Consider impact of technology on Smart Growth

The Sun's extraordinary series of Smart Growth editorials (Dec. 1-Dec. 6) admirably summarized local initiative and conventional wisdom on the topic, but failed to emphasize one crucial aspect: New technologies have eroded the competitive advantage of central places.

Suburbs started with streetcars and the railroad. Highway transportation took over because it gave us more freedom - households and businesses could be almost anywhere, not just along rail lines.

And transportation was just the beginning. High-speed, high-bandwidth communications are letting individuals and small groups work together, shop and amuse themselves without being in the same place. New electric power supplies and water treatment and waste recycling systems will give small settlements municipal services at least as safe, reliable and cheap as those offered by the big-city suppliers.

These new technologies reduce the costs of moving away from already developed areas, but the effect has as much to do with what we give away as what we make people pay for.

Want people to be in already built areas? Pay residents dividends for any under-used municipal services and collect taxes for delivering these services elsewhere.

Want people to ride transit? Make it free and pay for it with taxes on vehicles and fuel.

We need to bring technology into the discussion of what Smart Growth is and how to get it.

Andrew C. Lemer

Baltimore

Region can't absorb growing population

The editorial "Sprawl: Village" (Dec. 1) addresses the urgent problems caused by sprawl in Maryland. And environmental, economic and quality of life problems will worsen without effective management of growth. However, maybe it is time to consider the possibility that the region cannot continue to absorb a larger and larger population.

Growth management, no matter how effective, cannot reduce all the stresses on resources created by the demands of a continually growing population.

None of the problems described in the editorial can be completely resolved until this country makes a serious effort to slow population growth.

Sue Kunkel

Ellicott City

Lott should resign for racist remarks

As a Republican, I must voice my outrage at the recent racist remarks issued by Senate Republican leader Trent Lott concerning Strom Thurmond's presidential bid ("Gore says Senate should censure Lott," Dec. 10). They were ill-advised and disgusting.

Mr. Lott's remarks reinforce the fears many people have that too many Republicans may be closet racists. This is not true. Still, this controversy has to be stopped now, for the good of the party and the nation. Americans deserve a choice between principled parties, without even the whisper of bigotry.

Mr. Lott should do the only honorable thing - the thing he wanted President Clinton to do - and resign. The sooner the better.

Douglas B. Hermann

Baltimore

Bush's policies cost more than they save

By gutting the enforcement of air pollution rules for industry, President Bush has guaranteed that we will all need more medical care and that we will have to paint the exteriors of our houses more often.

Thus, the Bush program means that while we in the middle class have received a slight decrease in the taxes we pay, we will pay much more in poorer health and increased payments to health care providers and paint suppliers.

Stephen J. Gewirtz

Baltimore

Turkey must meet standards of EU

The Sun's editorial concerning Turkey mentioned Greece's support for Turkey's entry into the European Union as if it were a new development ("Unhappy on the front line," Dec. 8).

In fact, Greece has supported Turkey's entry into the union for almost two years - provided, of course, that Turkey meets the requirements for membership, including an end to its violations of human rights. But this Turkey has yet to achieve.

Evan Alevizatos Chriss

Baltimore

Making Towson a concrete landscape

Thanks to the Baltimore County Council and developers who worship dollars over the quality of life of the residents of Towson, that town is fast becoming an asphalt and concrete landscape.

And some people now want another black-top fast-food outlet (McDonald's) ("Towson residents say no to adding fast-food chain," Nov. 25).

Their likely success only shows how dollars speak but the voice of the people is ignored.

Betty L. North

Towson

Progress often raises a racket

High decibel levels are dangerous to hearing, but why restrict the problem to leaf blowers ("Leaf blowers join the irritating din of 'progress,'" Opinion Commentary, Nov. 24)?

Experts agree that continued exposure to noise above 85 decibels will cause hearing loss over time. Most leaf blowers operate at between 85 and 110 decibels. Compare that to 85 decibels for heavy traffic, 90 for a noisy restaurant, 90-115 for a subway train, 95-110 for a motorcycle, 110 for a crying baby, and more than 120 for an ambulance or fire engine.

Should we ban loud, polluting motorcycles from the streets? Shut down the subway? Close the stadiums? Ask city ambulances and firetrucks to turn it down just a bit?

If you can't bear the sound of progress, wear earplugs.

Sandra L. VandeCastle

Baltimore

Hunting offers deer more merciful fate

I am not a hunter, but I certainly support the concept of hunting, especially for deer.

And I think the writer of the letter "Let nature control deer population" (Dec. 8) would probably feel differently about killing the deer if they were destroying her flowers, crops and landscaping.

The writer suggests that we let nature take its course. And that's fine - all we must do is reintroduce wolves and mountain lions to the area.

Or perhaps the writer is oblivious to starvation among the deer population. Is this preferable to quick killing?

John White

Halethorpe

Suffering a slow, painful death from starvation is not nature's way of controlling the populations of deer or other herbivores. And since man has eliminated the predators from the deer's habitat, the closest thing to the natural order is properly regulated hunting based on the number of deer an area can support.

And in fact the deer are fortunate there are people who "find pleasure and sport by killing a beautiful deer."

Bullets and arrows refine the predators art to an instant, painless (although sometimes necessary) death.

Josh Lepman

Baltimore