The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • Page A14

14 THE BALTIMORE NEWS ATribune Publishing Company TIMOTHY E. RYAN Publisher, President and Chief Executive Officer NEWS ADMINISTRATION Triffon G. Alatzas, Head of Digital Media Mary Corey, Head of Print MARYLAND VOICES Andrew A. Green, Head of Maryland Voices BALTIMORE SUN MEDIA GROUP Judith Berman, Senior Vice President Marketing Thomas F. Brown, Senior Vice President Chief Financial Officer Patricia M.

Carroll, Senior Vice President Targeted Print Linda Hastings, Vice President Advertising Stephen G. Seidl, Senior Vice President Operations Technology Timothy J. Thomas, Senior Vice President Business Development THE BALTIMORE SUN Talk to us The Baltimore Sun welcomes comments from readers on subjects of local and national relevance by e-mail, by Twitter or on our Web site, baltimoresun.com. The Sun reserves the right to edit and publish them in the newspaper or on the Web site. Online baltimoresun.com/talk E-mail us Twitter twitter.com/baltimoresun Our address The Baltimore Sun, P.O.

Box 1377 Baltimore 21278-0001 Online exclusive: Second Opinion blog Have your say on Baltimore Sun editorials before printed. Previews are posted by noon on weekdays at baltimoresun.com/secondopinion READERS RESPOND EDITORIALS ith County Councilman Joe official announcement Friday that he will run for county executive, looking like have the most hotly contested race for the top job since 1994. Mr. Bartenfelder, a veteran councilman and former state delegate, will face Councilman Kevin Kamenetz in the Democratic primary, and at least one credible Republican candidate, former Del. Ken Holt, will seek the GOP nomination.

No matter what, the election will mark the biggest turnover in county government in more than a decade; in addition to a new executive, there will be a majority of new County Council members come December. It often seems that Baltimore County voters believe the government that governs best is the one that governs most quietly. So long as it provides good schools, keeps crime from getting out of hand, picks up the trash on time and raise taxes, county voters seem generally satisfied. An Anne Arundel County-style tax revolt go anywhere in Baltimore County, but neither would a progressive Montgomery County-style government. Term-limited Executive James T.

Smith Jr. made a lot of waves in the last eight years, and, other than an ill-fated East Side redevelopment plan, neither did his predecessor, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger. Not surprisingly, none of the candidates announced so far are looking to change that, saying they will focus on bread- and-butter issues such as maintaining the quality of the education, public safety, economy and fiscal health. no doubt that those are the issues most important to county residents and should be the top priorities.

But the next executive be able to run on autopilot. He (or she, if you can imagine such a thing in a place that has only elected one woman to the County Council ever) will face a series of tough issues in the next four years. Here are a few of them: Renaissance An idea so central to Mr. first campaign for executive that he made it a verb, is the promise that older suburban communities can be redeveloped into attractive places for families to live, work and play and most crucially, that this can be accomplished in a way that honors the wishes of the people already living there. Eight years later, the results have been mixed.

A building boom in places like Middle River subsided as the economy soured, and other parts of the county tagged for (such as the Liberty Road corridor) have seen moderate improvements, not transformative change. Following through on Mr. vision is going to be essential if Baltimore County hopes to get a piece of the prosperity expected to accompany the move of military and related jobs to the Aberdeen area starting this fall. Uneven education Some of Baltimore schools are among the best in the state. Others are far from it, and the gap between top performers and the bottom is growing.

Eight years ago, the graduation rate at the top high schools in the county was about 15 percentage points better than the worst. Now the gap is 33 points. The promise of high-quality schools has always been one of Baltimore major draws, but a decade in which it has rapidly grown more diverse, both racially and socioeconomical- ly, has coincided with a time in which that promise was unevenly fulfilled. County executives set school policy, but they do determine the budget, and that gives them significant influence, if they choose to use it. Transparency Tune in to a County Council meeting on cable, and chances are, no matter how closely you watch, have no idea what just happened.

