MTA needs a better game plan for the light rail trip to 0) Ravens stadium
While packed into a light rail car, suffering a two-hour trip to and from the Ravens game, I noted a billboard in the car that read "The Ravens have a new home. The MTA has a game plan get you there."
Well, let's hope the Ravens game plans work better than the MTA's plan. The trip to and from the stadium was horrible, and I cannot believe that the MTA did not have contingency plans to handle large volumes of people, especially after the media attention urging fans to use public transportation.
Last year, the MTA ran an express bus service from Timonium to Memorial Stadium. While it was more expensive than light rail, it ran like clockwork and provided a good service. The MTA should consider adding express bus service to Ravens games from either Timonium or Hunt Valley to run along with light rail.
This will provide a good alternative to get people to the game and will take some of the congestion off the light rail system.
Even priced at twice the price of light rail, as it was last year, the express bus service was a bargain.
Glen Steinbach
Timonium
It was a real pleasure to participate in the first preseason game at the new stadium.
Getting there and getting home was a different story.
There was no park-and-ride option from parking areas along Interstate 83, so my son and I traveled to the new stadium using the light rail from Hunt Valley. The trip to and from the stadium was disastrous.
We arrived at 5: 20, only to find mass confusion. One electric ticket machine would not work but was not labeled out of order. With one working machine and one ticket seller, the situation quickly became unpleasant.
People willing to buy tickets gave up in disgust and boarded the light rail without tickets, angering those still in line when the next available train arrived.
We had not purchased the promoted season pass because we did not have season passes for the games.
At least we were not one of the poor souls at the stops in Timonium and farther south who had to watch packed trains repeatedly pass them by.
We finally arrived at the stadium at 7: 30.
With the knowledge that the return trip would be equally bad, we departed the game at 10 o'clock, with 10 minutes left in the final period. To our dismay, thousands of other light rail users were already standing in line for the northbound train.
We finally arrived in Hunt Valley at 12: 30 a.m., exhausted from standing since 10 p.m. Did we enjoy the game?
You bet we did! The game lasted 2 1/2 hours, but the trip to and from the stadium lasted five hours.
William E. Kircher
White Hall
The light rail service to and from the new Ravens Stadium was a farce. Fifty minutes waiting time for a southbound train, while six trains passed Ravens station going north. A very large blotch on an otherwise great debut for the Ravens.
Don Pettyjohn
Severn
Regarding the problems encountered by the MTA at Saturday's football game with its light rail service: Why do they insist on continually misleading the public. The system is a disgrace, built only for a political show with no interest in how it services the community.
Many have been saying for years that the extensions to BWI and Penn Station should not have been built until the entire line was doubled track.
With only one track at major points, even with 150 cars, a 17-minute wait for a train is as good as it gets.
The city and the MTA need to get together to speed things up.
Also, has anyone tried to figure out what light rail train to catch when they run 17 and 34 minutes apart?
You want to run a good service, you need double track and the ability to run trains at least every five minutes for events and
maybe 10, 15 or even 20 minutes at light times.
Adding buses is not the answer. That's what Los Angeles did 50 years ago.
Steve Erlitz
Elkridge
Tax assessment is lower, but bill is higher
When I received notice of the assessed value of my home in March, I and many of my neighbors appealed our assessments and were subsequently granted a reduction. The values placed on our homes were grossly out of line, and these reductions were certainly warranted.
A few weeks ago, we all received our tax bills. The total amount of the bill is several percentage points higher than last year's tax bill even though the amended, reduced assessment is noted on the statement. Many telephone calls to the powers-that-be seem to indicate that the city has an optional item in the calculation of taxes which permits them to charge up to 4 percent of the tax.
This was the best I could understand from the double talk given to me by our city officials. I am not a CPA, although for this, one would probably need to be a CPA and a Ph.D. In other words, the government has given me a present from their right-hand pocket while taking it from my left-hand pocket.
Sonia Looban Greenspon
Baltimore
People desecrate flag for cars, candidates
Hurrah for Thomas Hartman's letter on flag burning ("If desecration law passes, U.S. veteran will burn flag," Aug. 2). I am retired from the U.S. Air Force with 22 years of active duty that began in World War II.
