Endorsement wronged Robert Schaeffer

On the same morning that the candidates for delegate from District 31 were being interviewed on issues by the Annapolis Capital, The Sun published its endorsements for that district with no knowledge of the non-incumbent candidates.

Singled out for particular vitriol was Robert Schaeffer, the citizen-activist who personally relieved rather than added to the tax burden of residents in Anne Arundel. This action enraged The Sun editors then, and apparently still rankles.

Mr. Schaeffer was portrayed in The Sun endorsement as an "anti-government ranter." In fact, Commander Schaeffer wore the uniform of this country for 29 years, and even fought in Vietnam for this government when the '60s era socialists at The Sun editorial board were themselves chanting anti-government slogans. Moreover, based on his advanced degrees in government, Commander Schaeffer was for years a respected member of the political science department at the U.S. Naval Academy, teaching midshipmen about American government.

Commander Schaeffer's campaign chairmen include former U.S. Senator and Commerce Secretary Bill Brock and current Clerk of the Court for Anne Arundel County Robert Duckworth. It strains credulity to think that these gentlemen would be endorsing an "anti-government" radical.

Clearly, The Sun's endorsements were partisan and agenda-driven. The Sun certainly doesn't owe Commander Schaeffer an endorsement. But it does owe him an apology.

Peter A. Castruccio

Gambrills

Russell better choice in 33rd

Do I detect a bit of whimsy in your normally well-reasoned set of Republican endorsements for the Maryland General Assembly's 33rd District ("Neall's a leader for District 33," August 14).

Consider:

Thumbs up to Sen. Robert R. Neall for doing a good job. Check.

Thumbs down to delegates Robert C. Baldwin and Janet Greenip for "not distinguishing themselves in four years of service." Check.

And then not a word, nary a phrase about "Robert P. Russell," save a mention of his name at the very end.

Yoo hoo, Bob Russell is the guy who was Anne Arundel County's problem-solving police chief from 1990 to 1994 (after 24 years on the force), a problem-solving business executive, a long-time community service champ and a hometown boy. And now he can't even get arrested in your "town" (my turn at whimsy)?

Come on, now. Time to retire the elves and the not-ready-for-the-millenium incumbents. Time to let people know there is a person in the 33rd District who can do the job: Bob Russell.

Signy S. Ellerton-Cale

Severna Park

1999 a sad year facing Pasadena

1999 will be the saddest time in the history of Pasadena. Next year, comprehensive re-zoning begins for Anne Arundel County. Comprehensive re-zoning is when every housing developer, marina operator and many of the incumbents' supporters will be looking for a higher zoning classification on their land.

The news media has so far kept this fact a secret. The majority of the population is definitely against rampant, uncontrolled growth.

Catherine Goeski

Pasadena

The Jurassic Park of land-use politics

In Anne Arundel County, that overdeveloper's paradise, the most prominent land-use consulting firm is Green, Hearing, Inne, Broadpipe and Sludgemore. Its foyer is dominated by a shield on the main wall that features a dinosaur's head with a mild, benign smile.

Seymour Green is the boss and also is in charge of "incumbent relations." In a quiet way, he is a very important man during election years. Somehow, he looks like the dinosaur.

Dodge A. Hearing is the conditional-use specialist. He helps raceway and mall builders get their projects made into a conditional use by the County Council. This means that only the approval of the zoning chief (who is under the county executive's thumb) is required.

These intense-use projects should instead be made special exceptions requiring approval by the hearing officer and Board of Appeals. This means hearings in which citizens can challenge the market need for the projects and present concerns of the neighbors.

Paque M. Inne (AKA "school stuffer") is the waivers specialist. She helps builders avoid the law requiring that their projects not overwhelm public facilities such as roads and schools.

