Mail Call for 8/13

"With all the talk in the paper about John Howard, as a taxpayer I would like to know what he did to be put on administrative leave. I would really like to know what that was all about. As far as PenMar hiring someone that has already been let go, they must have rocks in their head."

"Two 6-year-old boys get in a car with a stranger? Again, a lack of parenting. Today it is career first, parenting second."

"How can county attorney Richard Douglas say that the county cannot reveal how much John Howard received as part of his retirement because it was his personal income and not his salary? Come on, what is the cover-up? We taxpayers have a right to know how much our money is being wasted. Let's get rid of this whole crowd at the next election. Some commissioners pass the buck, others take off on vacation. Do they think us taxpayers are stupid enough to believe that Alan Davis is the only one that knows how much money has been spent?"

"Thanks Herald-Mail, public spending including salaries, etc. and are of interest and concern to the taxpayers."

- Hagerstown

"Way to go, Herald-Mail, keep on this John Howard thing until you get some answers. Maybe that position was unfilled for three months because they don't need it. Save us taxpayers some money."

"I think this is ridiculous that the children in elementary schools have to enter a 5-digit pin number in order to get their lunches. That is what the lunch cashier person is for, to get the child's ticket and run it through. They should not be required to remember a 5-digit number in two weeks."

"This goes to the Clear Spring firefighters that run and set up the carnival. You had a great carnival this year. Why don't you open your social hall and have hot buffet dinners nightly? That would be a great fund-raiser. All of Frederick County carnivals do that and they really pack the people in there. This may be something for you to talk about. I am sure that people would enjoy coming up there and having a hot buffet meal before seeing the shows."

"I wanted to say that I think it's disgusting, its unacceptable for an intelligent and civilized community to allow its elected officials to put hundreds of thousands of dollars into knocking down buildings to turn them into empty lots. But cannot find the money to pay decent wages to its public servants, whether it's the rescue service, the fire department or the police department, those public safety personnel should come first with decent wages and benefits so they can go out there knowing that their community is behind them. If you are a resident of Hagerstown and you don't insist on this for your safety personnel, then look down at your shoes in shame, every time you have to say where you are from."

"This is in response to Bob Maginnis' Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down in the paper. He gave a Thumbs Down to 'Whoever was asleep at the switch' when the Maryland Boot Camp Program for juveniles was going sour. He knows darn well who was asleep at the switch, but he is not going to mention her name because he is going to give her an endorsement later this year for governor. Her name was Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and she was asleep at the switch!"