Bravo to student homage to bus travel

Congratulations and much thanks to Empress Rasheem, a Western High School junior, for her fine commentary in The Baltimore Sun (“A Baltimore high schooler’s love letter to city buses,” March 20).

My favorite sentences, among many: “The bus stop is where a drunk man gave me his jacket in the rain. The bus stop is where I allowed myself to be vulnerable to this city and realized that I don’t have to keep my head on a swivel all the time.”

And: “I have missed the bus, I have waited in the snow for the bus, buses have been canceled, the bus after the canceled bus has been canceled…”

And: “[The bus stop] has shown me that survival is not the only lens to view the world.”

“Empress,” indeed.

— Bernard Haske, Catonsville

Liberal judges seek to thwart Trump downsizing

Just when the congressional deck chairs are seemingly aligned to potentially provide more success to the Trump administration with its Department of Government Efficiency or “Musk Commission” and identify waste, fraud and inefficiencies, another obstacle has revealed itself (“Trump assails judge who blocked deportations as the case heads to appeal,” March 24).

In the previous formalized waste hunting expedition — the Grace Commission of the President Ronald Reagan era — Democrats in Congress prevented little or nothing from being implemented when the potential long-term savings were identified and projected. But with the current Democratic resistance unable to halt President Donald Trump’s right-sizing of the federal government, low-level unelected judges, many of whom were appointed by Democratic presidents and sympathetic to liberal lawsuits, are an increasing impediment to the execution of the administration’s agenda.

This is the Trump agenda that voters endorsed in the last election. This judicial abuse is becoming serious and the Supreme Court needs to weigh in on the constitutionality of these judges aiming to exercise excessive control of executive branch actions and policies.

— Michael Ernest, Catonsville

Western is still producing some stellar students

Every once in a while there is a commentary in The Baltimore Sun that rises above politics and local issues. Empress Rasheem’s recent offering in which she described what she learned riding on the bus was one of those (“A Baltimore high schooler’s love letter to city buses,” March 20). She made us stop and think of the treasures and beauties of riding on the bus. Not just meeting people, but observing them.

Even the person sleeping has some intrinsic value. But a second value to me was that at the end of her article, I learned she is a journalism student at Western High School. I am happy to see Western still produces thoughtful and insightful people. I was a graduate of the fabulous school class of ’49.

— Dovey Kahn, Towson

Moore shouldn’t blame Trump for his own budget woes

Gov. Wes Moore recently blamed Maryland’s financial woes on President Donald Trump (“Gov. Wes Moore talks Democratic Party struggles on Fox News Sunday as Maryland works on $3.3B deficit,” March 23). I’d like to remind him that President Trump has been in office for two months while he has been in office for two years.

Maryland’s fiscal woes predate the Trump administration to the beginning of the Moore administration. The governor has stated that he can’t work with this administration. Yet he and most elected Democrats in this state actually can work with the administration, it’s that they won’t.

There’s a very distinct difference between “can’t” and “won’t.” If Moore can’t seem to figure out why we’re having so many problems in the state, I suggest he look in the mirror.

— Diane Pazourek, Sparks

Social Security has a customer service deficit

The other day I called the Social Security Administration’s 1-800 phone number for assistance and I was on hold for 90 minutes (“A list of the Social Security offices across the US expected to close this year,” March 19).

Every couple of minutes, a recorded voice thanked me for my patience. I was initially told my wait time would be 60 minutes.

This issue will only get worse with the closing of Social Security offices and cutting the workforce. I guess this is the “small” price we all have to pay for efficiency!

— Stas Chrzanowski, Baltimore