Kim De Serpa best represents 2nd District

Voters in unincorporated areas of the county are under-represented on many boards and commissions of the county. Why? City residents end up with two representatives on many county boards/commissions in contrast to unincorporated voters, because both the city councils and Board of Supervisors appoint voting members, which dilutes the influence of unincorporated residents. Thus, when a candidate such as Kristen Brown of the city of Capitola is endorsed by the major political power brokers of the city of Santa Cruz, she represents their views.

In contrast, Kim De Serpa, a resident of the unincorporated area of the 2nd District, will vote for the interests of residents of the mostly unincorporated 2nd District.

Who has endorsed Brown? City of Santa Cruz politicians. Who has endorsed Kim De Serpa? Largely residents of the 2nd District, including the district’s former supervisor, Ellen Pirie. Kim De Serpa will best represent the 2nd District and not simply be a rubber stamp for the city of Santa Cruz.

— Ashley Winn, La Selva Beach

Primack column: Progress to what destination?

Mark Primack (Sept. 1) made the mistake of assuming progress is defined by economics only (“We live in the path of progress”), saying progress happens whether we like it or not.

Progress doesn’t just happen.

Progress is “forward movement toward a destination.” Let us first choose our destination.

Wanting a destination less artificial and less harmful to us and other beings with whom we share this coastal bioregion, usually gets us a backward label. Yet, when one comes to an abyss, is it wise to keep going forward?

Is it smart to continue forward into an abyss of jam-packed, congested, noisy, urban heat island, with plastic lawn, concrete and gravel as landscape, trees confined to concrete sidewalks, without the sound of birds and the seasonal sweet smell of living soil?

If going backward sounds regressive (“returning to a previous and less advanced or worse state”) then simply turn around … and walk forward to a different destination. If children want a destination other than what is currently being developed, will they thank the developers or the protectors?

— Jean Brocklebank, Santa Cruz

It’s not ‘progress’ in county but profit

I read Mr. Primack’s opinion on progress, the Wrigley buildings, the Ow family and the high dollar developer from San Francisco. I was taken aback by the fact Mr. Primack never once mentioned profit but went through a tale of how we need to perceive the loss of an eclectic coastal town that was never meant to be over developed.

As we take on the identical path of build tall and dense that has transformed Southern California into a concrete jungle, I have to ask why here? It isn’t progress it is profit! This county has no industry per se, we have agriculture, tourism and government as our primary income source but that ocean view is what that progress/profit is about. Those old mom and pop stores, he mentions, are not in the path of progress they are in the path of profiteers and other carpetbaggers who have destroyed our small community.

I didn’t just drop in here, my family has been here for generations, and I have seen his idea of progress turn our highway into a parking lot and our city into a cesspool!

— Arnold L. Versaw Jr., Aptos

‘Stable genius’ Trump admits to election crime

It is rich that Donald Trump is claiming that Jack Smith is conducting election interference in his filing of the revised indictment against Trump for … election interference.

With or without the broad immunity granted presidents by the Supreme Court (immunity if the actions were done as part of their responsibilities as president), it is quite obvious to all that he tried to overthrow the results of the 2020 election. And I don’t see how calling Georgia election officials to find him enough votes so he can win, or telling Mike Pence to reject votes during his ceremonially presiding over the counting of electoral college votes, can be considered something within Trump’s realm of responsibilities as president of the United States.

And this past weekend, Trump inadvertently admitted to his actions when he said as president he had every right to interfere with the presidential election.

Stable genius, indeed.

— Phil Hormel, Scotts Valley