Work sessions, when any actual debate about county business is conducted, occur in the middle of the day, when most people attend. Actual council meetings, which take place at night and are broadcast on the Baltimore County channel on Comcast, are a flurry of 7-0 votes book- ended by the Pledge of Allegiance and adjournment. Fred Homan Many people heard of him, but County Administrative Officer Fred Homan has almost certainly been the most influential figure in county government during the last 20 years. Formerly the county budget director, he is without peer when it comes to keeping spending in check and is probably more responsible than anyone for the fact that county property taxes gone up. The next executive would be well advised to take advantage of his talents but also to realize their limits.

The most cost-effective solution always the best. The race is on Our view Baltimore County voters tend to like a quiet, steady government in Towson, but big questions will await the candidate who is elected executive this fall Baltimore County government has been operating smoothly for years, but the next executive be able to run on autopilot. KENNETH K. SUN PHOTO Readers respond I am hoping for a major turnover and not just in who is sitting in a particular elected seat. If true grassroots, experienced community leaders are elected to the council, instead of the candidates bought and paid for by the high roller contributors, the new county exec just might have to tread a more open and honest path.

Hopefully sunshine will fade out the back room deals and citizens will be able to participate in government actions during citizen friendly hours. Maybe department heads will be chosen for their ability instead of just being a good old boy who will follow orders and will be allowed to use their brains and may actually work for the good of the people. What a concept a true and real representative government. We shall see in November if the voters pay attention and who they choose to believe. When all is said and done, we will get the government we deserve.

Mypointofview ed roses, mint juleps, celebrities and the wealthy stylishly attired: The Kentucky Derby once again proves itself the highlight of the horse racing season. But the glamour to be seen Saturday in Louisville masked the more telling allure increasingly making horses and races the most irrelevant feature of tracks. Penn National Gaming announced recently that Charles Town Races and Slots in Charles Town, W.Va., will henceforth be known as the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. not to be confused with the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course near Harrisburg, which is also operated by the same company. Could the Hollywood Casino at Pick-A-Spot, Maryland, be far behind? This a matter of putting the cart before the horses; Penn National knows which end of the business is making hay.

Both sites have been approved for table games this summer. Giving the Tinseltown-themed casino top billing only makes sense, as that is the actual star of the show. Curious patrons are, of course, welcome to wander to the back of either locale and watch the animals running around the track if of any interest to them. Marylanders should expect to see the gambling pitches on billboards and newspaper advertisements soon enough. Charles Town has already become a operation for those with a sudden 3 a.m.

desire to play slots. This is the reality of horse racing, and it is a pitiful thing. Marylanders may have chosen to bring slot machine gambling to the state two years ago to, at least in part, support horse rac- ing, but becoming increasingly clear where the future lies. Former Gov. Robert L.

Ehrlich Jr. has already shown interest in table games, saying Thursday that open to at least discussing the idea. a turnaround from his days in the State House, but it may just be a matter of recognizing the reality that casinos are now practically surrounding the state, much as slot machines have in the past. sad about this is just how far horses have been shoved to the back seat. And Penn effort to market the eastern panhandle of West Virginia as goes beyond mere irony to the bizarre.

It may also be insufficient: Penn profits were down 11percent in the first quarter compared with a year ago, a disappointment company officials credited to the downturn in consumer spending and bad weather. Horse ills have become painfully familiar: Wagering and attendance are down; many barns and tracks are in financial trouble, while others have been propped up with slots and other forms of gambling. But the real problem is its irrelevance to the general public. Other than this weekend, or upcoming leg of the Triple Crown, when was the last time you cared about the outcome of a horse race (assuming even the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes mattered)? foray into slots is proving to be problematic and will no doubt provide much fodder for the gubernatorial campaign. Let no one suggest that table games could revive racing, however.

