No to Nick Mosby on gaming commission

I think Nick Mosby should NOT be a member of the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (“Maryland senators back Mosby’s appointment amid concerns over unpaid bills and debts,” March 21).

If he cannot manage his own financial affairs, how can we expect him to have the necessary skills to manage the finances of the commission?

— Susan Talbott, Baltimore

Facts (and taxes) matter

Democratic former Baltimore County Executive Don Mohler tells us that Maryland’s budget woes are all due to former Governor Larry Hogan (“The budget Wes Moore really inherited,” March 29).

He states that instead of “investing in enduring solutions to grow Maryland’s economy and shore up state finances,” Hogan frittered away the federal COVID funds and put a chainsaw to state agencies.

He does not state what those investments are. Apparently, according to Mohler, reducing spending is a big problem. Further, conspicuously absent is any mention of the fact that Hogan had to work with Democratic veto-proof legislatures all eight years he was governor.

This is the same crowd that gave us the Blueprint for Maryland education boondoggle without any funding source. Mohler says facts matter. Yes, they do. Facts that he should look into include an article in the March 28 edition of The Baltimore Sun comparing Maryland with our neighboring states.

Pennsylvania serves 13 million people on a $40 billion budget compared with Maryland serving 6 million people (badly) on a $60 billion budget. Other states have budget surpluses.

Finally, Mohler celebrates that the top 1% will pay for tax cuts to the rest by paying their “fair share.” If past is prologue, those folks will be paying their fair share somewhere else. Facts matter. So do taxes.

— Robert C. Erlandson, Lutherville

Of Musk and mail

I have a couple of thoughts or as Dan Rodricks used to write in The Sun, “nobody asked me but….”

First, Elon Musk is not an elected official. Is he a government employee? If so, what kind of salary or compensation does he and others associated with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) receive (“Health and Human Services cuts 10,000 jobs as part of major restructuring,” March 27)?

I’d hate to think that it is a percentage of their “fraud-finding” because who gets to define it for them? What is actually fraud versus approved (congressionally or otherwise) spending?

Second, as to the U.S. Postal Service and its efficiency, why not consider something like odd and even postal delivery days based on zip code? Or perhaps delivery route numbers.

Those with odd numbers would get delivery on days ending in odd numbers and those with even numbers on even days. Delivery service and post office window hours could be modified to seven days a week.

It would certainly cut down on the number of postal vehicles (and maybe postal employees) on the road each day as there is a decreasing amount of time-sensitive first-class mail due to online banking.

It shouldn’t be hard to “hold” mail at post offices for businesses that are unable to accept mail on Sunday.

— S. Converse, Monkton