Taxpayers

Baltimore County Council members took heat again last week over their use of taxpayer-funded cars, a rare perk among local councils in the Baltimore area. At a meeting in Towson, county resident Mary Locke said she was surprised to learn that Councilman Todd Huff was behind the wheel of a county-issued, "gas guzzling" Jeep Grand Cherokee last month when he was arrested on drunken-driving charges. She questioned whether the county is doing enough to ensure that the vehicles aren't misused.

I do not dispute one word of what your commentator Richard E. Vatz says about bias ("Liberal media bias is beyond doubt," March 18). Moreover, I always enjoy reading what he writes, look forward to more, and also hope he does books. In addition, I note that he has a decade long-plus record behind him of annually inviting first congressman, then governor, and now former Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. to speak to his classes at state-funded and taxpayer-supported Towson University.

When 45,000 dogs and cats are tragically killed yearly in Maryland, costing taxpayers over $8 million, a remedy is long overdue. That's why Sen. Joanne Benson and I sponsored House Bill 767 and Senate Bill 820 in the 2013 General Assembly. It will establish a voluntary, low-cost spay-neuter program for dogs and cats owned by low-income Marylanders - and it will do this without raising your taxes. Each year, close to 100,000 dogs and cats are surrendered to Maryland animal shelters and control facilities, including boxes of puppies and kittens, and the public must pay for their care.

What industry gets a significant discount on property taxes funded by other taxpayers? Can you think of a business the price of whose products is supported by the treasury? Or a business that is paid from taxpayer funds not to make its products? Wouldn't you like to have a business that has access to cheap, guaranteed loans or casualty insurance subsidized by taxpayers? The only industry I know of that has available all of these entitlements is agriculture. Recently, the agriculture industry has profited from another publicly financed benefit.

Florence P. Haseltine knows the power of scientists meeting face to face. The former researcher at the National Institutes of Health notes a list of milestones achieved through networking and collaboration at conferences, such as the deliberations that led to advances that helped slow the spread of HIV. Now Haseltine, former director of the Center for Population Research of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Rockville, worries...

There appears to be yet another reality check for those who thought that casino gambling would save horse racing in Maryland: twice as many horses were euthanized at Maryland race tracks last year (21) as in the previous year. Apparently track conditions and animal care regimens have not changed;  speculation is that with slot gambling responsible for larger purses, more horses are being raced in less than perfect condition. Casino gambling was supposed to be the panacea for Maryland's woes. Yet we have new and higher taxes, and now the animals are paying, too.  Marjorie Schulenburg Laurel

State Sen. Robert A. Zirkin has shown his true colors by taking on Columbia Gas' proposed new natural gas transmission pipeline ("Senator, gas company clash over pipeline," March 3). Isn't it funny that he only fights the gas line when it comes across his property - and then tells the gas company to move it onto someone else's property? He even tried to go after one of the lobbyists' wives with a special bill crafted to only affect her. I thought he was just pompous, but now I see by his disregard for the people who elected him that he is arrogant as well.

Little noticed during the publicity over gun control and efforts to repeal the death penalty is another significant spending increase proposed by Governor O'Malley. With no regard for the future impact on Maryland taxpayers since O'Malley will not be governor then, he has proposed another unjustifiably huge increase in the Maryland budget. The state budget has grown from $29.6 billion in 2008 to a proposed $37.2 billion in 2014 (up from $35.8 billion in 2013). These unbridled state spending increases continue while the nation's fragile economy continues to struggle and hard-working state residents must work even harder to make ends meet. Federal employees are entering their third year of a pay freeze with the prospect of furloughs and another 20 percent loss of pay this year. O'Malley, likely looking for support for a future national office run, is now proposing a 3 percent pay increase for state workers. How will this pay increase be funded?

A $54 million loss and still counting, but the city is still pouring public funds into its money-losing hotel ("City must help cover Hilton's debt payments," Feb. 28). Amid sequestration madness and a looming city financial crisis, haven't taxpayers had enough? Fiscal responsibility should dictate privatizing some city services that the private sector can manage more cost effectively. Roger Campos, Baltimore Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

Regarding the recent arrest of Baltimore County Councilman Todd Huff on DUI charges, why does a part-time councilman warrant an automobile at the people's expense ("After arrest, Huff to give up county car," Feb. 26)? And why did it have to be a Jeep Grand Cherokee at a likely cost of over $30,000? Do county councilmen also get free fuel, maintenance and insurance? And why was Mr. Huff even driving this vehicle in the early morning hours? It seems to me that if councilmen are in such need of vehicles at taxpayers' expense they should at least confine their use of them to county business.