Will PVUSD trustee Medina learn anything?

As a Watsonville native, I’m proud of my hometown, have recorded its woes and victories and studied its history. I am furious when my community is misunderstood, ridiculed or attacked unnecessarily, particularly by outsiders and about ethnicity.

So I find the widespread news stories about the censure of Pajaro Valley Unified School trustee Gabriel Medina worrisome.

I hope that while Mr. Medina has been able to avoid formal reprimand for his conduct as a school district trustee, he will see this as a learning moment for his behavior going forward.

Antisemitism in any form is intolerable. Harassment of district employees is totally inappropriate. Violation of the Brown Act has its consequences.

And no woman, is ever, ever “Barbie,” unless that’s her name. Sexism is a poor role model.

And none of these topics belong in a school classroom unless they are discussed under “things to avoid.”

— Carolyn Swift, Watsonville

Trans athletes: Physical truth matters

A May 2 letter writer (“Op-ed on UK trans ruling was ‘wildly irresponsible’”) laments that the Sentinel accepted a Guest Commentary from a person who did not use the term “trans women” and instead used “men.” But that is the whole point. They are not women. They are men. Honesty about physical truth matters. Denying it has consequences and victims as the commentary describes.

This is just now becoming clear to people and I expect it will become even more clear as time goes on.

— Kristin Hoye, Santa Cruz

Ignorance about renters on government assistance

The St. George Hotel is a perfect misunderstanding of how people are ignorant as to how renters who are on government assistance are affected by rent increases. A low-income tenant pays some or none of a portion of their income. No matter how much rents go up, their amount if any out of pocket does not change.

The renters freak out many times for no reason. And elected officials react ignorantly. Glad to see they came to their senses.

— Chelsea Wagner, Soquel

Save money with multiple permit inspections

The Santa Cruz County Supervisors are looking into improving the permitting process. They left out the inspections required afterwards. The county needs to cut their budget so here is a good idea.

The required inspections are done on a routine basis. Several of my farming friends have shared their frustrations and I believe that this could lead to downsizing the inspection process. One of the farmers has two tanks that require inspection. When the inspector came out to inspect one tank, the farmer asked if he could do both. He was told that could not be done. At the same time the farmer next door had several tanks and they could not be done because they were not due.

This leads to many trips to the same area. I suggest that the system of inspecting by permit date be replaced with a zone one where all inspections are done at the same time in a given zone, reducing driving and manpower. Multiple inspections on one property can be done at the same time.

— Bill Beecher, Aptos

More stolen bikes found in homeless encampments

A comment about more than $30K of stolen e-bikes were found: Amazing how resilient these so-called homeless communities are in learning how to create their own underground community. But with the help of the Santa Cruz mayor, vice mayor and homeless advocates, they’ll soon find themselves in an apartment downtown where they can continue their daily routine and theft to drug dealing.

Does Santa Cruz really want this in their neighborhood? Vote no on the affordable housing initiative or better yet, don’t sign it.

— Jeff Staben, Soquel

Israel’s war in Gaza: ‘A sad state of humanity’

Finally someone spoke up regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza in the May 8 As You See It. It’s rarely the people in either country that are responsible for this inhuman behavior, but the greedy governments who wield the power of death and destruction, including the U.S. It’s a sad state of humanity that happens over and over.

— Donna Hall, Soquel