County councilmen vote to protect their pensions
Every member of the Baltimore County council who voted in favor of Kevin Kamenetz's bill Tuesday voted to exempt himself from any pension reform ("Weaker pension reform bill approved," Jan. 20). This scandal started when The Sun reported that Councilman Vincent J. Gardina plans to retire next year at age 53 and begin collecting a pension equivalent to 100 percent of his $54,000 salary for the rest of his life. The law just passed keeps that gold-plated, Wall Street pension plan in place for all existing council members. Every council member who voted for this bill voted to line his own pockets at taxpayer expense.
Mr. Kamenetz is an undeclared candidate for Baltimore County executive. His bill fails to close the loophole that will allow him to collect a pension of $108,000 per year for the rest of his life if he or Councilman Joe Bartenfelder is elected county executive and serves two terms.
Where are the County Council and county executive candidates who will stand up for the taxpayer and pledge to refuse to participate in this pension plan if elected? If the members of the Baltimore County Council won't replace their pension plan, it's time to replace the members of the Baltimore County Council.
Steve Bailey, Towson
The Massachusetts lesson
The voters of Massachusetts are an inspiration for the rest of the country that is fed up with machine politics ("Mass. upset leaves health plan in doubt," Jan. 20). Our hats should be off to them today for sending a loud message to the political elite. The message is that we're mad as hell, and we won't take it any more. We don't want socialized medicine. We don't want big-government solutions. We don't want out-of-control spending. We don't want to give terrorists the rights we claim as citizens. We want our elected officials to be accountable to the people, not to the special interests. We want liberty, not tyranny. We want to reclaim the governing principles that made this country the last, best hope on earth. We will not become another failed socialist state. In the words of the Bay State's freshly elected senator, "We can do better."
Living in another bastion of liberal machine politics, I have hope that we too can deliver this message in Maryland this coming November. I'm sick and tired of career politicians and their entitlement mentality. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, we're coming for you next.
Susan Scott, Forest Hill
Better no health bill than this
"I have no interest in sugarcoating what happened in Massachusetts," said Sen. Robert Menendez, the head of the Senate Democrats' campaign committee. "There is a lot of anxiety in the country right now. Americans are understandably impatient."
No, Senator Menendez, Americans are quite patient; in fact, we wish that Congress had our patience instead of trying to ram through a bill that few have read and fewer understand - a bill that they will yet try to pass just so they can say they did something about health insurance this year.
The results of the Massachusetts race should serve notice on the Democratic Congress that the majority of Americans would rather have no bill today than one so full of faults, pork and glaring omissions. Let the lessons of Massachusetts (and New Jersey and Virginia as well) sink in; we'll be glad to be patient in our impatience.
Stan Sirody, Owings Mills
Change needed in Baltimore
A Baltimore County friend asked me last night if I was afraid to take out the garbage without my dog by my side for protection. I live in Guilford, and such is the perception of our current state of affairs.
My friend called me "tough." Yes, I feel that I am, but if my life were threatened at gunpoint or knifepoint, as was the case in the recent attack on some of my neighbors ("When even 'good' neighborhoods aren't safe," Jan. 15), I am not sure how I would feel. Living in the city is indeed "tough," considering the crime we face constantly, the high taxes and the terrible schools. Our leaders are focusing on pink flamingos and chipped wood driveways instead of making sure that the citizens feel safe. Our judges need to impose tough sentences and get the miscreants off the streets for good. If the priorities don't change soon, this city will be abandoned by all the taxpaying citizens and businesses because the financial and emotional burden of staying will be too great. There will be no one left but drug-addicted criminals.
Legalizing drugs would reduce the crime, but no one is listening to this option. I hope our new mayor will consider it.
Anne Heaton, Baltimore