Americans should be wary of Trump’s economic track record

I wish that someone would explain why former President Donald Trump seems to be leading polls on the issue of the economy (“Donald Trump mansplains how he’s a ‘protector’ of women,” Sept. 25). He bankrupted his casinos. His failed business ventures included the airline, Trump Shuttle, Trump Vodka, Trump Steaks and Trump University, which was such a fraud that he settled lawsuits for $25 million.

Trump seems to have convinced his supporters that all of the tariffs he wants to impose will bring millions of dollars to the U.S. Treasury. That isn’t close to what a tariff does. For example, a tariff on goods from China are paid by companies who import those goods. Guess who these companies pass on the increased price of these goods? That’s right, to the consumer who purchases the products.

Trump is a total fraud on most issues including his claims of his extreme intelligence, but the idea that someone given upwards of $400 million from his father and who has been a loser on virtually everything he has touched and is viewed as a brilliant mind on the economy would be laughable if it weren’t so pathetic.

— Jon Jacobson, Lutherville

Sound public health policy also good for economy

In his recent letter to the editor, Louis Campion of the Maryland Motor Truck Association disingenuously suggests that it is “convenient” to look at the effects of diesel trucks only as a public health issue (“A rushed Advance Clean Trucks mandate will do more harm than good,” Sept. 20). Indeed, public health is the overarching perspective necessary. Nevertheless, his newfound assumption that common sense public health policy will doom Maryland’s freight industry undercuts the fact that the bill passed last year, by his own admission, with the cooperation of his organization.

While Campion rightly expresses concerns about the “supply chain, infrastructure, and the needs of everyday Americans,” he neglects simple facts. This policy, already adopted by 11 states, never bans diesel vehicles of any kind — it doesn’t even come close. Used and new vans, trucks, and buses that are 100% diesel-powered will be available for purchase in Maryland in perpetuity.

Research shows that in model year 2027, when the program is slated to start in Maryland, electric trucks and buses will be less expensive than their combustion engine counterparts in terms of both the sticker price and the total cost of ownership. Electric fleets are already saving businesses across the country a lot of money — maybe that’s why truck manufacturers are having no trouble more than doubling their zero-emissions sales targets under the clean trucks policy.

In April 2023, Mr. Campion told journalists that the legislation he helped pass represented a “fair compromise.” Though he’s since changed his mind, our policymakers should not change theirs. Now more than ever, it’s important that we adopt smart policies to protect Maryland’s public health while advancing our economy.

— Edmund M. Weisberg, Baltimore

The longer Red Line is delayed, the greater the cost to all

Former Gov. Larry Hogan seems to have no vision for the future. If elected to the U.S. Senate, he plans to scuttle the Red Line the way he did as governor (“Larry Hogan says he wouldn’t prioritize Red Line funding in US Senate, believes project won’t happen,” Sept. 25). When he took that action as governor, he not only wasted the time and money already spent planning for Baltimore transit, but postponed Maryland’s readiness for the inevitable shift away from total reliance on automobile transportation.

Yes, public transportation is inconvenient in Baltimore and it will be expensive to make it what people would like it to be. The longer the state puts off starting to improve it, the more expensive it will be, and also the later the state will be ready for future growth and sustainability.

I don’t live in Baltimore anymore, but I still have vivid memories of how difficult it was to get around without a car. At the time, I had a car, but I couldn’t afford parking in the city so I had to park it at a friend’s house in Reisterstown. I also remember how clogged the city streets were with traffic. These problems have only gotten worse and will continue to do so as long as urban populations depend on automobiles for local transportation.

When I take a business trip to Europe, one of the great delights is the ability to get around without an automobile. How long will it be before the citizens of Maryland can enjoy that delight at home?

— George Dinwiddie, Pasadena