Transportation is still not priority in Maryland Re: “Md. lawmakers eye new taxes on snacks, online sales, medicine,” July 12
My state senator, Robert Garagiola, who supports increasing the state gasoline tax, was quoted in your article saying that he “has no appetite for new taxes, unless revenues are funneled into the state’s depleted fund for transportation projects.”
Yet Garagiola has not supported putting the new alcohol tax and slots money into transportation. He also voted to increase the state income, sales and corporate taxes without requiring that those funds be put into transportation. And where was Garagiola when the governor took well over $100 million from the Transportation Trust Fund this year?
The way to slow down Maryland’s already unfriendly-to-business economy even more is to impose a commuter gasoline tax increase on those going to work and a big add-on tax on every item delivered by truck. Instead, Sen. Garagiola should advocate that transportation be a higher priority for spending existing funds.
Robin Ficker
Boyds, Md.
Fairfax police officers should be accountable to public
Re: “Fairfax shields cops when public complains,” July 11
As a candidate for chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, I own responsibility and embrace accountability. When a private citizen presents a grievance against a Fairfax County police officer, the police department investigates following procedures established by the General Assembly and the Board of Supervisors.
I urge aggrieved families and alleged victims to hold the police department and politicians accountable. But little is gained by releasing the identity of a specific officer.
Based on discussions at the board’s most recent Public Safety Committee, our police auditor will conduct a six-month internal review. Police Chief David Rohrer welcomes the auditor’s review of the process and any specific complaints. The auditor will, if necessary, recommend policy changes and help create an appeals process to ensure residents are being heard and improvements are enacted.
Will Radle
Franconia
Political bickering fuels economic uncertainty
The federal debt ceiling standoff is more proof that politicians care, but not necessarily about the issues. Political posturing appears to be the most important thing to them, not lawmaking.
Successful government measures should at least eliminate market uncertainty, especially in such a time of extensive economic turmoil, yet more Americans file jobless claims each month as the private sector has no idea what Washington policymakers will actually do. As the fiscal debate raged, July’s jobless claims were “better than expected,” but still more than the entire population of Wichita, Kan.
Politicians would do well to remember that when they create such ambiguity through grandstanding and electioneering, their political bickering only increases barriers to entry for the entrepreneurs who actually do create the jobs.
Donald “Trey” Malone
Valley Center, Kan.
