Regarding moving the bust of Washington
Seeing as how the City Council caved to the cancel culture mob I have decided to make as many of my purchases as possible out of the city limits. The city does not have anything that can’t be purchased elsewhere. There are dollar stores everywhere along with Rite Aids, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, gas and more. Seeing as how they want to move Washington I will be moving mine and letting the City Council know each time I do so. If you are as disgusted with the decision you could do the same. Just email all the City Council people each time you do so. Vote with your wallet.
George Limburg, Watsonville
Washington moves to the library
I recently watched the city council meeting on Feb. 9 regarding the George Washington bust in our Plaza. Last October I had written a letter to the Pajaronian urging the community to leave Washington in the Plaza and install a carefully researched plaque to the statue. My thought was that a more in-depth written history of Washington with his flaws would shed some light on our country’s founding father and also serve as a history lesson for us all.
But even with 60 percent of the community asking to leave Washington in the Plaza in a recent survey, the City Council heard a majority of folks calling in to the meeting asking to remove it. The decision to move the statue to the library and add a plaque with a full history of Washington was the action our City Council took. Even though this outcome was not what I was hoping for, it seems a fair compromise. Government for the people and by the people is what Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, Monroe, Hamilton and many others were aiming for while framing our Constitution in the mid-1770s. I bet Washington himself, after hearing what our City Council heard, would agree with the action taken. I had a teacher in my freshman year at Watsonville High School, who had a saying in reference to how our government works: “the people get what the people want.”
Mayor Dutra, to his credit, wrote a thoughtful, inclusive editorial that stated it was time for healing of the ethnic divide that our country and our community has been experiencing.
We have so much to be thankful for by living in the United States. Let’s reach across what divides us and take the time to listen to each other’s viewpoint respectfully. And may God bless our 46th President; may he have the wisdom and ability to heal our divided nation (thank goodness he doesn’t tweet!)
Brandon Kett, Watsonville
In response to Fifield’s letter
Anti-rail advocate Bob Fifield poses the question of being “deceived” regarding the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission Rail-Trail in his recent letter to the Pajaronian.
I feel that it is he who is deceiving your readers with misinformation and erroneous statements about the Rail-Trail which will in all intents and purposes, benefit Santa Cruz County residents.
Not only will passenger rail provide an environmentally sound alternative to traffic congestion on Highway 1, it will also provide a much needed link to future inter-city rail transportation from downtown Watsonville and Watsonville Junction in Pajaro. Not since 1971, when Southern Pacific Railroad’s Del Monte passenger train was discontinued, has Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley had a viable and expedient transit connection to the outside world.
Keep in mind, operating buses on or near the Rail-Trail also poses hazards to pedestrians and is a much less attractive transportation entity than would be a train or electric rail vehicle. In a recent poll conducted by the SCCRTC, people prefer the train over all else.
Gary V. Plomp, Gilroy
The Pajaronian welcomes letters. Letters and columns may be dropped off or mailed to The Pajaronian, 21 Brennan St., Suite 18, Watsonville, CA 95076. Letters and columns may also be sent via email to [email protected]. Letters should be less than 300 words, and columns are no more than 700 words. All letters and columns must be signed and have an address and phone number for confirmation purposes. We reserve the right to edit and condense all submissions.
