Repaint graffiti-plagued JFX overpasses

Regarding Dillon Mullan’s recent article about graffiti in Baltimore coming out of the shadows (“At ‘Art After Dark,’ Baltimore graffiti writers to create out of the shadows Thursday night,” June 5), what’s missing is the embarrassment of driving down the Jones Falls Expressway (Interstate 83) from the city line to downtown and seeing graffiti on every overpass.

It wouldn’t take much to have all those repainted — not just touched up to cover the graffiti but totally repainted. My suggestion would be to match the one attractive overpass that is blue with red outlining.

— Richard T. Webb, Parkton

Moore’s next climate target should be data centers

Gov. Wes Moore promised a clean energy transition, economic growth and that we leave no one behind. This is fantastic. However, earlier this year he sponsored a bill on data centers that sacrifices the clean energy transition merely for the promised economic growth of hyper-data centers (“Don’t make data centers Maryland’s development goal,” May 17).

Let’s look at the facts. The proposed data centers in Frederick and Prince George’s counties would use more electricity than 128% of all Maryland households combined. Plus, they will have thousands of extremely large backup diesel generators spewing out greenhouse gases and other pollutants like particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. Finally, this dramatic increase in electricity consumption is going to have an adverse effect on ratepayers. In essence, Maryland consumers are going to subsidize these data centers over and above the tax incentives that they already receive. And who is hurt most by rate hikes? Black, brown and low-income people.

This is not a choice between economic growth and clean energy. We can do both if we plan and regulate to advance both objectives. The plan needs common sense regulations to make sure these large data centers use 100% clean energy by 2030, make sure consumers are protected by electrical rate hikes caused by data centers and mandate that data centers use initially at least 50% battery backup and by 2030 use 100% clean energy backup.

Governor Moore, it is up to you to implement your promise.

— Dave Arndt, Baltimore

Larry Hogan can’t hide his MAGA tendencies

Don’t be fooled by former Gov. Larry Hogan’s ads promising to cut through the “BS” of Washington (“US Senate candidate Larry Hogan to skip Donald Trump-led Republican National Convention,” June 4). I find the Republican U.S. Senate candidate’s campaign commercials troubling and misleading.

Hogan, if elected, will be caucusing with some of the same senators who backed the Jan. 6 insurrection and who tried to overturn a fair election. He will be voting with the same senators who want to deny women contraception and abortion rights. He will vote with his party or face being treated like a pariah by his fellow GOP senators. It also means that he will block many bills that Marylanders want passed.

I believe Hogan would not have voted to fund the Francis Scott Key Bridge reconstruction if he were in office now. It is one thing to be governor of a blue state. But when you are a GOP senator, and representing a blue state, you must fairly represent your constituents.

As a Republican senator, Hogan will have no choice but to knuckle under to the GOP leadership.

If Hogan is so committed to play acting like an independent, then he should run as an independent. Hogan talks a good game against the convicted felon former president. However, I fear that if Donald Trump and Hogan are elected, Larry will be dusting off the MAGA hat he keeps in his closet.

— Daniel Phelps, Towson

New registration fees likely to fuel more spending

When the editorial justifying the ridiculous hike in vehicle registration fees speaks to “context,” how could it possibly ignore how Maryland’s Transportation Trust Fund has often served as a piggy bank for other underfunded agencies, be it education or other social services (“Drivers may moan but higher registration fees are overdue,” June 5)?

These “loans” are never paid back! A proper analysis might reveal that if all of the current road taxes (vehicle registration, gas taxes, tolls, etc.) actually ever “reached their destination” we’d have a surplus.

But no, Annapolis passes things like the utopian Blueprint for Maryland’s Future K-12 education plan with only a fraction of the required monies available.

But, oh wait, we’ll beat up on highways again. Between my cars, motorcycles, RV and others I’m looking at 11 vehicles. Hey, volume discounts anyone?

— Peter Bell, Monkton