Keep it financially afloat, perhaps but until the public starts caring about horses more than one, two or three times ayear, difficult to see much future in the sport of kings. Horses and Hollywood Our view Nearby racetracks put their casino games before the horses, naturally Jobs, Red Line mean a brighter future for West Baltimore The Baltimore Sun has run several articles recently that I hope presage a brighter future for West Baltimore. On Wednesday, your article entitled federal jobs in the (April 28) noted that the federal government is looking for additional office space for expansion of both the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, and the Social Security Administration, SSA. Both these federal agencies now have offices in Woodlawn in Baltimore County, very close to the line dividing county and city to the west. I have been employed by CMS since it was housed in both federal and commercial space at and near SSA.

This is what has kept me traveling through West Baltimore, sometimes driving, sometimes by MTA bus. On Friday, you ran an article entitled: Line doubles track plan for (April 30). This project, once completed, will not only improve public transportation directly to CMS, SSA and nearby expansions, but also allow much easier access to the nearby West Baltimore Route 40-Edmondson Avenue corridor. In finding office space, I hope the federal government will consider that they could be the first employer positioned to use the Red Line and help the area it passes through. thinking of the federal decision, decades ago, to place SSA on its current Woodlawn campus, and the prosperity Ibelieve that decision helped bring to Woodlawn.

The opportunity cumulatively suggested by your articles this week is not development at the end points but the redevelopment of the route itself, passing through West Baltimore. Elizabeth Carmody, Baltimore Pass the bottle tax Thank you for your editorial on April 28 in support of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings- proposal for a beverage surcharge to reduce budget deficit tax You hit the mark when you noted that despite various other proposals to raise revenue, the fact that the is the only one with significant opposition shows again the reach of large corporations that are merely using the local business owners as a front to continue to manipulate the citizens for their profit. The state alcohol tax increase proposal faced similar opposition this year, with the alcohol industry distorting the impact on local business and economy as a way to scare off supporters of the bill. While many other taxes have gone up, the beer and wine tax has not been changed for almost 40 years, and the liquor tax last went up in 1955. The alcohol industry made unfounded claims that people would purchase their alcohol elsewhere, even though Delaware, West Virginia and Virginia all have higher taxes than Maryland.

They claimed disaster for the economy, but the truth is the ones benefiting from keeping the alcohol tax and the beverage surcharge low are large corporations, not the ordinary citizens of Maryland. time to stop letting outside corporations dictate the welfare of our city and state. The beverage surcharge should pass, and so should the alcohol tax, closing our state budget gap and making our state a healthier and safer place for all. Sarah Cha, Baltimore demonize Arizona There is national agreement that the United States has a serious problem with illegal immigration. There is also national agreement that should be done about it.

Why, then, instead of the Obama administration, immigrant-advocacy groups and Congress trying to demonize Arizona for its new illegal-immigration law, they press for serious enforcement of existing federal laws and present a viable means by which eligible illegal aliens can achieve legal status U.S. citizenship? Federal statutes exist to deal with the illegal immigration problem, but there has been an abject failure by federal authorities to enforce them seriously. blame Arizona for trying to deal with a serious problem while Washington pointedly does nothing to help. Other border states should enact similar laws to step up the pressure on Washington. Instead of traveling to Phoenix to run his mouth, Al Sharpton among many others stand on the steps of the U.S.

Capitol to demand that Congress and the White House do the that needs to be done instead of playing politics and attacking Arizona. Robert A. Erlandson, Towson Benefits of national ID outweigh drawbacks Imust say that I agree with Rozabell Nester (Readers respond, April 30) regarding the need for a national ID. Unfortunately, illegal immigration has reached a point where dealing with the problem outweighs the negative aspects of anational ID. And there are plenty of negatives regarding a national ID.

We must go one step further, though. We must hold employers responsible for hiring only legal residents. They must check the IDs for every person they employ, even if the person hired is mowing the lawn. That is the only way we can deal with this problem. Stiff escalating fines and ultimately imprisonment for the flagrant violators must be given to those who ignore the law and hire illegals.

That really is the only solution to this ongoing problem. If we are unwilling to accept anational ID program, we must be willing to tolerate illegal aliens living in our midst. Tom Armstrong, Pasadena.