Letters to the Editor: Reader defends SLO’s management of Laguna Lake
Kudos for Laguna Lake management
In contrast to Pat Kelly’s complaint (Letters, Jan. 15) about how San Luis Obispo has managed Laguna Lake, I think the city workers and management deserve our thanks.
I have lived on the border of Laguna Lake for over 30 years and was here for the last flooding rain on March 10, 1995. When water runs into the lake faster than it can escape under Madonna Road, the lake level rises, and on Jan. 9, 2023, it rose as high as I have ever seen it.
What was different this time is that it also drained the fastest I have ever seen it, all because the city crews have been diligent about making sure the downstream creek is clear of vegetation and debris.
As for dredging, the city began a 10-year dredging program in the summer of 2020, with dredging scheduled to occur every second year. Would it happen faster if there were more tax revenue? Of course, but I am sure that the city found a balance among all of the complex needs of the citizens, and this is the plan they came up with. If residents want things to happen faster, bring your checkbook to the next City Council meeting and make a donation. We don’t live in Utopia, and there are real problems that the City Council and city staff members are acting to address. We owe them our thanks.
Jan William Simek, San Luis Obispo
California debit cards
Excellent and informative column on the Middle Class Tax Refund card, which was so poorly addressed in its own mailed materials from Money Network Financial, LLC (Fiserv Inc.).
One wonders why a cover letter from the California Franchise Tax Board wasn’t included so it would be obvious this was not a scam. In fact, so many people questioned the legitimacy of the notice they received that “Money Network Scam” was recently the second or third most queried item on Bing.
It might be worth noting that using the card at one’s own bank or credit union ATM or making an over-the-counter withdrawal will likely result in $1.25 surcharge for each transaction. If you walk into your bank and transfer funds from the card directly into a non-New York Community Bancorp account, you will incur a $7 surcharge plus a 3.5% charge of the amount transferred — about $14 total for a $200 card.
It is best if taxpayers go online at www.mctrpayment.com to find the “in-network” ATMs if they wish to make a cash withdrawal and avoid any surcharges. These ATMs are generally located in Walgreens, CVS or Rite Aid pharmacies — and some pubs in SLO — or directly use the card for purchases like a VISA card where such cards are honored, to avoid any surcharges.
Don Callahan, Rocklin
Check out the Forward Party
America’s two-party system is broken. Instead of working together to govern our country, the political factions in Congress grow increasingly divisive and dysfunctional. Not even two weeks after the days-long gridlock over the election of the Speaker of the House, the United States has hit its debt ceiling, and we the people anxiously watch as the two sides enter yet another dangerous game of economic brinkmanship.
I joined the Forward Party to help break this cycle of partisan division. Rather than focusing on ideological issues, Forward supports electoral reforms that will allow more than just two parties to succeed: ranked-choice voting, open primaries and non-partisan redistricting committees.
Forward is an alternative to today’s rhetoric and extreme partisanship, a community for citizens who believe that grace and tolerance are cornerstones of a functioning democracy. Our country’s problems are more nuanced than either side would have us believe, so we must create a culture that welcomes a diversity of ideas.
I encourage all who are fed up with the current state of American politics to consider the Forward Party. We’re active right here in SLO County. To join, go to ForwardParty.com/California and RSVP for an upcoming event.
Not left. Not right. Forward!
Heather Ross, Templeton