Callers

WASHINGTON -- If the calls and e-mails streaming into the offices of the state's congressional delegation are a reliable guide, Marylanders have become more sympathetic to President Clinton since seeing his taped grand jury testimony about his relationship with Monica S. Lewinsky."

Jason Freeman is an even-tempered fellow, but the simple act of making a telephone call has been known to push his buttons. Whenever he is put on hold and is forced to endure the supposedly soothing music that oozes out of the handset while he waits, he becomes irritated. "And if it's Pachelbel's `Canon,' I get really annoyed," Freeman said, referring to the repetitive baroque ditty. On-hold melodies and other forms of ambient music have made people so anesthetized, he said, that he decided to do something about it. So he is taking advantage of a free telephone service to create an unusual interactive listening experience that might be thought of as Ma Bell's "Canon."

Schools in the Baltimore area are barely passing in their efforts to teach, according to callers to The Evening Sun's SUNDIAL. Of 289 callers, 33 percent (95 callers) said their schools were excellent, 27 percent (78 callers) said their schools were satisfactory and 40 percent (116 callers) said their schools were failing.A city and county breakdown follows:* Baltimore city: Total, 98; Excellent, 39 percent (38 callers); Satisfactory, 14 percent (14 callers); Failing, 47 percent (46 callers)

Callers to The Evening Sun's SUNDIAL support reducing property taxes, but they don't like the specific changes proposed by the Linowes Commission.Of the 454 people who called, 76 percent [345 callers] agree that property taxes should be reduced, while 24 percent [106 callers] disagreed.Only 34 percent [155 callers] support increasing the sales tax, while 66 percent [298 callers] oppose the idea. The idea of expanding the sales tax to include cigarettes and services was opposed 70 percent [316 callers]

Most callers to SUNDIAL seem to agree with President Bush's ideas about education in this country. Of 242 callers, more than 90 percent (219 callers) agree that parents need to take greater responsibility for their children's education. Twenty-three callers disagree.Society depends too much on teachers to do the educating, say 182 of 240 callers (75 percent), while 58 callers (24 percent) disagree.Nearly 85 percent, or 203 of 239 callers, support the idea that public schools should receive "report cards," and 15 percent (36 callers)

The Orioles have not prospered under the ownership of Eli Jacobs, according to a majority of callers to the SUNDIAL service of The Evening Sun. Of 376 callers, 254 said the team had not prospered under him, while 122 callers thought the team had.When asked if the team should be sold to local interests, 260 callers thought they should, while 113 callers disagreed.

Of 239 callers to SUNDIAL, 140, or 58 percent, say sexual harassment laws are not needed in Maryland cities and counties, while 99 callers (41 percent) say they are needed.Similarly, there does not need to be a state sexual harassment law, according to 132 of 237 callers (55 percent), while 105 callers (44 percent) disagree.Complaints of sexual harassment should continue to be handled by the Human Relations Commission, in the opinion of 138 of 236 callers (58 percent), while 98 callers (41 percent)

More than 77 percent of callers to SUNDIAL think that the United States should not deal with the new Soviet regime. The tally was 273 to 81, from the total of 354 callers.A majority of callers, 219 out of 347, or 63 percent, said the United States should not suspend the nuclear treaty, and 128 callers (36 percent) favored suspension. However, a majority of callers favored suspending the recent trade agreement, by a count of 269 out of 348, or 77 percent. Only 79 callers (22 percent) would not suspend the trade agreement.

Of 132 callers to SUNDIAL, 89 (or 67 percent) said they plan to vote in Baltimore's primary election Thursday, and 43 callers (32 percent) said they didn't.More than 85 percent of those callers, or 113, said they are registered voters, and only 19 callers (14 percent) said they aren't registered.Of 134 callers, 90 (or 67 percent) said they have been following the campaigns for mayor, comptroller, City Council and council president. Forty-four callers (32 percent) said they weren't.Seventy-seven of 133 callers (nearly 58 percent)

The process by which candidates for the Supreme Court are selected is unfair, according to more than 57 percent of respondents to SUNDIAL. Taking that view were 235 of 407 callers, while 172 callers (42 percent) said the process is fair.The process was not productive in the Clarence Thomas case, said 70 percent (286 of 405 callers), while 119 callers (29 percent) said it was.Eighty percent of the callers (324 out of 404) said they did not change their minds about Thomas as a result of the special hearing, and 80 callers (19 percent)