Limiting court access harms most vulnerable citizens

In regards to “Tort reform for a healthy Baltimore and Maryland,” (July 6) Kurt Schmoke’s advice to Marylanders is based on faulty economics and misinformation.

Cutting off citizens’ access to the courts would benefit negligent corporations and the insurance industry at the expense of the working poor.

Schmoke suggests that restrictions to civil justice access would lower automobile insurance rates by reducing incentives for low-income citizens to seek compensation when they have been hurt in an auto crash.

But he ignores the real costs to society when injured people miss work because they cannot pay for new transportation or proper medical care.

Schmoke erroneously claims that people “flock to the tort system the way they do to a lottery.” Public Citizen’s research shows that people who seek compensation in the courts are typically the most severely injured. Nonmeritorious claims are dismissed or go uncompensated and only one in 10 injured people who could sue actually do so.

Schmoke asks Marylanders to accept a double blow: limiting their legal rights and taking away compensation for injuries. This would only further harm Baltimore’s most vulnerable citizens.

Joan Claybrook
President, Public Citizen
Washington

F-minus to Bush

I would never speculate on Mr. Gubisch’s (Letters, July 19) ability to discern good or bad global politics, history or current events.

However, I would suggest that he was possibly away from the planet these past six years if he’s not connecting the dots between Mr. Bush’s grave political errors and our current misery.

The ill-conceived and illegal war in Iraq is squandering the few precious resources we have left and is on the brink of imploding our very existence — not unlike what the Afghan war did to the Soviets.

We have not only broken a hen house full of eggs, we are breaking the bank in the process!

I still give Bush and his minions an F-minus for their continued folly!

Robert L. Reynolds
Bel Air

Public Access channels not threatened

Your story, “Federal bill threatens existence of new public access channel” (July 17) has overtones of Chicken Little. The sky isn’t falling nor is the existence of public access channels threatened by Congressional action.

Legislation passed in the House allows municipalities to collect 5 percent of gross revenues from cable providers and another 1 percent for PEG channels.

New cable providers are required to match the number of PEG channels carried by incumbents while local authorities are free to increase PEG channels over time.

This legislation will also allow for more diverse programming by making it easier for new entrants such as independent programmers to enter the market.

Likewise with the bill’s Senate counterpart, the Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunity Reform Act, or S.2686 (not S.5252, as your reporter had it.)

The Video Access Alliance supports public access channels and understands the important service they provide to members of the communities that support them.

The sky isn’t falling, but with any luck, cable competition is coming.

Julia Johnson
Chairperson
Video Access Alliance

Don’t play race card

In regards to “Maryland Comptroller refuses to apologize to Korean Americans,” (July 19), as a former New Yorker until now who has had incredible respect for the Korean-American community, it saddens me to see this proud and accomplished group playing the race card.

The last thing Maryland needs is another victim constituency!

I applaud William Donald Schaefer for not apologizing, and I hope the Korean-American leaders recognize they are doing more harm than good.

There are two reasons this issue has escalated to its current level: First, William Donald Schaefer has two aggressive opponents for comptroller; and second, anyone today who dares speak out against illegal immigration comes under attack.

To suggest Comptroller Schaefer step down because of his age is beneath comment.

Roz Ellis
Baltimore