Your objections to the tax on disposable plastic grocery bags are without a doubt well intentioned, but suggesting that the city encourage merchants to give incentives to those who bring reusable bags won't solve the problem ("No to the bag tax," June 18).
These bags take a long time to decompose, pose a danger to wildlife and significantly decrease the quality of our living environment beyond what you characterize as a mere aesthetic issue.
As responsible citizens, we should commit to reducing our reliance on these wasteful products. Taxes are not a new way to change people's behavior, and they need to be steep if they are to be effective. That a tax on disposable plastic bags would have a negative effect on lower income residents is a different problem, which must be addressed concurrently and effectively. We can use the tax on disposable bags to subsidize or even distribute free reusable bags to people who need them.
Environmental concerns frequently rank low on our personal agendas when they require us to change our way of life. Imposing a tax such as the one proposed for disposable plastic bags is a feasible and effective way of showing our commitment to protecting the environment, if we are really serious about doing so.
Roberto Vela
Constellation's not perfect, but governor is wrong
I'm a Constellation Energy retiree, but I don't agree with everything the company does. For instance, the possibility of anybody getting an $87 million payoff is obscene to me, especially with the stock price falling from over $100 a share to the current piddling amount.
However, I heartily disagree with the way the governor, legislature, People's Counsel, Public Service Commission and others are attempting to extort additional money from the company to let the Electricit? de France deal go forward. This company has been an exemplary employer, taxpayer and community contributor for many years.
Perhaps the legislature, governor and PSC (which employs several former Constellation employees who learned their trade at Constellation and now seem to be using it against their former company) would rather see another nuclear reactor built in New York state. The New York PSC and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have already approved the EDF deal. Maryland and Calvert County would then forgo the hundreds of new jobs and the millions of dollars in taxes a third reactor at Calvert Cliffs would bring. The state would also pass up the opportunity for a clean energy source at a time when Maryland will desperately need the generation.
The anti-Constellation and anti-business crowd should be ashamed. They apparently forgot that they approved deregulation and the eight years of frozen electric rates BGE customers enjoyed. I don't believe any of the oil companies have frozen their gas prices. As usual, our heroes in Annapolis are doing all they can to finally drive this formerly revered company out of Maryland.
Tom Edel, Gambrills
