| Why Ralph Nader - and Katharine Harris - Look Good
Dear Bay Weekly:
I know it's hip in some circles to dump on Ralph Nader and Katharine Harris, as you did in your editorial of Nov. 30 [Vol. VIII, No. 48]. As a lifelong Democrat, I nevertheless voted for Ralph Nader because I thought and still think he's the best candidate for president, especially on the environment. If anything, he can tell it like it is without the double-talk and double-speak of the major party candidates.
During the last eight years under the Democrats (with an erstwhile environmentalist as vice president), we have seen U.S. oil imports continue to climb; a moratorium on increasing vehicle cafe (corporate average fuel economy) standards; carbon dioxide emissions increase (maybe even accelerate); and no real movement on moving to alternative energy sources.
If you recall, many Democratic senators (even Maryland's own Barbara Mikulski) co-signed a letter along with Republicans urging the Administration not to increase the CAFE standards under the guise of saving jobs.
We have seen Al Gore's tardy and halfhearted appearance at the Kyoto global warming conference in 1997. More recently, we saw the self-interested position of the U.S. at the Hague concerning global warming with their do-nothing policy. They do not exercise real leadership (i.e., persuading or convincing the public to rally to a worthwhile cause) but only look to the next election.
Clinton is now issuing executive orders to lock up public lands from further logging, road building, etc., which I think is good but too little too late.
As far as Katharine Harris is concerned, I thinks she's an attractive babe, and ad hominem attacks from you sure don't help your argument.
-Ted Kluga, Annapolis
Thanks to Girl Scouts, Recycling Wheels On
Dear Bay Weekly:
Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works would like to give a special thank you to Girl Scout Troup #718.
The girls volunteered over 30 hours assembling wheel kits for county residents to use on their yellow recycling bins. Assembly of the kits makes it easy for the county to distribute them to residents. Wheels make taking the bin to the curb on recycling day easier and are free to county residents who receive curbside recycling collection. While curbside recyclers may use any container of their choice to store and curb paper, cans, bottles, jars and yard waste, yellow bins and wheel kits are available at all of the county's convenience centers at no direct charge.
We salute Stevie Creighton, KC Parker, Whitney Hoot, Kay Welser and Hannah Kozak for all their hard work and dedication in providing this service to the citizens of Anne Arundel County.
-Beryl Eismeier, Recycling Projects Manager
Copyright 2000
Bay Weekly
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