IN HARFORD County, a protest vote Tuesday to dismantle the comprehensive rezoning plan would be akin to punching a wall in frustration: Your hand would hurt, and you'd still be left to fix the wall.

Harford countians should vote for Question A to uphold last year's rezoning. It accomplished much of what citizens say they want: Zoning for housing did not grow. "Upzoning" 5,000 acres of farmland for development was denied. And industrial land was expanded in Perryman -- perhaps the most important gain in a suburb too reliant on residential tax revenue.

Question A is, unfortunately, so poorly worded, you can read it 10 times and still not understand it. In brief, a vote against A would leave land-use policy in Harford in an even more confused state.

Tomorrow: Harford council districts A, B and C

Pub Date: 10/28/98