Letters: Mayor's budget; Hillary Clinton; Please vote

Mayor's budget

In a recent article (The Capital, March 28), Mayor Mike Pantelides outlined the essential priorities concerning the city budget to be submitted to the City Council. I applaud the mayor for his efforts to move the city forward in a fiscally demanding time. An ancient Greek dramatist once wrote that "nothing succeeds without an effort."

Mr. Pantelides' efforts to adopt a new process (the Priority Program Budgeting approach) rather than the traditional line-item approach needs a careful and thoughtful consideration by the council, Such an approach:

•Provides a more strategic alternative to the traditional line-item.

•Diagnoses the root causes of fiscal needs a lot faster.

•Engages the entire community in determining what is highly valued.

•Provides decision makers with better information about the impact of their decisions.

Line-item budgeting, while it is valued for its simplicity and its advantages in justifying expenditures, has disadvantages, such as superficial analysis of expenditures. It accepts the status quo : Somehow, what worked in the past should continue being effective. It often results in unnecessarily spending unused funds near the end of any fiscal year.

Such an approach eliminates the opportunity for in-depth analysis of each line item to determine if proposed expenditures are necessary and are allocated efficiently.

The mayor has taken a step in the right direction. Priority-driven budgeting allocates resources according to how well a program or service achieves the goals and objectives the community values most.

The mayor is tirelessly engaged in reorganizing city government to improve its efficiency, and an analytical budget most likely can become a useful tool. Additionally, its transparency will benefit all the citizens of the city we all love.

Nothing is accomplished without forward-looking effort.

ELIAS L. TAYLOR

Annapolis

Hillary Clinton

I do not know Paul Leatherman and therefore do not know all the reasons he holds such contempt for both Hillary and Bill Clinton. But I did read his letter (The Capital, March 7) and believe part of his vitriol stems from him being a misogynist who can't accept the status of women in the 21st century.

"She's the type of person who will fall back on her husband when things get tough ..." and "These kind of women want to be equal with a man until it comes to a tough physical showdown …" — these statements indicate a man who thinks all women are weak.

Leatherman also said, "She, in return, supported him (Bill Clinton) in his antics by just turning her back on the whole matter. That in itself tells me what kind of woman she is — any decent lady wouldn't go along with that kind of character."

I believe there are many people who think the fact that she worked at saving her marriage is what is representative of her character. Leatherman's words indicate he wants women to stop trying to achieve their potential and go back to behaving in a "ladylike" manner.

I wonder whom Leatherman will support in the general election if the candidates are Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump? Based on Leatherman's expressed judgment of Bill Clinton's morality, certainly not the serial adulterer who suffers from narcissistic personality disorder, Donald Trump.

BEVERLY BRAUN

Annapolis

Please vote

I am writing in response to the letter by Chari McLean (The Capital, March 18).

I also love this country. Under the current administration, our country has become weaker, almost bankrupt, with our enemies making fun of us, although we have assisted many of them with millions of dollars.

We are becoming a nation of victims in which certain groups are given special rights to a point where many of us don't even recognize the country we were born and raised in.

Between us, my husband and I have six children and 16 grandchildren. We also care not for ourselves but for the future of our children, grandchildren and the world.

Please get out and vote for who you think will have the guts to fix this mess before it's too late!

JOYCE MASTERSON

Annapolis