Spare Maryland’s scenic land from power lines

In Annapolis, Democrats may hold the fate of Maryland’s wildland preservation system. Senate Bill 399 pre-authorizes the construction of a new NextEra Energy transmission line across Western Maryland’s Big Savage Mountain Wildland, Bear Pen Wildland and Dan’s Mountain Wildland. This hands the future fate of these most protected oases of nature to the Public Service Commission (“Who’s to blame for Maryland’s rising utility bills?” Feb. 23).

Passage of this bill would not only allow this violation of state law and regulation, but would create a new pathway for changing boundaries, creating exceptions and allowing industrial development in any wildlands in the state from here forward. The effort to molest these sacred places is under the leadership of House Economic Matters Committee Chair C.T. Wilson, a Charles County Democrat who made a mockery out of the March 6 hearing on House Bill 1270 (sister bill to SB 399) chatting with the sponsor about his military record and allowing a 35 minute presentation from the proponents full of misinformation and outright lies while shutting down the opposition to less than 4 minutes with no questions.

The understatement of the year was made by sponsor Del. Jim Hinebaugh Jr., a Republican who represents Garrett and Allegany counties, in response to Del. Jesse Pippy’s comment comparing the proposed Western Maryland transmission line to the catastrophic Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project line proposed in Frederick, Carroll and Baltimore counties stating, “in all fairness we do have people who are not in favor of this.”

Opposition testimony was 4-to-1 against this bill including leading conservation organizations like the League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, Mid-Atlantic Audubon, Maryland Ornithological Society, Chesapeake Conservancy, Potomac Riverkeepers, Maryland Native Plant Society and others representing thousands of citizens, oppose these bills. Local citizen groups Engage Mountain Maryland, the Garrett County Forestry Board, members of the Savage River State Forest Advisory Board, faculty at the Appalachian Environmental Lab, farmers, transplants and natives of the region, both Republican and Democrat objected, but the Democrats seemed deaf to their words.

Even Farm Bureau members and representatives of Allegany County testified that they are opposed to the transmission line as it impacts farms. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has taken no position but hastily organized a public meeting in Garrett County where 150 locals attended. DNR Secretary Joshua Kurtz himself heard the public outrage at this bill where a 175-person petition objecting to this violation of public trust was hand delivered.

Yet the Democrats hide behind the doors of House Economic Matters chambers and vote to undo 50 years of conservation history. Where is their commitment to “Maryland the Beautiful” now?

— Steve Storck, Oakland

Do presidents get to deport their critics?

The recent column by Armstrong Williams, “Facing deportation, Mahmoud Khalil has himself to blame” (March 18), can be summarized in just a few words — “You can come to America, land of the free and home of the brave, and be granted permanent and protected legal status, but show fealty to Donald Trump or be expelled.”

Williams notes that Khalil has not been charged with any crime, a legal requirement to be deported, but feels that he went too far and that the Trump administration was being generous by not charging him. How ridiculous! Is there any sentient human being who believes that? A federal judge didn’t think so, instead finding that the Trump administration acted illegally.

Whatever you think about Hamas is irrelevant. Williams observes, “Thank God we live in a country with due process and free speech rights.” But those rights don’t seem to apply if he and President Trump don’t like what’s being said. We are supposed to be a nation of laws and it’s clear that Trump and his supporters, like Williams, enjoy defying them if it suits their purposes.

— John Gazurian, Baltimore

Schools not place to discuss transgender ideology

All humans are created equal and none should suffer discrimination because of their beliefs or practices. Certainly, this applies to members of the transgender community. However, transgender identity ideology, like a religion, is a non-scientific belief system that some people hold to be true and adopt a lifestyle accordingly (“Maine found in violation of Title IX over transgender athletes after President Trump clashed with governor,” March 19).

Of course, children should become acquainted with the wide variety of beliefs and lifestyles among Americans in order to appreciate the value of diversity in our society. But just as public schools do not indoctrinate children into any religious system, so they should not be selectively indoctrinating them into the beliefs and lifestyles of the transgender identity ideology.

— Henry Mosley, Parkville