Gov. Larry Hogan this week killed the proposed extension of Maryland’s Light Rail system which would have featured an East-West link for the city’s public transportation users.

. . . AND SETS AN OMINOUS TONE
FOR WHAT THE CITY CAN EXPECT
FOR HIS TERM AS GOVERNOR

REMOVAL OF CIVIL WAR FLAG
FROM GOVERNMENT LOCATIONS
IS AN ACTION LONG OVERDUE

Network TV news execs just don’t get it
 
By David Maril
 
While wondering which is more surprising, President Barack Obama relying on House and Senate Republicans to push through his fast-track trade bill, or French’s making ketchup and Heinz selling mustard… it’s interesting to note the following:

 Hopes for a bold, unifying and innovative term as Governor were dashed by Larry Hogan with his backward-thinking and shortsighted decision to kill the $2.9 billion Red Line Light Rail project.

There seemed to be a chance Hogan would bring in a moderate, enlightened approach to blend with the practical, budget-conscious focus Maryland needs. Instead, we are getting the typical anti-rail approach conservative Republicans take when it comes to transportation.

Even though Amtrak ridership in the Northeast Corridor increases every year, Republicans always try to cut back on the funding instead of expanding the popular service and correcting the money-draining system flaws in other parts of the country.

Hogan, as he had boasted, is a road, bridge and highway guy who obviously is blind to any focus that modernizes and expands Baltimore public transportation.

The only people in Baltimore who should be applauding Hogan’s decision are cab drivers. Thanks to the limited coverage area of the Light Rail service, and how ludicrous the bus-route system is, cabs gain a lot of business from people who can afford to pay the higher fares.

Hogan is pandering to supporters who want more highways and cars on the road.

Make it easy for people to clog up the roads and not consider other options that are good for the economy and environment. Lowering tolls, which Maryland is starting to do, falls into this category.

THE GOVERNOR’S ROAD-RUNNER COHORTS

Hogan, and his road-runner cohorts, should spend some time looking at other cities that gain tremendous benefit from comprehensive rail systems, like Boston, New York, Washington, Toronto, San Francisco and Chicago.

Baltimore’s current dysfunctional transit system is a joke and by turning his back on the approved federal financial contribution to this project, he has set the city back 20 years.

Hogan was willing to conditionally approve the Purple Line Light Rail proposal, which benefits his supporters in the more affluent suburbs near Washington. So much for Baltimore being a high priority on his political agenda.

 They will never admit it, but every one of the declared wannabes running for president on the GOP side, plus the rest of the President’s congressional critics, were privately celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision on the subsidy issue with Obamacare.

The last thing in the world they wanted was to win in court and then be blamed for the chaos that would have resulted with millions of people suddenly faced with funding problems, losing federal subsidies for their health coverage.

Donald Trump at debates sounds so ridiculous as a can- didate that anyone who follows him would be perceived as a combination of some of our greatest presidents.

Since the critics had no alternative solutions to offer, it would have been very detrimental to their election hopes. This way, they can simply criticize the Supreme Court decision and keep knocking the health plan without facing up to any responsibility.

 If I was seeking the Republican presidential nomination, I would try to sit next to Donald Trump at debates and follow him whenever possible as a speaker.

TRUMP SOUNDS RIDICULOUS

You figure that Trump sounds so ridiculous as a candidate every time he opens his mouth, anyone who follows him would be perceived as a combination of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.

 Speaking of these GOP characters running for president, many are bringing new meaning to the term “gutless” with their refusal to take a public stand against Confederate war flags waving in the breeze on local government turf.

To say they don’t want to give their opinions because it is a state issue is pathetic. If the sight of the Confederate Civil War flag flying at full-mast in South Carolina at the state capitol following the racist slaughter of the nine church victims doesn’t stir them into going on record taking a stand, they are a disgrace.

 Over on the Democrats’ side, the fact that Socialist Bernie Sanders is drawing such positive reaction from voters he addresses says more about the other candidates than it does about him.

While he’s too far to the left to survive the longer-term scrutiny and make a serious run for the nomination, it has to be a refreshing change of pace to hear someone who is genuine, says what he thinks, and who answers questions.

Hillary Clinton, pursuing her anointed office, and Martin O’Malley, who should be doing weathervane commercials, don’t inspire much enthusiasm.

 Network TV news executives just don’t get it.

NBC tried to close the door on the Brian Williams embarrassment, announcing the great story embellisher would be demoted to the breaking news desk on minor league MSNBC.

Could anyone imagine Walter Cronkite ever run- ning down a public street wearing rescue gear?

Seconds later, however, NBC was glorifying Lester Holt, Williams’ successor on the Nightly News, with promotional puff-pieces making him look larger than life.

Don’t they realize this type of celebrity hype is exactly what led to Williams’ downfall?

The crucial factor with network news anchors should be journalism, trust and credibility. Holt has all of these attributes and doesn’t need to be portrayed as a superhero.

ABC has been doing the same thing with its promotional commercials plugging David Muir, trying to make him look like the $6 million man, rushing to the rescue of victims in whatever he is covering.

This is pure Hollywood-type nonsense. CBS does it also, to a lesser extent, with Scott Pelley.

Can you imagine commercial promos of Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw running down a street in some type of rescue gear or costume, into a crowd of impoverished people or injured victims?

News anchors who are true journalists should be covering events, not trying to be part of them.

 The surprise and outrage over evidence becoming public that Fox sportscaster Pete Rose did bet on games when he was a baseball player, and not just when he was a manager, is a bit surprising.

I always thought it was worse that Rose did the wagering when he managed 25 players and could more effectively control a game. As a player, betting on his team to triumph was not going to change his approach of hustling with a win-at-all-cost mentality. This is why he was such a successful player.

But as a manager, it’s different. You have to also consider the longer-range implication over the course of a season and you shouldn’t jeopardize the welfare of players on your roster simply to win one game because you have a lot of money riding on the outcome.

You could ruin a pitcher’s arm to hold the other team down or make a decision that results in winning the game but fouling things up for the next week.

 Sports media commentators who say All-Star voting should be taken away from fans because the system doesn’t work are blaming the wrong people for the flaws and all the ballot-stuffing.

It’s Major League Baseball’s fault, along with all the teams themselves, encouraging and bribing fans to vote as much as possible. What is wrong with one vote per fan?

davidmaril@voiceofbaltimore.org

“Inside Pitch” is a weekly opinion column written for Voice of Baltimore by David Maril.

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