Olesker

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. said "there's no doubt" he will meet at some point with the editor of The Sun to discuss the governor's ban that forbids all state officials from talking to two journalists at the newspaper. Ehrlich said on a WBAL radio program Wednesday evening that he was open to the idea of a meeting. The governor told radio host Rob Douglas that he would be willing to sit down with The Sun, "but it's not to placate anybody, it's simply to hear them out and for them to hear me out."

The Ehrlich administration acknowledged yesterday that Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele had a conversation with Sun columnist Michael Olesker at Pimlico Race Course in May -- a reversal after the administration had been saying for several days that no such conversation occurred. Also yesterday, two national journalism organizations joined The Sun in protesting Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s order that bans state officials from speaking with Olesker and Sun State House Bureau Chief David Nitkin.

MARVIN MANDEL had reporters probing his marital strife. Harry R. Hughes got pounded over the savings-and-loan debacle. William Donald Schaefer was fond of giving the press his single-digit salute for criticisms (both real and imagined). Parris N. Glendening was hounded by reporters over a pension scandal. Ask any Maryland governor: They all hated the press. Good journalists are skeptical, relentless and entirely inconvenient to politicians who want to hand out information selectively and with a self-serving spin.

Pointing to the First Amendment and the rights of journalists to obtain information, lawyers for The Sun formally asked Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. yesterday to lift a ban that forbids state officials from speaking with a reporter and a columnist at the paper. In a letter faxed to the governor's office yesterday afternoon, lawyers for Tribune Co., which owns The Sun, called the ban "unconstitutional on its face" and in violation of free speech protections that guarantee equal treatment for all members of the news media.

The Ehrlich administration has taken the unusual step of banning all state officials from speaking with two Sun journalists, who they say are "failing to objectively report" on state issues. The governor's press office sent a memo Thursday to all state public information officers and to the governor's staff ordering them to not speak with State House Bureau Chief David Nitkin or columnist Michael Olesker. "Do not return calls or comply with any requests," press secretary Shareese N. DeLeaver wrote in the memo.

Staffing model adds to support for city schools Michael Olesker's column "Plan spells disaster for city's best schools" (April 27) refers to changes I proposed at a meeting of high school principals. The potential result of the changes, according to Mr. Olesker, is a "tragedy in the making." The column makes a number of references to an increase in class sizes at Baltimore City College High School, the loss of teachers and the elimination of the prestigious International Baccalaureate program.

Prosecutors had no grounds for protective order On behalf of the 204 prosecutors in the state's attorney's office of Baltimore City, I am writing to respond to Michael Olesker's column "Prosecutors' discovery rule decisions may prove fatal" (Feb. 6). In four separate communications, including an interview with State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and Assistant State's Attorney Daniel Roe, Mr. Olesker was provided detailed information that was not reported accurately in his column. Mr. Olesker incorrectly implied that the prosecutor had provided the victim's name, home address and phone number directly to the defendant.

Officials at WJZ-TV have dismissed Michael Olesker, the station's commentator for the past 19 years, saying the savings were needed to pay for added staff for a new afternoon newscast. "The job of part-time commentator is being eliminated as part of a bigger strategy," said WJZ spokeswoman Liz Chuday. "The resources [are] already being reinvested in more crews and reporters gathering news on the street." She noted recent ratings advances by the station as proof of the wisdom of the move.

Buses provide efficient, safe transportation As a bus operator, I took great offense at Raymond Daniel Burke's column "Derelict and dangerous" (Opinion Commentary, June 18). The writer slams buses as exhaust-spewing behemoths that displace fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly cars. But in fact, buses and motor coaches are very environmentally friendly. According to the White House Conference on Global Climate Change, buses are twice as fuel-efficient as Amtrak and other train services, three times more efficient than automobiles and four times more efficient than commercial aviation.

Republicans do address city concerns Michael Olesker's generalizations regarding Republicans' views of city problems require a response ("Will standoffish mayor stand firmly behind Townsend?" June 9). Mr. Olesker argues that "the Republican approach to drugs has been reduced to a single word: imprisonment" and that Republicans have shown "sheer obliviousness" to city problems. In fact, Republicans in the General Assembly have called for increased appropriations for drug treatment in Baltimore and for giving a greater budgetary priority to caseload reduction and salary enhancements in the state's Division of Parole and Probation.