Hogan inflicted damage on state government | READER COMMENTARY

I applaud state Sen. Paul G. Pinsky’s analysis of Gov. Larry Hogan’s administration (”Maryland senator: Larry Hogan is a man without a moral compass,” Oct. 5). However, there have also been many problems within the executive branch that have not gotten much, if any, attention.

Many upper level staff have, at best, glancing familiarity with the areas that they are purportedly leading. Many jobs have been removed from the classification system and now serve “at the pleasure.” Worse, many positions that had benefits such as holidays, annual and sick leave, health insurance and a pension system have been replaced with contractual positions that have no benefits at all.

Employee morale is terrible in many areas, and dedicated employees are having to work long hours to get their assigned duties completed or just to keep operations running as smoothly as possible. And this is happening at a time when the competition for competent workers is at a very high level.

Contracts and payments are running far behind as a result of insufficient and inexperienced staff, threatening the solvency of many non-profit agencies serving Maryland citizens. Spring Grove Hospital Center was given to University of Maryland Baltimore County with no planning for what would happen to the many patients being treated there — that will become the problem of the next administration. And these are just a few examples of the problems that exist.

It is going to take many years to repair the damage I have seen that has been done to the executive branch under the Hogan administration.

— Tim Santoni, Cockeysville

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