I take pride in the proper display of my flag. If someone wishes to discuss the desecration of the flag, I would point to the common practice of putting American flags on the antennas of all the cars in used car lots, some cars not even American made.
I resent the use of the American flag to sell any product, be it used cars or political careers. Both are equally unworthy uses of the flag.
I have been collecting 4-by-6 inch flags at Fourth of July celebrations for several years. If the amendment is passed I will be right beside Mr. Hartman burning my flags.
David Ingalls
Severna Park
The letter from Albert Bailer, the veteran who wants to attack anyone who burns the U.S. flag, illustrates a problem all too common among Americans ("Don't burn American flag anywhere near this veteran," Aug. 10). Although Mr. Bailer obviously went to war, unfortunately, he still doesn't have a clue what he was fighting for.
William Smith
Baltimore
Police aren't tough on traffic violations
The death of Diane Bredar, struck by a vehicle running a red light, is another example of the deliberate disregard of stop signs, yield signs and traffic lights by many motorists ("Woman killed, 3 injured in Towson crash," Aug. 5). It is another example of Baltimore County police officers reacting to fatal accidents rather than being proactive to prevent them.
It is unfortunate that county police don't get more involved in stricter traffic law enforcement.
Oscar Schapiro
Pikesville
Louis Goldstein was genius who appealed to young, old
You might not expect to look in the Letters to the Editor column to find reflections of political genius, but the dozens of letters appearing in newspapers over the past few weeks attest to the real genius of Louis L. Goldstein, Maryland's longest-serving public official, who died July 3.
The political pundits are right when they point to an unparalleled career during which Mr. Goldstein actually popularized the office of tax collector. They correctly point to a canny chief financial officer who maintained Maryland's Triple-A bond rating despite the crises, an increase in the state's debt load caused by a public school construction program and myriad other fiscal and political incidents.
The news accounts also accurately portray a man who, though (( born before World War I, understood and appreciated the importance of technology and who kept his office an internationally recognized leader in efficiency and technological advancement.
But the treasure trove of letters clearly shows that the people of Maryland knew Mr. Goldstein best. Oh, they knew he would take care of their tax dollars, send their refunds quickly and find a surplus each year to keep the state's books in the black. But they really didn't care whether he shook hands with a mannequin or walked across the state line while he was campaigning. They knew the genius of Louis Goldstein was that he truly cared about them.
Mr. Goldstein shared pride in community and family. He would come to a wedding or a child's baptism if he was invited.
Veterans knew of his deep and abiding interest in them, for he was one of them and proud of it. He regularly spoke to veterans groups and maintained correspondence with many of his fellow World War II Marines.
Those who shared his rural roots knew Louis Goldstein as a regular at the state and county fairs. They valued his stewardship of the land, public and private, and his personal involvement and financial support for volunteer fire organizations and other community-based initiatives.
Though he eschewed the title "senior citizen," Maryland's seniors looked to him as a model for an active life. He encouraged them in hundreds of appearances, recognizing their contributions as volunteers and their golden wedding anniversaries and serving as an enthusiastic ambassador for Maryland's Senior Olympics.
But those on whom Louis Goldstein probably made the greatest impression are the youth who remember the countless 4-H lambs he bought or who benefited from the scholarships he funded. They would write letters of appreciation, receive a warm reply and often begin a longtime correspondence in which they would share grades and other milestones of their lives.
The people supported him by giving him a cumulative vote total far greater than any other public official in the history of the state. And they mourned him and celebrated his remarkable life, in the long, respectful line that filed by his flag-draped casket as it lay in the capital of the state he loved and served so well.
Marvin A. Bond
Annapolis
The writer is a deputy state comptroller who served under Mr. Goldstein for 27 years.
Most consumers would agree that recent congressional concern over health maintenance organization abuses is long overdue.
Understandably, media and congressional attention has focused on the long and unfortunate parade of consumers who allegedly have fallen victim to HMO corporate callousness. HR 4250, the House of Representatives version of HMO reform that passed recently, offers some solutions to these problems ("Clinton vows to veto GOP health care bill," Aug. 11).
Unfortunately, the bill also includes some little-noticed provisions that will undermine important state laws on an entirely different subject. The state laws at risk are consumer protections our legislature enacted in 1993 to protect the hundreds of thousands of employees of Maryland small businesses.
