Gary: Evans' resolution was all about politics

In a June 28 letter to the editor, Anne Arundel County Councilwoman Diane Evans attempted to take credit for an issue in which she had no involvement and no impact. She misled parents and citizens by telling them that a resolution she introduced was intended for any reason other than political posturing. The truth is otherwise.

Ms. Evans voted for a budget which provided a $14 million increase for the school system. She agreed that additional classroom teachers were needed and she knew that the school board refused to hire them prior to funding an unnecessary 27th pay week for administrators.

The school board wanted the citizens to fund $34 million worth of built-in bureaucracy before it would be willing to hire another classroom teacher or purchase textbooks.

Ms. Evans offered a non-binding, politically motivated resolution that she knew could not be implemented even if the council voted to pass it. At the time her resolution was introduced on July 6, the Board of Education had not requested the supplemental budget funding.

This is required by state law. Ms. Evans knows that, but she led parents to believe I could submit this supplemental funding without the school board making a request for the funds.

In fact, the school board delivered its request to me on the Thursday before the Monday, July 20 council hearing, allowing me only two days to prepare the supplemental budget appropriation bill. Ms. Evans knew that her resolution was not valid the day she introduced it. The only thing this resolution did was to mislead the parents into believing that she was attempting to do something to help them.

Once I received the funding request from the Board of Education, I consulted the council chairman, Bert L. Rice, and the vice chairman, John J. Klocko III.

We agreed that a supplemental budget appropriation bill should be introduced on July 20. Since the board refused to provide details regarding the expenditure of the requested funds, I told the council chairman that I wanted the opportunity to make a statement for the public record. I wanted to object to the lack of background information to support the board's request for an additional $6 million.

Clearly, my concern was that we would give the board the additional funds, increasing its budget by $20 million in one year, and it would still cut programs that the parents wanted.

Ms. Evans was well aware of the fact that the parents attending that meeting were asking for funds because they wanted the Gifted and Talented program restored, and they didn't want to pay $50 each for sports and music participation for students. Yet, her resolution did not and would not assure parents that these programs would be restored as they expected.

That is exactly the reason I wanted to address the council. I wanted to explain to the parents that the addition of $6 million would not necessarily be spent to restore programs cut by the board, nor would it necessarily be spent on reducing class size. Ms. Evans knew that other council members were going to dismiss her politically motivated resolution; thus, she withdrew it.

I have supported and will continue to support education to the fullest extent possible.

John G. Gary

Annapolis

The writer is Anne Arundel County executive.

Reasons to vote for Robert Neall

I support Sen. Robert R. Neall in the Republican primary in District 33. Mr. Neall has dedicated the majority of his adult life to public service. In the early 1970s, he was elected to the House of Delegates in District 33 where he served for 12 years.

He gained the respect of Democrats and Republicans alike with his understanding of complex budget issues, his ability to gather votes on both sides of the aisle, and his common-sense approach to governmental issues. He became minority whip during his freshman term and was re-elected to that position in his next term.

In 1990, he was elected Anne Arundel executive and guided the county through tough economic times without any layoffs of employees and with minimal impact on services to residents. He established a "rainy day" fund to give the county some breathing room for future downturns. He accomplished this while living within the constraints of a new tax cap.

Mr. Neall also has impeccable credentials in the business community. He is not a full-time politician. He understands the problems of local business people. He managed his family's business, has worked in the banking and health care industries and operated his own consulting firm.

Upon the death of Sen. John A. Cade, Mr. Neall once again made personal sacrifices to become a nominee to fill that vacancy. He was appointed in late 1996 and has served for two years in the Maryland Senate, helping to pass meaningful tax cut legislation among other important issues.

Mr. Neall's opponent in the primary, Bill Scott, has adopted the slogan, "A legislator, not a lobbyist." Sounds like a ringing endorsement for Mr. Neall, doesn't it?

Ray Kenney

Severna Park

School budget crisis doesn't add up

The Anne Arundel County school budget is in turmoil. Doubt, confusion and anger are widespread. The public trust has been violated and our children are suffering. And all of this is occurring when a healthy economy has created a budget surplus.

County revenues increased about 7 percent over last year. The cost for special education increased 18 percent during that same period. Yet funding to operate our schools only increased 3 percent. This was insufficient to meet basic operating expenses. Yet we have the money.

For the past several years, the percentage of county revenues spent on education has declined. From fiscal year 1994 to fiscal year 1999, appropriations for schools increased 21 percent; appropriations for all other county expenses (other than public safety) increased 41 percent. Where are our priorities?

The county budget process has failed. We are told that the $5.9 million released to the school board is still insufficient to meet basic operating expenses. Yet county government funded $16 million for school construction that was not requested in the education budget.

This money is held hostage and cannot be used to help a single student.

Without a genuine commitment to education we cannot create the skilled work force that attracts good business, which strengthens our community. Right now, everyone is losing.

Barbara Samorajczyk

Annapolis

The writer is a candidate for Anne Arundel County Council in District 6.

Community had its say about mall, unlike track

Your Aug. 10 article comparing the Arundel Mills mall and the proposed auto racetrack ("Track, mall builders use varied approaches to engender good will") highlights one important difference between the two projects: mall developers and Anne Arundel County Councilman George F. Bachman consulted with the community before proposing the project, while track developers and Councilman Thomas W. Redmond Sr. did not.

However, there are other major differences as well: The mall will have its own interchange off Interstate 295, while racetrack developers insist the current interchange off Interstate 695 is adequate to handle more than 62,000 race fans.

That means the proposed racetrack would follow the "tradition" of other auto racetracks, which have traffic backups averaging 3 hours for major races.

The mall will have adjacent parking. The land available to build the track is not large enough for parking.

Racetrack developers will need to put together a patchwork of parking lots for cars and areas to accommodate recreational vehicles throughout northern Anne Arundel County, creating gridlock on Routes 2, 10, 100 and secondary roadways throughout Pasadena and Glen Burnie.

The mall will be located on land bought from private developers. The proposed racetrack would be located on waterfront land leased from the Maryland Port Administration. When it purchased the land, the MPA told the community it needed it for dredging purposes and that some of the land would be later donated to a nature conservation organization. Changing the zoning to allow other purposes was never discussed with the community.

The mall is not located next to wetlands. The proposed racetrack would be located next to the Patapsco River and the fragile Swan Creek wetlands.

The mall would create an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 full-time jobs. By the developers' own economic report, the proposed racetrack would create 47 full-time jobs.

Those are just some of the reasons why the communities of Essex and Russett rejected placing the auto racetrack in their communities.

E9 Why shouldn't Pasadena have the sense to follow suit?

Cynthia Pease

Baltimore

I am very concerned with the proposed Arundel Mills mall that will greatly affect the Jessup area.

I grew up in Jessup, went to Jessup Elementary and cut fields of alfalfa, timothy, clover and field grass to bail hay for our horses and other families' horses there.

My best friend Stacy and I rode our ponies, Midnight and LicLic, from U.S. 1 to Fort Meade and never hit any traffic. There was actually clean water running through our travels and when we'd stop to give our four-legged friends a rest.

There were always fields of wild flowers and big shady trees to sit under and talk of our dreams for the future.

Now Arundel Mills wants to destroy what's left of Jessup beauty -- in the name of "progress."

Georgie Jessup Mauler

Jessup

Pub Date: 9/06/98