Why does Mayor Scott want to hide city salaries?

Usually when you don’t want to share something, it’s because you are trying to hide it. Now, it seems Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and his staff don’t want others to know what they are paying certain people in city government (“Baltimore City Council slams mayor for not sharing salary data: ‘I think you don’t care,'” June 3).

The problem between Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen and the Scott administration “was a request by Councilman Paris Gray that the Baltimore Department of Human Resources (DHR) release its salary studies. These biennial reports compare city salary ranges with those in other cities, allowing candidates to set their expectations appropriately during the application process.”

Obviously, Mayor Scott does not want people to see what the city is paying its employees compared to other cities. In response to Cohen, Baltimore Budget Director Laura Larsen said she was not aware of his conversations with the mayor’s chief of staff but would “circle back” with the mayor’s office, which is political speak for “Don’t hold your breath, Zeke.”

So that leaves two possibilities. Either the report was never completed which is what probably happened or the mayor’s office is trying to hide something dealing with city salaries. Or, perhaps, it could be both.

As to whether or not the mayor cares about enabling City Council staff to push for pay raises? I doubt it.

— Stas Chrzanowski, Baltimore

Maryland should spend more to rebuild shoreline

Maryland’s coastlines are eroding at an alarming rate. While Ocean City receives regular beach nourishment to rebuild its beaches, many other vulnerable areas like Assateague Island and parts of the Chesapeake Bay are often overlooked. These places are just as threatened by sea-level rise and stronger storms, yet they lack the same level of funding and support (“Ellicott City among Maryland areas where Trump has frozen flood prevention funds,” May 30).

Beach nourishment isn’t just about saving tourist destinations. It protects wildlife habitats, coastal communities and public infrastructure. If we only invest in one area, we’re ignoring the bigger picture and putting more of Maryland’s shoreline at risk.

As a high school student researching this issue for a civic action project, I believe the state should expand beach nourishment efforts across more regions. Every foot of shoreline lost is a piece of Maryland we may never get back unless we act now.

— Skye Lizmi, Queenstown

Cuts to clean energy hurt us all

Thank you for the recent article, “Ellicott City among Maryland areas where Trump has frozen flood prevention funds” (May 30). The Trump administration seems bound and determined to attack any response to climate change with no regard for who will be hurt.

As the article demonstrates, climate change does not care about Republican districts or Democratic districts. We are all being impacted and we are all being hurt by President Donald Trump’s actions. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face!

At the very least, the U.S. Senate needs to remove the budget bill’s cuts to the clean energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act.

— Lyla Fadali, Rockville