Voters

Recently while visiting your wonderful city I read your Nov. 9 editorial interpreting a vote against a measure limiting collective bargaining rights of public employees in Ohio as a "message to the right. " The real message is that given enough voters who are public employees and enough union money, they promoted via the media that the law would defund public services and threaten important public services such as teachers, police and fire protection. Polls showed that a large majority agreed with limiting bargaining rights and asking those employees to contribute more toward pensions and health care, but the media blitz scared voters into rejecting the bill.

The Republican sleight-of-hand machine is back in business ("Obama targets divisive issues," April 29). Instead of talking about the economy (for which they have no solution) or energy (no solution there, either) or global warming (GOP: "What's that"?), they want to talk about same-sex marriage, Planned Parenthood and any other "social issues" they can find to distract people's attention from the real problems facing this country. Repeated lies, negative advertising - these are the tried-and-true methods that Republicans (privately)

Former Gov. Parris N. Glendening's proposal to let voters decide whether to build transportation projects ignores the long history of disconnect between the state's plans and outcomes, which cannot be resolved by a simple yes or no by voters ("Voters will support transportation projects," April 22). This goes back at least as far as the 1960s, when voters rejected a second parallel span for the Bay Bridge - and the state built it anyway. In the 1990s, even Gov. William Donald Schaefer got conned by his own Department of Transportation's promises regarding light rail.

The voters of Maryland should and must have the opportunity to decide if our tax dollars will be used to subsidize the college education of illegal immigrants. This will have to be put on the 2012 election ballot in Maryland. This issue is too important to be forced on the taxpayers by a handful of elected officials in Annapolis who have a political Interest and agenda. The Maryland Dream Act, sponsored by state Sen. Victor Ramirez and Del. Anna Sol Gutierrez passed by a slim majority in both the House of Delegates and Senate.

Maryland voters will choose a governor and all 188 state lawmakers this fall, but they'll also likely face an even weightier decision: Should the state constitution be ripped up and rewritten? Every 20 years, state lawmakers are required to pass legislation placing a "constitutional convention question" on the ballot. The bill is expected to win easy approval because, as Assistant Attorney General Dan Friedman told lawmakers on Wednesday, "You really don't have a choice." Once the question is on the ballot, it has a long record of going nowhere - just one has been called since 1867, and the document produced was rejected.

Otis Rolley is scrambling up porches in a quiet West Baltimore neighborhood, undaunted by a steady drizzle. He leaps over baby gates, dodges yapping poodles and asks voters to support him in the primary election. A few years ago, few outside City Hall and local urban-planning circles were familiar with Rolley. Today, his purple campaign signs dot neighborhoods throughout the city, and supporters include young professionals and technology leaders. In this neighborhood of tidy brick rowhomes just south of Mondawmin Mall, residents say they have gotten to know the 37-year-old candidate through his dogged campaigning.

I'm not sure how many readers got the gist of The Sun's editorial, "Carrying petition reform too far," (Jan. 30), but I absolutely did. Let me be very clear. The Sun's advice to anyone who disagrees with our far-left thinking state government should be just "forgetaboutit" because we elected these know-it-all politicians to think and act for us in each and every scenario without question! I don't think so and neither should the Sun's editorial board. Gail Householder, Marriottsville Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

Martin O'Malley stood outside the Annapolis capital on a chilly January day more than three years ago, telling a jubilant crowd gathered for his inauguration that his priorities of boosting education and reducing crime "will require sacrifice." As he now seeks the privilege of continuing to lead, the governor must convince voters that sacrifices made during his term — many unforeseeable in early 2007 — were worth the effort. O'Malley, a Democrat, finished the fourth and final regular General Assembly session of his term last week, meaning his record as governor is nearly complete.

The budget package passed by the Maryland state Senate has many good elements -- investments in local schools, a cap on tuition hikes at public colleges, more money for road repairs and cuts in nonessential spending. However, it also includes a provision making it easier for county councils to override voter-imposed property tax limits. Five counties - Prince George's, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Talbot, and Wicomico - currently have such limits. Whether or not you think your local property tax rate is high enough to support good schools, we should all be able to agree that the voters' will ought to be respected.

I'd like to clarify that my statement to the school board study commission on Sept. 12 included opposition to any appointed member of the county Board of Education. I haven't heard of anyone supporting an all-appointed board, but, if so, I'd be even more vehemently against that. I much prefer democracy rather than appointment from above in the selection of our policy-making county officials. As indicated in my testimony, I believe the people of Howard County are capable of choosing our own representatives on such bodies and don't need any elected official or officials, using their own standards, doing the choosing for us. Since there will be winners and losers in every election, not everyone will be pleased with the results.