Our own Nero has fiddled as schools burn

Enough is enough! Carol Parham! John Gary! Anne Arundel County school board!

Let's focus on the real victims, the children of Anne Arundel County public schools. The culprits? The Anne Arundel County Council, led by a Nero who played fiddle while Rome burned and while our children suffered -- Bert Rice.

This is not sour grapes because my position is being abolished because of budget cuts. This is because I have learned to respect and appreciate the job the teachers do for our children and what they go through. Yet they can't receive a raise for their work and efforts while jails are being built and roads are made through our crowded county.

The only people who really respect teachers are our burning-heart liberals and our Afro-Americans. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired while the Anne Arundel council plays with the lives of our children.

Also, as a part of being on the council, members should be made to serve in public schools in some capacity during their term in office. And I will go one step further: They should be made to live in an African-American community during six months of their term.

I am not scared, and I am not afraid. Let the pieces fall where they may. The teachers and citizens had better join together to save our children. Carol Parham cannot do it alone. The school board cannot do it alone. But together, we can.

Joseph Zastro Simms

Annapolis

School board isn't clueless about poverty

Your July 13 editorial "'Good news' about poverty?" portrayed our school board as "seemingly clueless" about increasing numbers of children living in poverty and suggested we viewed them as just "another revenue source" in our "narrow-minded focus on money." Neither could be further from the truth -- and your readers have a right to understand the facts.

We responded positively when told we could extend Title I services to four more schools. Then we directed staff to develop a contingency plan to buffer loss of these services when federal and state funding again decreases. You see, funding for these programs has been erratic. Title I and State Compensatory Education funds dropped precipitously in fiscal years 1995 and 1996, causing loss of services to seven schools -- while the number of children in poverty rose steadily.

Restoration of this funding for fiscal year 1999 elevates us to about the same level of services we provided in fiscal year 1994, when we had some 1,000 fewer students in poverty.

This is hardly cause to celebrate. When local funding leaves our operating budget $46 million short of stated requirements, restoration of these federal and state funds means we can at least address unique challenges in schools having concentrations of disadvantaged students. Hence my comment: "This is one of the few good news stories we have in these budget times."

Vaughn Brown

Hanover

The writer is a member of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education.

Southern legislators aim to revamp society

While attending a Southern university, I was constantly reminded by my friends that the War Between the States was just the initial skirmish and that the South would prevail.

When I look at the Washington political scene today, I must confess my friends could be right. By deft use of seniority, the South rules our legislative process.

The country must contend with the likes of Newt Gingrich (Georgia), Trent Lott (Mississippi), Dick Armey (Texas), and Jesse Helms (North Carolina). Revenge, even if delayed, is sweet.

What these illustrious leaders have provided is killing affordable health care, derailing campaign finance reform, dismantling environmental protections, and defending "King Tobacco" from meaningful penalties.

Their methods include feigning support while tacking on killer amendments and screaming "tax increase" to an unwitting public. To the uninformed public, support can be publicized while leaders and lobbyists laugh in the back rooms at our collective gullibility and continue to pour in money.

Voters should be careful not to become blind to the economic philosophies of these Republicans -- realize that their agenda is not economic, but one of social re-engineering where tolerance for others will be legislated away.

Alan McAllister

Severna Park

Consumer choice and credit unions

When banks merge into bigger and bigger conglomerates, it underscores the importance of choice in the financial marketplace between banks and credit unions, their nonprofit counterpart.

Recently, American consumers won a stunning victory when 411 Republicans and Democrats in the U. S. House of Representatives voted to clarify a Depression-era law and stand up in favor of consumer choice.

In so doing, the House action would make it clear who should be allowed to join a federal credit union and therefore have access to lower fees, lower interest rates on loans and the community service credit unions perform. But the battle isn't over yet.

The Credit Union Membership Access Act must now be passed by the Senate. Banks, which have challenged the credit unions in the courts over the so-called "field of membership" issue for 16 years, are fighting harder than ever to block Senate action.

Today, credit unions provide the only meaningful competition for banks in many communities. Because they are member-owned and don't have to pay profits to shareholders and salaries to boards of directors, credit unions are able to offer financial services at more affordable prices.

In this era of huge banks, credit unions may become the primary source of affordable small loans for those consumers whose business is judged to be "unprofitable" for the bank conglomerates.

With the credit union philosophy of "people helping people," we will win the battle. A choice between two banks is no choice.

Rick Stoll

Millersville

The writer is chief executive officer of the Anne Arundel County Employees Federal Credit Union.

Janet Owens would serve all countians

During the midsummer months, many of us are not giving much thought to the forthcoming primary election, only two months away.

However, I am sure everyone recognizes that the individual who holds the position of county executive probably has more impact on the quality of life in Anne Arundel, and on the lives of our families, than any other public official.

I trust that every voter will take the time to carefully evaluate the qualifications of Janet Owens, who has announced her intention to run for county executive.

Many of us who have followed Ms. Owens' career will do out best to promote her candidacy among our friends and our respective communities.

As I look back over my own public career, I find most of the success or failures no longer seem so important, but I still constantly received expressions of appreciation from those who know how deeply I cared for all of our citizens. To the best of my knowledge, I never turned anyone away who sought my help or guidance.

In my mind, Ms. Owens' deep sense of caring and compassion for all people transcends even her other outstanding qualifications for high public office.

I hope the citizens of Anne Arundel County will get to know her as I do during the course of this campaign.

Roger W. "Pip" Moyer

Annapolis

A5 The writer was mayor of Annapolis from 1965-1974.

Time to march for education again

For the past eight years in this county, we have endured Republican administrations that have hurt public education through inadequate funding.

And for the past eight years, the parents and teachers, have worked side-by-side to safeguard public education through battles, large and small, and gathering, yearly, during the budget process to ensure that public education was adequately funded.

Some years, the battles were quite formidable. During the Robert Neall years the parents and teachers rallied at the Arundel Center and the State House in Annapolis to protest education cuts. Ten thousand people demonstrated in October 1991 and 20,000 in January 1992. While funds were cut, the parents and teachers were able to keep them to a minimum.

By state law, county governments must fund schools at the level of the previous year's funding, plus additional funds for increased student enrollment. In 1997, John Gary and other JTC county executives attempted to get rid of this law. And the parents and teachers mounted a grass-roots effort once more to successfully fight for public education funding.

In May, during the recent County Council hearings on the school year budget, again parents and teachers testified on the importance of public education in an attempt to persuade the Republican-dominated County Council and the Republican county executive to adequately fund education. Our testimony fell on deaf ears and the adopted county school budget falls millions of dollars short of actual needs. This shortfall is forcing the elimination or reduction of teaching and staffing positions, educational programs, buses, athletic and after school activities, textbooks and maintenance of buildings, which are already in a sorry state of disrepair.

Since portions of the county school budget are funded through the state and federal government, certain requirements must be met. If the adopted county school budget fails to maintain the level of funding with that of last year, Anne Arundel County will lose the state funds. If this adopted county school budget fails to fund special education at the federally mandated level, the county will lose the federal funds. Forfeiture of state and federal funds will cost Anne Arundel County taxpayers money. Perhaps it's time for the parents and teachers to rally in Annapolis.

Carolyn M. Roeding

Pasadena

Pub Date: 7/19/98