Leading Regional Cooperation
Editor: The "Baltimore and Beyond" report was extremely interesting. So were your editorials and news article.
The effort should be hailed. The findings are clearly evident. They show that the entire Baltimore region will suffer as a result of deep-seated institutional problems no matter how insulated the surrounding counties' residents may feel they are from these problems.
I have served on the Baltimore Regional Council of Governments for over four years and have seen successes that entity has produced. For example, that group led the way in obtaining agreement from all member jurisdictions in protecting the bay, the reservoirs and the watersheds through the Reservoir Protection Agreement signed first in 1984 and reaffirmed in 1990.
We also came to an historic agreement last year on the arts. We got a significant increase in resources from the surrounding counties to cultural institutions in the city. The economic development impact of these cultural institutions was recognized by all the jurisdictions.
Some housing partnership agreements also have been reached as a result of the Regional Council's work.
It seems obvious to me that the Regional Council of Governments should be the lead agency to "strike the deal" that the "Baltimore and Beyond" report speaks of. The Regional Council is in that position because it does not represent businesses, it does not represent developers, nor does it represent one single governmental entity. The Regional Council is mandated by federal law. It allows for pass-through of federal and state funds on housing and transportation. Therefore, it must exist and is the ideal convener for regional cooperation.
Give the Regional Council permission to lead and I think it can do a fine job in leading this region forward to compete effectively in the world marketplace into the future. It is clear that Baltimore City does not compete with Philadelphia, for example, nor Richmond, nor Pittsburgh. Baltimore competes as a region. The Baltimore region competes not only with those metropolitan regions but also with Japan and Germany.
There is only one possible way for us to successfully compete globally and that is to cooperate regionally. This is critical for our success.
Melvin G. Mintz.
Towson.
The writer represents the Second District in the Baltimore County Council.
Truth Told
Editor: In response to The Sun's May 7 article by Martin Evans, John B. Ascher, candidate for mayor of Baltimore, writes May 11 accusing The Sun of "obscuring the truth and manipulating politics." He claims "a national strike force was formed to coordinate simultaneous prosecutions of LaRouche and others, including my wife."
He goes on to make it sound as if Lyndon LaRouche and his followers not only have done nothing wrong, but have a worthy record of fulfilled predictions and proposed solutions to our and the world's problems. This is simply not true. My experience with this organization is that it works hard to obscure the truth and manipulate facts. It promotes false promises and corruption. It is dangerous.
I, too, once believed in this movement. Through deception, half truths and high-pressure tactics, I was stripped of more than $740,000. They pretended to care that I had no health insurance, Social Security and Medicare, yet they continued to pressure me until even my "emergency fund" was gone. It would have mattered little to the LaRouche organization had I become a ward of the state.
Supposedly, I turned away from their organization only after I was pressured by what Mr. Ascher called a "strike force." In truth, I had become increasingly suspicious and when my family discovered what I had done, I volunteered to leave Baltimore and move to Pennsylvania. This was before I or my family had met anyone who could help us.
I am just one of thousands of their victims. Although this was not a violent crime, it has left my life and that of my family changed forever. John B. Asher, as president of the Baltimore LaRouche Center, Southeast Literature Sales, which took my life's savings, played a significant role in all this. Is this the man that the citizens of Baltimore want for mayor?
Helen B. Overington.
Waynesboro, Pa.
Appalling Picture
Editor: I was appalled at The Sun's color picture of a 10-year-old, African-American boy in handcuffs. Beside him was a gun which he allegedly used to take a play hat away from another child.
The situation is a sad commentary on the guidance of this young boy. It is even sadder that The Sun would select this picture for publication.
Why emphasize crime rather than the positive achievements of the very young?
Is the publication a lack of judgment or is it racism?
Is it a dislike for children? Or is it a planned strategy to justify a stereotype held by many uniformed citizens, whose negative sentiments are growing in 1991.
Rebecca E. Carroll.
Baltimore.
Kent Narrows
Editor: Barry Rascovar's May 5 article asserted that the maintenance of the old Kent Narrows Bridge will not become a serious new expense for tiny Kent County.
The Kent Narrows Bridge and the Kent Narrows are in Queen Anne's County.
Raymond J. Wright.
Centreville.
Tudor Place
Editor: In the April 14 travel section of The Sunday Sun there was an article on the Georgetown Garden Tour. In that article there was a photograph of Tudor Place and mention that it was the "estate of Mrs. W. Averell Harriman." May I point out that this is not the case. Tudor Place belonged between 1805 and 1983 to the Peter Family and is now the property of Tudor Place Foundation. It has been open to the public since 1988.
Osborne Phinizy Mackie.
Washington.
The writer is director of Tudor Place Foundation Inc.
Praying Aloud
Editor: God save the United States of America.
God Save the Queen.
Somebody save the Orioles.
Frank Michny.
Baltimore.
It Is Not Technology vs. Braille
Editor: Regarding the May 12 article, "How Best to Teach the Blind . . .", it seems to us that the central issue in the "battle over Braille" is not being addressed. Technology is making literacy for a great number of persons with visual impairments more possible, not less! Literacy is better served by providing the full range of possible alternatives, given individual differences.
As the article parenthetically reported, technology clearly has enhanced Braille, making it cheaper and more available, and has opened up more jobs for those who are blind. Imagine the problems involved in waiting weeks or months to read the daily ZTC paper, your college textbooks, or even the New York Times Sunday edition.
Given machine-readable versions (computer disk formats) for all the above media, blind users can now access them immediately, using whatever output mechanism they favor: speech, Braille or large print. Thus, the issue is not one of technology vs. Braille, but of technology vs. no technology.
Fortunately, there is a great deal of good news for blind and visually impaired individuals in this regard, which your article, unfortunately, did not report.
Along with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, another piece of legislation will be opening doors and jobs to persons with disabilities. The express purpose of this law is to provide access to assistive technologies, such as Braille printers, telecommunication devices for persons with deafness (TDDs) and communication aids for persons with vocal impairments.
Working in conjunction with teachers, vocational specialists and consumer groups, this law provides for information and demonstration centers in every state. There is such a center in Maryland, in fact, located within the governor's Office for Handicapped Individuals.
Real progress is being made in providing helpful technologies to people with all types of disabilities. The "battle over Braille" needs to be settled by research and create educational programming.
The bottom line is, of course, the bottom line. The federal dollars to perform such research, design such programs, and implement such methods need to be appropriated and directed to such efforts if persons with blindness are to be assisted, with or without Braille.
Mary E. Brady.
David Poehlman.
Baltimore.