Multi-Millions Gone on a Whim?
A Sept. 12 article entitled "Development Waivers Become Heated Issue" failed to include all of the information one would need to formulate an opinion on this controversial issue.
A major misconception is that the state school capacity used in Anne Arundel County's adequate facilities law is somehow "chiseled in stone." Actually, the law gives the Anne Arundel County Board of Education the authority to exceed the rated capacity. Further, the law gives the director of planning and code enforcement the ultimate authority to, after evaluating all factors, make the decision as to whether a subdivision meets the intent of the law.
In criticizing the county administration, board staffers cited the approval of a 52-lot subdivision known as Eagles Passages, as being the cause of overcrowding at Davidsonville Elementary. This project, which will generate 23 elementary students, was granted a waiver in May 1993. At that time, the state-rated capacity of Davidsonville Elementary was 450 and was housing 434 students. The board's own statistics indicated enrollment in this school had peaked and would continue to decline until about the year 2000.
So how did they come up with Davidsonville Elementary being 140 percent of capacity? Very simply, the Maryland Board of Education changed the rules.
In 1991, Davidsonville Elementary had a rated capacity of 510 students. By September 1993, the rating had declined to 450, and in October 1993 was further reduced to 354 students -- a decline of 156 seats since 1991 and 96 seats from a month earlier.
The change in rating school capacity resulted in the loss of approximately 7,000 elementary seats in Anne Arundel County. The cost of construction for a single elementary seat is approximately $15,000 so this means this change will cost the taxpayers of Anne Arundel County approximately $105,000,000 to replace these seats.
An inquiry to state Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nancy Grasmick disclosed that no empirical studies were conducted at either the state or county levels before revising the capacity formula. Instead, they relied on a.) a survey reported in Educator Week (1989), b.) an article in The Sun (March 1988) and c.) the Digest of Educational Statistics (1989). I don't know about anyone else, but I believe more study should have been undertaken before implementing a decision which is costing the taxpayers $105 million.
Robert J. Dvorak
Annapolis
The writer is acting director of Planning and Code Enforcement for Anne Arundel County.
Sheriff's Shortfalls
I wish to try and answer the question raised by the undersheriff in his letter of Sept. 25 in which he asks why are we always belittling the work of the Anne Arundel County sheriff's office. . . .
The sheriff has been fighting with the county executive and the County Council for four years leading everyone to believe he was beholden to no one. He has repeatedly lived beyond his budget while in office. In fiscal year 1991, he had a $71,000 deficit. In fiscal year 1992, he had a $16,600 deficit even after the council gave him an extra $129,820 to balance the books. In fiscal year 1994, there was a $33,500 budget deficit again after the council poured in an extra $83,000. Considering that that office only has 39 authorized positions, isn't that excessive?
John Miara
Pasadena
Five Against One
In her Sept. 25 column regarding the District 31 House of Delegates race, Elise Armacost wrote that I have "no volunteers." This is not true, as I have a number of hard-working volunteers who help with a wide variety of campaign tasks, including phone-calling and yard sign location identification.
The District 31 contest is not "Four Against One," as the column headline suggested. It is five against one, the fifth opponent being the bias and intellectual dishonesty of the Baltimore Sun. This opponent is more pernicious than the other four.
ohn R. Leopold
Pasadena
The writer is a candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 31.
Rose for Senate
I am a veteran of the Vietnam War, the recipient of the Silver Star, a combat disabled veteran who lost both legs in service to our country. I live in District 30 and wish to express my views regarding the upcoming election of our state senator.
Although a life-long Democrat, I am endorsing Republican Mary Rose for Senate. Mary Rose has a long and impressive record of protecting veterans programs and services since her days in the Reagan administration. I know. I was there representing disabled veterans.
In addition to her pro-veteran, pro-military credentials, Mary Rose's economic platform of fiscal reform is just what this state needs to lift it out of the doldrums we have been experiencing. . . .
As a veteran who believes that the various benefits provided to Maryland veterans must be preserved, Mary Rose, in my opinion, is our best hope. As our legislators look to raising taxes and cutting benefits and services, veterans benefits and programs designed to assist the handicapped community in general are most vulnerable. Mary Rose has a proven record in this regard. While keeping an eye toward preserving what is good about government, during the last four years as she served Anne Arundel in the capacity of Clerk of Court, she saved taxpayers some $1.3 million by cutting wasteful spending and reorganizing the office. . . . She represents a much-needed change in the way our state conducts its business.
!Charles E. Joeckel Jr.
Annapolis
Park Debacle
Concerning your Sept. 29 editorial on Quiet Waters Park: Interesting thoughts, but they just touch the surface.
It would appear that some investigative reporting is in order and that persons responsible need to answer some hard questions.
I would start with: Why has almost 10 months gone by since the problem with the pipes was discovered and no apparent action (repair, lawsuit, etc.) been taken or even formulated? If they decide on suing is the ice rink going to remain closed until the case is closed? It could take years. What was the original cost of the roofs? How does this compare with repair costs? What was the quality control during construction? Who (by name) in the county was responsible? Why didn't the contract have a warrent clause? Who was minding the store and is the taxpayer being asked to trust the same county employees who handled this the first time to oversee repairs?
If someone responsible for installing new presses for the Baltimore Sun made a mess of the job and contracts, would you have them in charge of repairs? I doubt it.
Let's get some answers. It is apparent that the contractors did a shoddy job but we taxpayers employ people in the county to make sure this won't happen. . . .
These are many more tough questions that need to be asked . . . Let's hold some people's feet to the fire on this one. The people who pay the salaries deserve it.
Thomas B. Guthrie
Annapolis
Pepersack's Exposure
I was distressed by your cartoonist's rendition of Sheriff Pepersack's primary struggle (The Sun for Anne Arundel County, Sept. 18). I can understand that he wished to illustrate the expression "by the seat of his pants" to characterize a narrow victory. Still, by depicting him with bare buttocks facing the reader he is conveying two impressions which I believe are inaccurate.
By making him turn his back on the readers, he implies that he is escaping from them. That is certainly not true, as he is gearing up for the general election, quite willing to stand on his record for it. I am certain that he also knows that "mooning" the audience is a traditional crude way of expressing contempt.
Sheriff Pepersack feels no such contempt for the public. His goal has always been to have the best possible service of the public by his office. . . .
For all the controversy surrounding him, he was never accused of partisanship, . . . nor has he been mentioned in the many rumors of corruption, minor or major, that are spread about officeholders. . . .
I hope that your cartoonist takes note of this, and should he desire to show an elected official "mooning" the public, he might choose someone whose behavior deserves it.
driana I. Pena
Annapolis