The ups and downs of lowering and raising tolls

Back when Gov. Larry Hogan didn’t raise tolls, everybody was happy and no one complained. No one said, “We should consider transportation costs in the future.” But now, when he is running for the U.S. Senate, what he did was apparently wrong. Politics is definitely a two-edged sword (“Marylanders now paying for Hogan’s toll giveaway,” Oct. 26).

John Hammond, who was critical of Hogan’s actions on tolls in his recent letter to the editor, was smart to start his commentary with “Perhaps” because the odds are we would still be in the same situation if the governor had, indeed, raised the toll rates. For “perhaps” means “when one does not wish to be too definite or assertive in the expression of an opinion” or “used to express uncertainty or possibility.” The last paragraph of the letter starts with: “Thanks to Hogan, millions of drivers have paid less to use Maryland’s toll roads for 10 years.”

Perhaps, that is where it should have ended. As the saying goes, “You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t!”

— Stas Chrzanowski, Baltimore

Ban on gas-powered leaf blowers was overdue

As an Audubon member, I commend Baltimore Major Brandon Scott’s decision to sign the City Council bill banning those environmentally disrupting gas-powered leaf blowers for commercial use this year and restricting private use with a goal of outlawing them within two years (“Baltimore City Council votes to ban gas-powered leaf blowers,” Oct. 7).

Montgomery County has already taken the step of banning their sale and by next July we will no longer hear the ear-piercing noise that bears malaise on both humans and wildlife. It is worth the additional investment, tallied at three times the cost, to overcome the pervasive pollution which is equivalent to driving a car 1,100 miles.

Accordingly, the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks has already begun the transition to electric leaf blowers. Homeowners have the choice of not using leaf blowers altogether, but rather spreading the fallen leaves on their lawn. This will attract and provide camouflage for wildlife. Bird watchers can revel in the prospect of more birds on their property due to the leaf covered lawn attracting insects that serve as subsidence.

Transitioning to electric leaf blowers or just spreading the debris on your yard will eliminate the polluting emissions and promote better health for Baltimore residents, an investment worth making.

— Gail Landy, Gaithersburg

Fingers crossed that US will pass democracy test

Sometime this week (hopefully), our country will have a new president. And sometime this week, we will have (probably) close to half of the population of our country very disappointed (“Trump talks about reporters being shot and says he shouldn’t have left White House after 2020 loss,” Nov. 3).

How our citizens and leaders respond to this democratic process will be the true test of our democracy. Let’s hope that the process, the people and the politicians respect all of the battles fought to give the citizens of the United States of America the right to vote.

Fingers crossed.

— Sharan Kushner, Baltimore

MVP Lamar Jackson puts Baltimore on the map

It’s impossible to overstate what Lamar Jackson means to the city of Baltimore (“Lamar Jackson perfect, Ravens’ offense keeps rolling in 41-10 win over Broncos,” Nov. 3). He’s an incredibly gifted athlete, but as a leader he also extolls the value of his teammates and gets the most out of them.

Baltimore can boast the best crab cakes in the world and the finest urban aquarium in the country. However, our baseball team struggles to get out of the first playoff round, we’re vying to create a second tier convention center and the mass transit system is struggling to meet the vision of its leaders.

Meanwhile, every weekend brings the possibility that our football team, the Baltimore Ravens, will deliver the best performance in the country. That was certainly the case this past Sunday.

Is this a lot to ask of a quarterback that merely tosses a pigskin 20 times a year? Of course, it is. But what other leader has been able to inspire and unite the entire metropolitan area? Let’s see if he’s “MV3” and ready to win his third NFL Most Valuable Player award.

— Eric Greene, Annapolis