David Boyd is right to say "so what" to the governor plastering his name and photo all over DNR brochures and bulletins ("A cheap shot at O'Malley," March 9). However, all this self promotion amounts to "in-state campaigning" by Governor O'Malley. During the Ehrlich administration, the legislature held countless hearings in Annapolis and the media paid a great deal of attention when then-Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. was in commercials promoting tourism. These commercials aired out-of-state (non-voters!), but nonetheless, the legislature declared them "campaign material" and passed a law that a governor could not be in tourism commercials. Interesting the law was in effect only until the day after the next governor was to be seated in January of 2007.

Dennis Castleman, Baltimore

The writer was assistant secretary for tourism, film and the arts in the Deaprtment of Business and Economic Development in the Ehrlich administration.

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