Since Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has now vetoed the plastic bag ban and it's unlikely the Baltimore City Council can muster the votes to overturn her veto, this would be a good time to promote changes in Baltimore's civic behavior ("Mayor vetoes plastic bag ban, body camera bill," Dec. 2). I understand the philosophy behind the plastic bag ban and support it in theory, but harming retailers is not the way to go.
As a downtown resident, I want our businesses to thrive and succeed. That's not happening. I'm losing the bank where I've been a customer for over 20 years (they're moving to Laurel), my jeweler relocated to Baltimore County, my eyeglasses store left (for Lutherville), my supermarket on Charles Street closed over a year ago and the space is still empty, another supermarket in Fells Point burned down (twice). Office Depot closed permanently, and there's not an office supply store for miles around. These are genuine losses to the community.
Shoppers must understand the ugliness and hazards of litter, and it's time everyone began taking pride in the environment and urban landscape. We're lucky plastic bags will still be permitted and should behave with gratitude by disposing of them properly. Let's not go through this kind of restrictive legislation ever again!
R. Heid, Baltimore