff Scott Miller about the Greenfield incident. (“Letters,” Jan. 27-Feb. 2). Miller assumed the role of sheriff on Jan. 3 and the incident happened on Jan. 5. Hardly time to either alter or implement the policy of the previous sheriff. If blame is appropriate, one would have to refer to the previous sheriff. If, like in my case of an out-of-control deputy at the Bixby Creek Bridge and the Big Sur Ranger Station report, Ms. Smith had complained to then-Sheriff Mike Kanalakis, she would have probably received, as I did, a letter stating that the situation never occurred. Sour grapes do not become you Ms. Smith. - Monty D. Reitz | Pacific Grove