Governor wrong to support groceries selling beer and wine

Why would Gov. Wes Moore allow grocery stores to sell alcohol when the liquor stores still have a law that prohibits them from opening on Sundays (“Top Maryland lawmakers not planning to prioritize alcohol sales in grocery stores,” Jan. 7)? Don’t you think that law is outdated?

But the cannabis dispensaries are open on Sundays so why can’t the liquor stores be open on Sundays? Can someone tell me the reason for that? This makes no sense to me.

I don’t agree with letting grocery stores sell alcohol as it will only hurt the small businesses. Maybe that is the governor’s goal — to shut down small business people.

— Judy Francis, Towson

Forget Cheney, presidential medals devalued by Limbaugh

With everything that is going in, letter writer Jon Ketzner’s biggest complaint is someone being given a Presidential Citizens Medal (“Liz Cheney thoroughly undeserving of any honor,” Jan. 3)?

Where was his letter when Donald Trump decided to give the even-higher civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Rush Limbaugh in 2020? The talk show host who died in 2021 was well known for his hatred of African Americans, LGBTQ+ individuals, feminists, climate change protesters and my favorite Limbaugh hatred, sexual consent, given that he tried to inform young college guys how to tell when a “no” actually is a “yes?”

I think that Limbaugh ruined the honor of presidential medals.

— Joseph Kortash, Catonsville

There’s still a crucial role for NATO

While Armstrong Williams has some good advice for President-elect Trump (“Donald Trump’s last hurrah,” Jan. 4), I don’t agree with his statement that “NATO at 75 is well past retirement.”

Think back to the 1930s, a time when the U.S. was in an isolationist mode following World War I and the nations of Europe had no mutual defense plan. Nazi Germany was able to pick them off in short order and drag the U.S. into World War II. Fast forward to 1949 and the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization whose purpose was to provide for the collective security of European countries against the threat of Soviet expansion.

NATO’s mission was to ensure the stability of Western European democracies during the early Cold War period, but also to allow the U.S. to maintain and exert influence in European and global affairs, secure our economic interests and assist in addressing global security threats.

Russia’s annexation of Crimea and parts of Georgia and its invasion of Ukraine should serve as a wake-up call that there is again a real threat to our democratic allies in Europe. Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland rightly fear that without NATO they would be easy pickings for Russia.

All NATO members should pay their fair share for mutual defense. However, in today’s unstable world, it is premature to call for NATO’s retirement.

— Frona Brown, Pikesville

Maryland should stop trying to be like California

It was interesting to read the recent commentary comparing the economic positions of Maryland and Virginia (“Maryland should take a page from Virginia’s book,” Jan. 5). Because of their proximity to the nation’s capital both depend heavily on the federal government. So why are they faring so differently in terms of their fiscal performances and future outlooks?

I guess some may point to the Democratic Party’s control of state as well as Baltimore City and many other local governments as one clue to explain Maryland’s propensity to spend. Some might suggest Maryland’s current leaders try to emulate California as it is no surprise that Maryland is known as “California of the East.” It appears that such emulation has been a success to the detriment of Maryland especially to us taxpayers.

It is high time our elected officials wise up to economic realities rather than chasing unproven pie in the sky ideologies and start governing frugally like most struggling taxpayers routinely try to do. Obviously, Virginia must be doing something right or at least better than Maryland.

— Michael Ernest, Catonsville