Letters to the Editor
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Leopold Accuses Gov of Political Rhetoric
Dear Bay Weekly:
Gov. Martin O’Malley’s defensive comment regarding his veto of the Anne Arundel County Fly Ash Reimbursement Bill [Gov. Martin O’Malley in His Own Words: Vol. xvi, No 25: June 19] cannot go unchallenged.
The governor cited the fact that my press secretary, Audra Harrison, had once worked for the Maryland Republican Party, as somehow this was a factor in my criticism of his veto. This feckless attempt to deflect attention from the real issue behind the veto is unfortunate.
As pointed out by Bay Weekly, the Capital and the Baltimore Sun, the governor’s veto of the county’s effort to recoup the $104,000 we spent to do the investigative work on contaminated wells was a slap in the face of county taxpayers. The bill was a fair remedy for the well inspection costs the county incurred to protect the health of county residents, and the governor should have authorized the payment for the county’s costs. This was the fair thing to do, and the governor’s political rhetoric regarding Ms. Harrison was a thinly veiled attempt to politicize a veto that should not have been executed.
–John R. Leopold,
Anne Arundel County Executive
Praise for Faunce and Turtles
Dear Bay Weekly:
Kudos to M.L. Faunce’s Reflection, Fear the Turtle? Not in Summer [Vol xvi, No. 25: June 19]. She touched on a subject close to my heart. As a proud owner of a Russian tortoise and a miniature water terrapin, I count turtles as the Number One pet in our household (next to my shar-pei). I even sport a trio of turtles tattooed across my lower back. When I was growing up, my parents taught me the importance of stopping to help a turtle cross the road. I’ve passed that critical life lesson down to my boys. Last summer, we kept a running tally of how many turtles we saved from near-death while crossing a busy road. The number of saved turtle lives in 2007 on our tally was close to a dozen.
I just stopped early this morning and saved one more. So far for 2008, our chalkboard tally stands at two saved lives.
We’ve made it our mission to help these awesome creatures. Last summer, my oldest son rescued a blind turtle the size of a quarter; it had no eyes and was on the verge of being picked up by a large crow. He dug up worms to fed the turtle for four months, but his efforts to save the little fellow were in vain. Baby turtle is buried in our yard with a small memorial to remind my son how caring he was. Even my dog has jumped on the bandwagon. He’s brought several turtles to me from our own street and dropped them at my feet. Okay, maybe he’s simply looking for praise or a tasty morsel. But he’s been unsuccessful at dining on turtle-bites or getting praise. I scold him when he drops them at my feet and tell him one day he may be surprised by a snapping turtle.
My girlfriend, visiting me from Baltimore this weekend, was shocked by how much road kill lines our streets and roads. I agreed with her and M.L. Faunce. Slow down and be cautious of God’s critters who were here long before our roads and vehicles.
And don’t forget to always send turtles on their way in the direction they were facing when you found them.
–Michelle Steel, Chesapeake Beach
