Morro Bay Council decision on Pride flag ‘erases progress’ | Opinion

Morro Bay Pride

When I joined the chorus of those speaking out against the Morro Bay City Council’s resolution to rewrite the city’s flagpole policy — effectively banning the flying of commemorative flags, most notably the LGBTQIA+ Pride flag — I was hopeful that our impassioned words would spark something in their hearts or minds.

What I saw instead were blank expressions from five council members who already had their minds made up. They weren’t open to new ideas or perspectives; they were just focused on finishing public comment.

The council’s unanimous decision to pass the resolution erases progress. It tells us the council isn’t as open as it claims to be. It tells us the values we try to instill in our children — inclusivity, empathy, acceptance —don’t matter to city leaders. And it tells visitors, “We want your money, but you aren’t really welcome here.”

The council thinks the revised policy is “neutral” and that the city’s flagpole shouldn’t be used to “divide” people. To those who spoke about how the flag makes them feel safer as a queer person in a small town, it is anything but neutral.

Adopting this resolution says a lot about the council, but I can assure you their actions do not represent the values of most of our community. I implore every business in Morro Bay to display a Pride flag next month to show the LGBTQIA+ community just how much they’re loved and supported.

Piper Fedrow

Morro Bay

Legal advice for Meathead Movers

Meathead Movers is taking the wrong path in trying to defend itself from a lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Recent presidential pardons suggest that sponsoring a table at a Mar-a- Lago fundraiser or donating to one of President Trumps PAC’s will do the trick, probably for a lot less than the fine.

Since nobody’s actually in jail or convicted, it may take as little as a $100,000 bribe, uh, donation to do the trick, rather than the $500,000 to $1 million most federal felons have to pay. Or they could go through an intermediary — a lobbyist, for example.

With clear immunity granted by the Supreme Court, Mr Trump can basically pardon anyone as long as he sits in the Oval Office and gets what he wants from you.

Michael Morin

Los Osos

‘Dismayed’ by roundabout decision

I was dismayed to learn that the Morro Bay City Council had voted to cease the environmental study, which I understand is about 96% complete, for a proposed roundabout to our busy intersection at the Highway 41/ Main Street /Highway 1 intersection.

I recently returned from a visit to New Zealand where roundabouts were utilized extensively to keep the traffic moving at many, many busy intersections. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to see how effective and efficient the traffic flowed through them, as well as many examples here in California as well.

I ask our MB City Council members to reconsider their vote before the Tuesday meeting and change their vote and instruct staff to complete the report so the public may have their input.

Carrie Filler

Morro Bay

Morro Bay Council should reconsider

As a former member of the Morro Bay City Council, I urge our current council to follow established process in considering the roundabout project at Highway 41, Main Street and Highway 1. The April 22 vote by the council majority of Jeff Eckles, Zara Landrum and Carla Wixom to forgo proper governmental process and abruptly stop the project’s development with 96% of the environmental study already complete plus $12 million in one-time funding secured is an end run around the citizens.

From personal experience, I know council members may not like what they hear from the public. But, as leaders, they are obligated, at the very least, to complete each step in a project’s process to ensure all voices are represented. I respectfully ask for a council majority to vote ASAP to complete the 4% of work remaining on the environmental study then move on to the design phase, which guarantees opportunities for robust community engagement to ensure a safety-first approach to the expert-recommended roundabout.

Christine Johnson

Morro Bay

More support for roundabout

Thank you to The Tribune for the straightforward and factual account of the Morro Bay roundabout proposal. The publicity it generated revealed a glaring disconnect between members of the council majority (3-2) who hold on to the idea that a conventional intersection is safer than a roundabout and the research of trained professional civil engineers. The council may be persuaded to allow a closer look at this particular locale by approving completion of the environmental study. I hope they do.

Carol Swain

Morro Bay

Leave Armstrong alone

Regarding May 5 letters to the editor: These people crying about Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong not signing a protest letter need to be addressed. Trump is not taking away their freedom of speech. In the same way we would not give money to a homeless person if we knew they were going to spend it on alcohol and cigarettes, we should not give money to universities if they are going to spend it on programs that violate our core principles. The universities are free to say and do whatever they want, just not with taxpayer money.

Jody Langford

Templeton

Praise for Gaza protesters

Here’s to the university students who are standing up to protest the genocide in Gaza and the USA’s role in creating it. These students have the courage and moral stature we should all be exhibiting. We are complicit in America’s moral degredation, looking the other way as thousands of Gazans have been killed and are still being killed with our bombs, and as the Gazan people are starved and driven from one hopeless camp to the next.

We have allowed hospitals and schools to be blown to bits, while the pathetic survivors are desperate in their efforts to find shelter, water, fuel, and even places to bury their their dead. Our media can downplay all of this, but the world knows what evil we have unleashed, and American history will add this chapter to what we have done to make “America the Beautiful” a tragic farce.

Bert Bender

Atascadero

This story was originally published May 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM.