Letters To The Editor

State is hiring workers to aid in child welfare

The Sun's editorial "Time for a thaw" (May 25) discussed the challenges we face in staffing child welfare positions at the state's local departments of social services.

Although we operate with scarce resources as the state faces tight budgets, the Maryland Department of Human Resources does not have a hiring freeze on child welfare positions. Department of Budget and Management Secretary James C. "Chip" DiPaula Jr. has assured us that we have the flexibility to fill critical vacancies as they occur.

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and I have pledged to fund positions so that child welfare caseloads at each local department reach at least 90 percent of high standards recommended by the Child Welfare League of America. We are honoring this pledge.

In fact, we have extended offers of employment to graduates of the University of Maryland School of Social Work's Title IV-E program, through which we will add 79 child welfare positions throughout the state.

We realize our staff members are working very hard under less-than-ideal conditions, but they are performing well and protecting children in Maryland. They cannot prevent all cases of child abuse, such as the tragic deaths of the twins in Baltimore, whose parents, as indicated by The Sun's article "`He was real bad news for her'" (May 23), did all they could to elude the protection we provide.

But our workers save lives every day, and we are committed to providing sufficient resources so they can accomplish their mission of keeping Maryland's children safe.

Christopher J. McCabe

Baltimore

The writer is secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Resources.

Kids held hostage to state budget woes

As a Baltimore County resident, it was deeply troubling to read the editorial "Time for a thaw" (May 25).

In light of the child welfare tragedies in Baltimore City, surely we want the very best child welfare system for our most vulnerable citizens, not one on the verge of collapse because of a critical number of vacancies in county agencies.

Children in crisis deserve better than to be held hostage to the state's budget shortfalls. Starving the child welfare system of much-needed personnel and resources can result only in a failed system whose results may well prove tragic.

Mark Ochalek

Towson

Montague missed the crisis at Hickey

After hearing of the problems found at the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School, state Juvenile Services Secretary Kenneth C. Montague Jr. said he didn't realize how bad things were ("Conditions at Hickey shocked Md. officials," May 27).

He was in charge. It was his watch. Millions were misspent, apparently with little or no accounting.

Mr. Montague should be fired since he didn't perform his job.

Perhaps if more state officials were held accountable, there would not be headlines like this one.

Charles P. Koerner

Elkridge

Lack of leadership isn't Bush's problem

In "Bush's vanishing act" (Opinion * Commentary, May 27), Andrew Cline attributes President Bush's declining poll numbers to his failure to lead.

I would suggest that it is not Mr. Bush's failure to lead that has caused his declining popularity. Rather, it is the growing recognition by the American public that his leadership has put our country in an unhappy place financially, politically and militarily.

Americans like strong leaders. Fortunately, most Americans also are able to distinguish decisiveness - a trait our president appears to have - from thoughtfulness and wisdom: traits that increasing evidence convinces us Mr. Bush does not have.

Stanley L. Rodbell

Columbia

Cosby poses concern on limits of progress

Many African-Americans are upset with Bill Cosby because of remarks he made at an observance of the anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision ("Kudos to Cosby for daring to speak the truth," Opinion * Commentary, May 27). It's true that his remarks were blunt and, perhaps, cutting. But they should send a wake-up call to African-Americans.

Many of us African-Americans have achieved a level of affluence heretofore unknown to our people. However, in achieving this much-improved standard of living we have sought for so long, many of us have failed to realize that fine houses and fine cars are indicative of only one segment of the total reality of improved living standards.

But many African-Americans have not reached the social and cultural level that should go along with high economic achievement. Our children are doing poorly in schools. Their reading levels are low. Their language patterns leave much to be desired. They are culturally deprived and are too readily satisfied with low school grades.

Too much emphasis is placed on getting $200 sneakers and designer shirts that are so long they can almost be called dresses. The baggy pants that hang far below their waistlines and the short shorts that are accentuated with 4-inch heels all need to be modified to a mode that make us look as if we are indeed proud of ourselves.