Barclay Broadpipe and Sterling Sludgemore are the diameter specialists. They "encourage" public works and zoning to "correct" (enlarge) the diameter of a sanitary sewer pipe for an "error" in the project as passed by the County Council. A recent law allows this without hearing or council approval. Right now, Broady and Sludgy are trying to get the council to save another hearing-dodger, the "suburban community center," which will sunset next May.

The dinosaur on the shield in the foyer is surrounded by "De Aedificatore Solo Curat Lex," meaning "the law cares only about the developer." It could be Anne Arundel's official motto.

James A. Hoage

Severna Park

School support is vital

I have been a teacher in Anne Arundel County for 20-odd years. I have experienced an abundance of great changes/challenges in the public school system.

At the beginning of my career, I could not get a job in Anne Arundel because of the overflow of very qualified and exceptional teachers (minority included), moving and seeking employment in this county. This was in the early 1970s.

I have since seen a drastic reduction in respect and support for public school teachers. There has been a breakdown in communication with our county executive and other political leaders.

County Executive John G. Gary has a personal grudge against the teachers. We need to return sanity to county government. We are asking to support Janet Owens for executive.

Gloria Day

Millersville

One of the biggest injustices in society today is the lack of sincere political and public support for the education of our children.

Research has proven that an investment in educating a child is significantly less than providing social service funding and maintaining prisons. There are schools with outdated facilities, inadequate supplies and staff.

When we prepare for this year's election, we need to support candidates such as Janet Owens who are willing to work for educational excellence in public schools.

Beverly Giles

Millersville

As a parent of two children that attend Anne Arundel public schools, for me education is a priority. I believe our children need a quality education in a safe environment so that every child can learn and be successful.

I urge you to vote for someone who seems to hold strong to these truths: Janet Owens.

Enid C. Lee

Annapolis

Owens: Why resolution reversal should matter

My opponent tried in a letter to the editor on Aug. 9 to justify why she flip-flopped before the Anne Arundel County Council and withdrew her resolution ("Evans: Why I withdrew school funding measure"). One must examine the real facts to understand her actions.

Diane Evans sponsored a non-binding resolution which asked the county executive to release the contingency education funds of $5.8 million.

She filed this resolution just weeks after she voted for the budget that created the contingency fund. She does not talk about that vote or the other three budgets she engineered through the council as its chairwoman, which dropped county spending on education from 47 percent to 43 percent of the budget.

My opponent claims she worried that her resolution would be diluted "drastically" by her opponents on the council by putting conditions on the release of the funds. She wasn't worried when she voted in favor of those restrictions a few weeks before.

Also, let's face it, this is just a non-binding resolution. It does not require the county executive to do anything at all.

Parents and school children went to the council that evening to advocate for the release of funds so that important programs would not be cut or eliminated. Those people were bitterly disappointed at Ms. Evans' actions that evening.

She can write to fill up an entire page but it won't change the fact that she flip-flopped again. That seems to be a familiar pattern: She changed parties after saying she could never run as a Democrat. She changed her position on the contingency fund only weeks after voting for it. She withdrew her resolution after claiming she would fight for it.

Real leadership was required the night my opponent faced all of those parents and children. She needed to stand up for them and force a recorded vote. Instead, she backed down and abruptly withdrew her resolution.

Now, after eight years of being a member of the council, after three years of chairing it, of voting with the county executive almost all of the time, Ms. Evans laments the fact that the quality of public education in Anne Arundel is in peril. All of her after-the-fact rationalization doesn't change the fact that she has had many chances to show real leadership in education. Instead, it is politics as usual.

Yes, the money should be released so that educational programs can be restored in time for the start of the new school year. Yes, the time for political posturing and bickering must end. We need to establish a real partnership and dialogue between the county executive and the Board of Education, the teachers and the parents. Education is too important a public investment and too important for our future, and our children's future, to be left to political flip-flop.

Janet Owens

Glen Burnie

The writer is a Democratic candidate for Anne Arundel County executive.

Pub Date: 8/23/98