Editorial Board

In an interview with The Sun's editorial board this week, Comptroller Peter Franchot took aim at Gov. Martin O'Malley's performance in office, suggesting he has been focused on other things while Maryland's economy has lagged. The two Democrats have had strained relations at times in the past, and in this case, Mr. Franchot echoes a criticism of the governor that is rarely stated publicly by members of his party -- that his national ambitions are getting in the way of his management of the state.

Leave it to The Sun to mock Mitt Romney's voluntary effort to include women in his administration as governor of Massachusetts ("The binding of women," Oct. 18). Must any affirmative action to include women be mandated by government to satisfy The Sun's editorial board? Oh, wait? I get it. If the government had mandated Mr. Romney's action, then our president could have told Mr. Romney: "You didn't build - I mean do - that. " Bob Price, Lutherville

It is refreshing to see that The Sun editorial board hasn't strayed from the ultra-liberal progressive spin of the Democratic party in dismissing Mitt Romney's economic recovery tax plan as a big lie ("Big lies and Big Bird," Oct. 8). The is just another attempt to excuse the absolutely dismal debate performance of President Barack Obama that clearly showed he has no idea how to turn this economy around over the next four years. Your editorial suggests that "the nation is facing serious economic challenges, and it requires a serious debate over how best to spur growth but also reduce the deficit in the long term.

Your editorial on Katie Moody's tasteless tweet was either written by two different people in two different worlds or is a prime example of the lunacy that is all too common in our culture today ("Offensive tweet, outrageous response," Sept. 27). In the same editorial, Ms. Moody's right to free speech, however moronic, was defended, while the rights of her equally moronic respondents were dismissed out of hand. No doubt most of those respondents hid behind some cowardly pseudonym, which is detestable.

The Sun editorial ("In defeat, a victory," Sept. 24) claims that the City of Baltimore was within its rights to make unilateral changes to fire and police pensions. Federal Judge Marvin Garbis ruled that the city ordinance was unconstitutional. It appears that the editorial board at the Sun believes contracts are made to be broken. In 2009, the fire officers, fire fighters and the Fraternal Order of Police approached the city administration with a proposal that would have saved Baltimore over $80 million in pension costs.

Before The Sun's editorial board ("Baby, come back," Aug. 31) and Peter Schmuck ("The Orioles keep winning, but where are the fans?" Aug. 29) rib us about our alleged lack of attendance at Camden Yards, perhaps they should read their own paper. On the day Mr. Schmuck first raised the issue, the sports page printed this year's attendance figures in Major League Baseball and last year's as well. Baltimore averaged 21,943 last year, and now, with just under 20 games to go, they are averaging 25,536 and will crack 2 million total.

The Sun can propagate all the feel-good rhetoric it wants, but it won't change the truth ("Doing better than 'fine,'" June 12). The private sector is not fine, has not been fine for the past 3 1/2 years, and if President Barack Obama is re-elected, it will remain not fine. The Sun's editorial board should be ashamed of itself for the blatant manner in which it tried to make it appear as if Mr. Obama is doing a "fine" job. Your subscribers are not stupid (as you are) and know what a pathetic mess this country is in. The Sun should be honest enough and non-partisan enough to admit it. Gail Householder, Marriottsville

If this was during President George W. Bush's term, there would have been no "question" about drone and cyber attacks (not to mention leaks by the White House). He would have been vilified by your paper ("The secret wars," June 8). And by the way, where is your editorial board on Attorney General Eric Holder'spathetic performance on the "Fast and Furious" fiasco? If John Ashcroft was attorney general, you would have been all over this - probably with at least two negative editorials by now. Lyle Rescott, Marriottsville

So much for "innocent before proven guilty"! Not only does the liberal newspaper editorial board hang people even before an arrest they also condemn an entire state for the laws enacted to protect it's citizens ("License to kill," March 23). Former Baltimore City Councilman Kenneth Harris surely would have loved to have Florida's laws protecting him just before he was murdered. Councilman Harris did everything that stupid Maryland requires; he abandoned his friend in an emergency; he offered no resistance; and he tucked his tail and ran away.

Maybe instead of blustering about the need to increase the state's tax on a gallon of gas, The Sun's editorial board should support legislation to outlaw an increase in the tax until all of the money that was stolen from the Transportation Trust Fund since 1992 is returned ("Pay now or later," March 14). It would also be helpful to know exactly how much has been taken from the fund since the last time the tax was increased, and who was the governor at the time that authorized it. The title of the editorial is somewhat ironic, as I feel that I have already "paid now," it's just that those funds weren't spent for the purpose they were collected.