As a consequence for Maryland consumers, there is at least as much to lose as there is to gain if the bill is enacted. The bill highlights the pitfalls facing states when the federal government departs from the traditional deference given to the state regulation of insurance.
In 1993, Maryland's General Assembly passed comprehensive reform to address what had become a dysfunctional health insurance market for small businesses. "Cherry-picking" of the healthiest businesses by insurance companies was rampant. These businesses were lured with artificially low rates while businesses perceived as being risky were denied coverage. Others with the misfortune of having even a single sick employee were charged exorbitant rates.
Our General Assembly, like many state legislatures, passed consumer protection laws to ensure that health insurance policies were issued fairly and that the price-gouging of the less-healthy groups was discontinued. A complete benefit package was mandated, subject to a price cap. More than 400,000 Maryland residents now have coverage in the so-called small group insurance market.
These protections may disappear under HR 4250. The bill would allow for the creation of "HealthMarts" and "associated health plans" (AHPs), entities that would offer or provide insurance to small businesses outside our state laws mandating fair benefit packages.
This means that the comprehensive benefit package now offered to employees of small businesses may be replaced with a lesser level of health care.
HealthMarts may select the geographic region within a state, fragmenting the market and allowing the cherry-picking of risks. Further, because AHPs are exempt from state-mandated benefit laws, they could offer lower premiums than would be charged for the state-approved plan with full benefits. While this has superficial appeal, healthier groups who view the mandated benefits as unnecessary will migrate out of the insured market covered by the state-approved policy, driving up the cost for those who remain.
Sound familiar? This was precisely the fragmented and dysfunctional market that prompted state lawmakers to act in 1993.
HR 4250 does make progress in certain areas. For instance, it would help remedy the long-standing injustices to Maryland consumers created when Congress pre-empted state regulation over ERISA plans.
Congress is to be commended for addressing consumer concerns over HMOs. In states unlike Maryland that do not have a core set of consumer protections in place, federal intervention may be welcome and, in fact, necessary. For Marylanders, it is critical that any legislation enacted by Congress supplement, but not supersede, existing state consumer protections.
Steven B. Larsen
Baltimore
The writer is Maryland insurance commissioner.
Federal cigar bill would not reduce underage smoking
KAL Your article about proposed federal legislation on cigars ("House bill proposes restrictions on cigars," Aug. 6) ignored one important fact: A number of laws, regulations and programs to prevent underage cigar smoking are already in place.
All 50 states have laws prohibiting the sale and distribution of cigars to anyone under legal age. In 48 states, the minimum age to buy tobacco products is 18; in two others, it is 19. We don't need a federal law to keep cigars away from kids. We need better enforcement of the existing state laws.
Democratic Rep. Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, who drafted this legislation, also proposed to ban cigar advertising on radio and television. But that's just a solution looking for a problem. To my knowledge, cigars are not advertised on radio or TV. That form of advertising is just too expensive for this industry and is not an efficient way to reach its limited adult consumer base. As for product placement in movies and television, the cigar industry already has guidelines that go well beyond what Mr. Markey would like to see in this regard.
Are these and other voluntary steps taken by the cigar industry working?
Most regular cigar smokers are adults between the ages of 40 and 60. In one recent survey, fewer than 3 percent of students age 14 to 19 years old said they smoke about one cigar a week. In comparison, other studies have put the underage use of alcohol at 51.6 percent, cigarettes at 34.8 percent and marijuana at 25.3 percent.
Even this three-percent figure must be considered inflated because it includes those above the legal age limit. Without those young adults included, the ones who sometimes smoke cigars account for just 1 or 2 percent of underage people.
Of course, even one underage smoker is one too many. That's why the U.S. cigar industry will continue working on this challenge. We believe industry-sponsored programs, along with strong, consistent law enforcement, will make a big difference. Passing yet another law in Washington won't.
Finally, your article mistakenly says that cigar manufacturers have "voluntarily" adopted a warning label required by California. In fact, a court judgment requires manufacturers to assure that all of their retail packages of cigars shipped for distribution in California carry the label.
Because of differing manufacturing and distribution practices, the only way that companies can be certain that all their cigars ultimately sold in California meet this requirement is to place the label on all cigars sold nationwide.
Norman F. Sharp
Washington
L The writer is president of the Cigar Association of America.