Aids

I'm shocked that anyone would agree with the inept vote of Maryland Rep. Andy Harris against aid to Hurricane Sandy's victims ("What was Harris thinking in opposing Sandy aid?" Jan. 9). When he was elected, the first thing Representative Harris asked was: "When does my health insurance kick in?" It shows such hypocrisy and lack of empathy for him to now deny aid to the Eastern Shore, where so many people lost everything. A Mississippi senator also voted against the bill, even though he had also requested additional money for hurricane damage in his own state.

Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and officials from the Department of Housing and Community Development on Thursday awarded $6.2 million from the national mortgage settlement to nine legal aid groups in order to expand the availability of low-cost and pro bono legal services to Maryland homeowners facing foreclosure. Recently, DHCD has been setting aside about $1 milllion per year for foreclosure legal services, so the settlement funds greatly expand available financing, said Carol A. Gilbert, a DHCD assistant secretary.

I must admit that when I heard that Rep. Andy Harris voted against the bill that would give sufficient money to the federal flood insurance program to allow it to disperse funds to those afflicted by Hurricane Sandy, I was a bit surprised ("Congress approves more aid for Sandy's victims," Jan. 5). Virtually all of these affected folk in Maryland, after all, live in his district! However, I was not totally surprised. My sole encounter with Dr. Harris came in early 2005 when he was our state senator representing Hunt Valley.

Morgan State drew within a point with three minutes left, but a technical foul for having six players on the court helped Penn make six of eight free throws in the final minute to beat the visiting Bears, 79-73, in women's basketball Tuesday night. Kathleen Roche made both free throws on the technical foul, and after a scoreless possession by Morgan, Kara Bonenberger made two free throws for a 73-68 lead with 1:31 left. Bianca Jarrett had a game-high 32 points for Morgan State (4-10)

Paul Wilson Ramey, a member of the Army Corps of Engineers who was a founder of AIDS Action Baltimore, died of cancer Dec. 29 at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. He was 55 and lived in Hampden. Born and raised in Woodstock, Va., he was a 1975 graduate of Central High School who earned a civil engineering degree "with distinction" at Virginia Military Institute. He then served as a first lieutenant in the Army Reserves' transportation corps. After work at the Wilson T. Ballard engineering firm in Owings Mills, he practiced civil engineering at Whitman, Requardt and Associates from 1983 to 1991.

Why was Maryland Rep. Andy Harris singled out for not voting to provide additional aid to the victims of Hurricane Sandy ("House approves additional Sandy aid," Jan. 4)? There were 66 other House members who also said no to the bill, but Mr. Harris was the only one identified. His decision showed his commitment to help curb government spending, which has gone haywire. This was no more than a poorly disguised attempt to end the political career of another true conservative. Mary Kollner, Baltimore Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

This just in: Maryland civil legal service programs not only benefit the poor but also save the state millions per year. Legal assistance to low-income Marylanders is a significant economic boost to the state and benefits more than just those receiving aid, according to a report just released by the Maryland Judiciary's Access to Justice Commission. Legal services mean a lot more than just helping people without means get access to the courts. For example, these services help low-income residents receive the government benefits to which they are entitled; prevent homelessness by avoiding eviction; and help protect against domestic violence.

Congress has proposed a bill for some $60 billion for relief for people caught up in the destruction from Hurricane Sandy ("Sandy aid bill would include more for Md.," Dec. 20). Interestingly enough, not only The Sun but Washington newspapers reported on this and also offered the observation that the GOP was delaying passage of the bill because they wanted it decreased. It appears, however, that much of that $60 billion is pork. According to several Republican congressmen, there is $188 million for an Amtrak project, $5.3 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for unspecified projects, $125 million for restoring watersheds destroyed by wildfires and drought and $50 million in subsidies for tree planting on private property.

The federal government has sent more than $1 million in aid to the Eastern Shore to help victims of Hurricane Sandy and continues to process requests, emergency management officials said Wednesday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has received 619 applications for assistance since the Obama administration reversed its initial denial and agreed to provide disaster aid to individuals in Somerset County affected by the storm. The city of Crisfield was particularly hard hit by heavy flooding that damaged hundreds of homes.

A $60 billion emergency spending bill that would provide federal aid to states still recovering from Hurricane Sandy would guarantee additional money for Maryland and subtly change the way administration officials determine eligibility for disaster relief in the future. The controversial legislation - which the Senate is debating this week - would set aside $17 billion in federal grants to all states affected by the storm, including Maryland. It also would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to give "greater weight" to economic factors when deciding whether to provide certain types of disaster aid in the future.