Midterm Considerations
Editor:
We the people of the Eastern Shore need to very seriously consider who represents us in congress this coming November. Currently our representative for the first district is Andy Harris and I believe it is safe to say that Andy Harris is not representing the Eastern Shore very well at all.
We are lucky enough to have been offered a wind turbine project here on the shore that was guaranteed to create hundreds of jobs and help generate renewable energy for our state. Almost three of every four citizens support the project in the district where it is to be built, yet somehow Andy Harris believes it fit to go out of his way to propose amendments to federal legislation that he knows would sink the project. He has called the turbines “visual pollution” which I would happily take any day over air pollution that stems from burning fossil fuels like oil.
This brings me to the topic of oil drilling. Recently when our president proposed the opening up of offshore drilling, Andy Harris came out in support of drilling. Somehow massive offshore drilling rigs are a much prettier sight than wind turbines in Mr. Harris’ mind. It should be noted an oil spill even a quarter the size of Deepwater Horizon on our shore would sink Ocean City’s entire tourist and fishing industry and cost tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue. Living up in Baltimore it will not be Mr.Harris’ community that is put at risk, not his beaches that would be covered in black oil, and not his family’s businesses destroyed by loss of tourist revenue. This doesn’t even touch on the ecological devastation wrought by drilling and spills.
Andy Harris’ support of drilling could stem from the $159,960 that oil and gas lobbyists have contributed to his campaign over his career. When Mr. Harris says that he would support offshore drilling he is not speaking about what is best for us, his citizens, he is speaking about the people he really works for, lobbyist groups and big donors. In his mind money speaks a lot louder than his constituents, but unlucky for Mr. Harris money cannot cast a ballot in this country and he would be wise to remember that.
He has the opportunity between now and Nov. 6 to show us that he works for the people of his district instead of the oil and gas lobby by withdrawing support of offshore drilling, or he should lose your vote as a citizen of the Eastern Shore.
Patrick Reid
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Technologies Concerns
Editor:
We refer to an article in The News Journal, dated Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 entitled “Police Technology Raises Questions.” It elaborates on methods used by police who use technology gained by cameras in airborne drones, on traffic signal poles etc. to gain information about motorists without their knowledge. This technology is helpful in apprehending criminals but raises concerns regarding individual privacy. Coban Technologies in Houston, Texas is available to police to advance this type of “artificial intelligence.”
We relate the above information to our experiences in Salisbury on Nov. 27, 2017. We traveled on E. Main Street in Salisbury and a camera took a picture of our license plate, identifying us as exceeding the speed limit. To our knowledge, there are/were no posted signs alerting motorists that cameras are being used.
When we sought information from the mayor of Salisbury, he did not reply to our letter. We phoned a number on the citation and were told that Automated Enforcement, P O Box 5046, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5046 is the enforcing agency. This means that the Town of Salisbury gets a percent of the Citation fee collected by an agency outside of the city.
Our concerns are one, to our knowledge, there are no signs alerting motorists that cameras are being used; two, that cameras are used rather than an actual policeman; and three, that an outside agency is used to entrap motorists for profit.
Ann and John McDermott
Ocean City
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Charity Support Welcomed
Editor:
There are truly angels among us. In November, we asked you, our neighbors on the Lower Shore, to “Be an Angel,” and 1,163 of you responded, giving us a record-breaking year, raising more than $118,000.
All of us at Coastal Hospice would like to thank you for contributing to help fund the charity care we provide.
Last year, Coastal Hospice cared for nearly 1,200 patients and families in Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset, and Dorchester Counties and provided more than $600,000 in charity care to patients and families who have no resources for care or have needs beyond their insurance coverage.
The average gift this year was $101, which will have a significant impact on the care Coastal Hospice provides. For example, if you made a $100 donation, you paid for one month of oxygen for a patient at home.
We sincerely thank everyone who took the challenge to “Be an Angel.”
Alane K. Capen
Salisbury
(The writer is the president of Coastal Hospice & Palliative Care.)
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Disrespectful Letter
Editor:
Our wonderful town ” provocateur” is at it again (“Loss of Privacy,” Jan. 12, 2018) with another long-winded litany chock full of uninformed rhetoric and falsehoods.
He’s moved on from defending Boardwalk “artists”, (buskers), that transform downtown into a cavalcade of borderline-talented Carnies. Now he’s whining about the inquiry of a heroin death on his property.
Newsflash, Tony Christ: heroin is illegal. There is a heroin epidemic. If someone dies from a heroin overdose on your property, or any death on your property, for that matter, expect an investigation.
Then he plays the blame game, accusing an OC first responder of using this investigation as a means of getting even for opposing a petition. Please.
His lack of respect for our emergency workforce was evident several years ago when Christ, the organizer of the “Ocean City Tax Payers for Social Justice”, circulated a poster of local politicians going down in a plane crash, soon after the tragic death of two OCPD Officers in a plane crash.
Agitators like Tony Christ are one reason Ocean City is experiencing many recent issues of concern.
What’s next on this guy’s agenda? Defending the H2Oi miscreants that wreak havoc here because burning rubber is “freedom of expression”?
Or making the enabler drug Narcan available in vending machines, so a heroin user can live another day to kill an innocent family of four while driving the wrong way on Route 50?
And while we’re on the subject of heroin, many thanks to the OCPD Narcotics Unit and allied forces in Operation Harbor Breeze last month, garnering many key arrests and getting thousands of dollars of drugs off of OC streets. It is appreciated.
John Phillips,
Ocean City
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Wind Farm Support
Editor:
On behalf of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce – representing hundreds of regional Delmarva businesses and thousands of their employees — we want to express our strong commitment to capturing the immense wind energy resource off our shores. To protect our health, wildlife, and economy – and the quality of life of future generations, we must reduce pollution and launch a new clean energy chapter for America.
The Eastern Shore of Maryland has enough offshore wind potential to meet many of the state’s energy needs. Despite this, we risk falling behind neighboring states with far less potential. Offshore wind projects in Maryland are expected to produce up to 750 MW of power, which will meet 100 percent of Maryland’s off-shore wind renewable energy goals. This is enough power for more than 500,000 Maryland homes.
Investing in this pollution-free energy source, with no fuel costs, can help us reduce pollution and boost our local economies. Offshore wind blows strongest during times of peak energy demand – summer afternoons and winter cold snaps. It will diversify our energy portfolio with large amounts of valuable, clean power just when we need it most.
According to experts, the project will create 5,000 jobs in the well-paying construction and manufacturing fields, create a net-export industry for Maryland, provide a $16 billion net economic benefit for Maryland, spur $190 million on investment in critical infrastructure, and support nearly 100 long-term operations and maintenance careers; these are all incredibly positive outcomes for Maryland.
State and community leaders play a critical role in advancing offshore wind power off their shores. The Federal government has made significant progress in recent years identifying and approving locations for offshore wind to move Maryland toward realizing the golden opportunity over our horizon.
Maryland and the Eastern Shore’s citizens and wildlife are depending on bold leadership in ensuring a clean energy future. We strongly urge all to recognize just how much we stand to gain from harnessing our offshore wind power potential. Coastal resiliency, local jobs, increased investments in economic development, manufacturing, protecting wildlife and future generations of Marylanders, this is a promising clean energy solution.
William R. Chambers
Salisbury
(The writer is president & CEO of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce.)