DIM BULB … Literally
The number of people getting their power shut off by Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. shot up 75 percent in one year. Rising energy prices, down economy … yeah, we get it. But the energy company is willing to work with customers who can’t pay their bills — and there’s always the novel option of wearing more clothes instead of turning up the heat.
OUTRAGE: Highway to bankruptcy
WHO: Maryland legislators
WHAT: Our legislators are once again guilty of not thinking through their solutions to the state’s funding difficulties. The Department of Transportation is facing an estimated $2.5 billion shortfall for highway and transit projects over the next six years. These projects are mainly funded by the titling tax (vehicle sales tax) and the gasoline tax.
WHY IT’S A BAD IDEA: If we want a Red Line, transportation must become a priority. People are buying fewer vehicles, and those they buy are smaller and more fuel-efficient – something not likely to change when the economy recovers. Legislators must address long-term fixes for massive state expenditures on public pensions and health care benefits if we want to pay for core services including transportation.
WHERE TO VENT: Call your representatives and tell them we need change.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“This case goes beyond one person. We expect it to widen and involve more people.”
– Baltimore City Police Spokesman Troy Harris discussing an arrest made in the case of a vehicle missing from Baltimore City’s Pulaski Highway impound lot
