I read with great interest your article and editorial about Congressman (Bill) Schuster’s new-found chairmanship of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and his goal and possible power to fund the U.S. Route 219 project.
It seems to me that when the country has to borrow 40 cents out of every dollar it spends, doing a project of this magnitude at the time is a poor choice from an economic perspective. Thinking that the cost will ultimately be passed on to my grandchildren makes it an even worse choice, in my view.
If the congressman is so good at finding money for this type of project, he should be able to find the money to pay our debt down. I understand he is also thinking about raising the gasoline tax. How’s that going to affect everyone in these economic times — more per gallon for everyone.
Since when do Republicans raise taxes on everyone across the board — and especially a “stealth” tax such as this? The long-term view in transportation will ultimately be rapid train and transit construction, not new highway bills.
With this view we can move a lot of people and goods rapidly and ultimately at a lower cost, much as they are doing in China and Japan. We have to start thinking 50 years ahead, not looking 50 years back.
Sid Markowitz
Grantsville
Editorials
U.S. Route 219 project would just add to nation’s heavy debt
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Walk Smart
Many local residents will be visiting Ocean City this summer, so it is worth noting that the resort has launched a campaign that it hopes will keep pedestrians out of harm’s way.
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Frostburg’s Bridge Program was important
After hearing rumors of possible changes being made, I just wanted to take a few minutes to put into words what the Frostburg Bridge Program meant to me as a child. Growing up in Frostburg, my parents were small business owners, my mother a teacher, and my father worked for the postal service.
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Trailer case bound to increase scrutiny on town of Piedmont
This letter is in response to the recent story concerning the guilty plea entered in federal court by Piedmont’s town foreman (“Piedmont town foreman Shingler enters guilty plea,” May 21 Times-News, Page 1A).
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Fixing community’s problems starts with your young people
I am writing this letter to the editor because I think our community really needs to work on plenty of issues. Some of them are:
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High priority
Maryland school officials on Tuesday put an exclamation point on the need to take student-athlete concussions more seriously.
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Cashing in
As anyone who lives in the area knows, economic gains have been hard to come by in recent years. The opening of the Rocky Gap Casino Resort is one of the biggest boosts the region has seen in some time.
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Why have the media been silent all this time?
When I read the Cumberland Times-News Editorial this morning, Friday, May 17, entitled, “Outrageous,” I laughed like a kid at a birthday party!
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What are chances this much money will be spent on road?
I was intrigued by cost data summarized in reporter Kathy Mellott’s recent article, “Completing southern link of U.S. Route 219 said to be best use of highway funds,” which appeared in the Cumberland Times-News on Tuesday May 14 (Page 1A).
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School board should be doing better job with less money
The Allegany County Teachers Association (ACTA) board of directors recently submitted a letter to the editor asking the Allegany County commissioners to fully fund the Board of Education’s budget request for the upcoming fiscal year (“Commissioners should fund school board request,” April 29 Times-News).
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Better ‘Click It’
If you notice more police on the highway this week, it’s for a couple of reasons.
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