Advertisement shows who stands to profit with deregulation
The four-page Baltimore Gas and Electric advertisement in the March 24 issue of The Sun should clarify for the people of Maryland exactly who stands to gain from electric utility deregulation: BGE.
Utilities and big industries that buy a lot of power are fighting hard for deregulation because they will make even greater profits.
Residential consumers in Maryland, however, will not benefit. This legislation provides none of the important consumer and environmental protections, such as community choice, which Maryland needs, the voters expect and the governor has said is necessary. BGE is right when it says "This change [deregulation] will fundamentally alter the relationship between consumers and utilities" -- but not for the better.
Deregulation means just that: the removal of regulations and price controls intended to protect the people of Maryland.
BGE's Web site admits: "In a deregulated market, the market will set the price of electricity, but that does not guarantee lower prices."
Indeed, one can reasonably expect that after the industry gets special deals, prices for residential consumers will go up. Legislators must keep the needs of the people in mind before rushing to give extra profit to utilities and industrial consumers.
Wenonah Hauter Washington
Esther Webb Greenbelt
The writers are, respectively, director of Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Project and co-convener of the Gray Panthers of Prince George's County.
The misuse of ratepayers' funds on a four-page ad in The Sun is proof that the Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. needs more regulation, not less.
Richard Ochs Baltimore
Cooperation with poultry helps environment, people
The article "Environmental group plans co-op for chicken farmers" (March 20) describes the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's possible involvement in a poultry cooperative on the Delmarva Peninsula.
This cooperative would address the needs of farmers, workers, the environment and the community as a whole. The articles neglected to mention, however, that the effort is only in the feasibility phase and is a partnership between the Delmarva Poultry Justice Alliance, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the local community.
The recent Sun series on the poultry industry powerfully illustrated the real cost of our chicken dinners. For the past three years, the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware and the Sussex County Mission have worked to bring together members of the Delmarva Poultry Justice Alliance to address the economic and social injustices, violations of human rights and environmental degradation associated with the production of chicken.
The alliance is made up of poultry workers, poultry growers, chicken catchers, people of faith, community leaders, environmentalists, labor leaders, consumers and those concerned about the treatment of birds and humans.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has long been a supporter of agricultural practices that promote the health of the bay and the health of our watersheds. For the past 17 years, the foundation has owned and operated Clagett Farm, which provides a laboratory for exploring and understanding the complex relationships between agricultural production and the bay.
Because the alliance and the foundation are committed to finding solutions, we are about to begin, in partnership, a feasibility study for an alternative poultry enterprise. We will examine successful models from around the country and abroad to find the best technologies, marketing ideas and growing and processing systems.
The Rev. Jim Lewis Georgetown, Del.
Thomas V. Grasso Annapolis
The writers are, respectively, president of the Delmarva Poultry Justice Alliance and Maryland executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Cooperation is good sign
Kudos to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Eastern Shore chicken farmers for their efforts to form a cooperative. The increasing cooperation between environmentalists and people struggling to make a living is one bright ray of hope in a perilous world.
Eleanor N. Lewis Baltimore
Clinton's box score: plenty of errors
I found the column by Jack W. Germond and Jules Witcover to be most interesting ("President Clinton goes on -- as brazen as ever," March 24).
The president is quoted as saying he believes "that there will be a box score, and there will be that one negative [the Lewinsky affair] and then there will be the hundreds and hundreds of times when the record will show that I did not abuse my authority as president, that I was truthful to the American people."
The authors point out that it is "mind-boggling" that Mr. Clinton seems to imply that the affair was his only lie. I find this to be perfectly consistent with his "character."
What I do find "mind-boggling" is the fact that this quote amounts to an admission of guilt as to the charges of abuse of power. Even more astounding is that this is not pointed out in the article, much less emblazoned on the front page of The Sun.
Donald Steven Smith Baltimore
My sincere thanks to Jack W. Germond and Jules Witcover on their article "President Clinton goes on -- as brazen as ever." They really hit the nail on the head.
As an ex-Marine with two sons in the military, I'm appalled, disheartened and disappointed by the attitude of the House and Senate.
I encourage Mr. Germond and Mr. Witcover to continue telling the public the real story.
John Glister Severna Park
Brackbill had place for spare adjectives
The death of Hervey Brackbill at the remarkable age of 97 brought back the memory of my first professional contact with him. It was in 1949.
I'd just been hired as a Sun magazine feature writer. He was a copy editor, and I'd just handed him my first story.
I watched him as he got to work on it with his fountain pen. Every 30 seconds or so he opened and then slammed shut one of his desks drawers.
Of course I took the bait: "Why are you doing that, Mr. Brackbill?"
"Oh," he said, not entirely kindly. "That's where I put the adjectives I take out of young reporters' copy."
William Stump Cockeysville
Would NATO interfere with rebellion here?
If Acadians raised a militia and decided they wanted Lousiana for themselves, would various countries encourage these rebels? If the state of Lousiana then decided to put down this insurrection, would NATO bomb Baton Rouge?
Sara Erica Haus Reisterstown
We are bombing the cabbages into the rutabagas. Bombing will not force an agrarian economy into submission. The bombs cost more than the targets. We will end up having to go after the tanks one by one and sending troops in to keep them from killing one another.
The rationale for this military adventure sounds like the one that got us into Vietnam. This is the reason I am against the all-volunteer Army and would prefer the draft be reinstated. Perhaps then, people would not be so quick to send their children to battle.
Joseph Schvimmer Pikesville
Four-party system would work for U.S.
Our existing two-major-party system does not afford me a place that I want to call my party. Let's subdivide the Democratic and Republican parties so more people can find a political home.
I propose the following:
1. Tax and spend liberals.
2. Democrats.
3. Republicans.
4. Religious right.
Howard Gelzhiser Catonsville
Pub Date: 3/27/99