Sun turned on Baltimore with Hogan endorsement

I have tried to let some time pass before writing this to let my anger at your endorsement of Larry Hogan subside, but it’s difficult as that anger remains fueled by my disgust and disappointment (“Sun endorsement: Hogan for Maryland governor,” Oct. 24). I could list the many ways that Ben Jealous is a flawed candidate, but he has not had a chance to show what he would do as governor. Mr. Hogan has. And he has shown nothing but contempt for the city of Baltimore.

You chronicle many of his sins in the “reservations” you expressed about him. But these are not reservations, they are disqualifications. He put a dagger through the heart of the city’s economic development when he canceled the Red Line. Does he care? No. He knows where his votes come from — from suburbanites whom he could tell he wasn’t wasting their money on a “boondoggle” for city residents. Those suburbanites get more and more roads (Climate change? Not his worry.) and lower tolls and the city gets — well, the only money he comes up with is to tear things down (vacant houses), not to build anything up.

Oh, sure, Mr. Hogan wraps this is an appealing avuncular package, and skillfully navigates around Donald Trump toxicity, but the result is still Trumpian — more for the rich (white) suburbanites, less for the poor (black) city dwellers. And again, he doesn’t care because Baltimore residents do not carry much political clout in the state. One of the pathologies of systemic poverty is a loss of any feeling that you can alter your destiny including at the ballot box. That is one reason that the people of Baltimore need the voice of The Sun to amplify their needs and pleas.

With this endorsement, you have abandoned that role. I know that Baltimore is not part of The Sun’s official name, but perhaps you could, in the interest of accuracy, change your Twitter handle from @baltimoresun to @suburbansun.